Hey there, Reader!
Rhythms are are all around us; I’ve come to realize though that many women, moms especially, I work with are simply too busy to slow down enough to actually notice them. But it only takes a little awareness of them in order to make that shift so that you can begin to actually use them to your benefit.
Often where that awareness starts is with the changing moon…so many people first begin to notice the full moon because it’s not only visibly big, it also has a big energy that comes with it. One that often impacts kids energy levels and sleep patterns (just ask any teacher😄).
But there’s another rhythm in nature that mirrors what’s happening at the full moon, and that’s the shift into summer with the Summer Solstice. The rhythm of summer is a lot like the rhythm of the full moon–it’s big, abundant and full of energy when it comes to the natural world. Things are growing and blossoming, and nature is putting it’s best self out there to be seen.
These two phases are also the peak of energy before things start to wane or release.
If you’re a woman, you also have some key qualities that mirror these two natural world rhythms. And those are ovulation (the peak of your menstrual cycle) and your child-rearing years. Yep, the time when you might have young children or school-aged children…when you need all that energy to be able to keep up with what your kids are doing.
And because those child-rearing years require a lot of {big} energy, they can sometimes act as a distraction to paying attention to your own needs because of all the big, outward energy pulling on you and calling for your attention. The energy it requires to coordinate the chaos of your family’s lives can be keep you from focusing on other important things like taking care of your own needs as well because the energy outside you IS such big, active energy.
Just thinking about giving back to yourself using what’s left of the energy you have after serving everyone else can be exhausting.
I totally get it, and have been there myself.
And when you do have the energy to do something for yourself or make the time to do so, mom guilt often creeps in. Who’s with me on this? 🙋♀️🙋♀️🙋♀️
I’ve also figured out how to overcome it…most of the time.
To keep you from losing focus on your own needs so that you can care for all the other things like family, work and community obligations it’s important to first take care of yourself…and have a plan to do so.
Time for you doesn’t mean you are abandoning your family or kids or even other obligations, it just means you are choosing to also make yourself a priority when all this big, outward energy is around you. It means you can take that big energy and also turn it towards yourself. After all, there’s plenty of it to go around!
I know you likely already do this to an extent (or maybe you’re just learning how to do it), but even I have times when I forget to check in with myself, so I know you probably do too. 😉
Two of the best ways I’ve discovered to make sure I’m also giving back to myself aside from my daily yoga and spiritual practices are:
- To register for events are guided by someone else so that I don’t over-analyze what could be done and instead can surrender my full attention to pouring back into myself. I do this by getting regular coaching and support from my coach and a group of women who are on a similar soul journey as me and by attending local(ish) yoga and spiritual practice classes and workshops.
- Incorporate small things throughout my day to bring awareness back to myself & the present that might in some instances involve my family and kids so that it doesn’t feel like I’m abandoning them. (These small things throughout the day are really helpful in overcoming the mom guilt that so easily sneaks up on us.)
When you can begin to notice the big rhythms, like the changing of the seasons, which BTW, is coming up next week (click here if you want to learn more about the Solstice Celebration I’m hosting in conjunction with it), or the peak of the moon when it’s full, you are then willing to allow the awareness of your own rhythms to help you begin to navigate how you move through life while giving to yourself without mom guilt.
And that’s my hope, that do-it-all moms can begin to use their rhythms to flow with their time, energy, and focus to get all the things done, including time for themselves, without the mom guilt.
As I mentioned, one of the best ways to give back to yourself is to schedule that time by registering for an event or a coaching session. Check out the upcoming in-person Solstice Celebration event as one way to commit to giving back to yourself.
If you’re not local, I’m currently creating a resource for you that you can join in on the Solstice Celebration fun by creating your own at home. Stay tuned right here for when that becomes available.
Until then…
Helping you find and use the rhythms around you to flow with life!
Cheers,
Cathy
P.S. If you found this email helpful or think someone might benefit from the Solstice Celebration, I would love for you to pass it on to them. Heck, invite them to join you at the celebration…the more the merrier!