Balance
Balance = an even distribution of weight enabling someone or something to remain upright and steady.
But is weight ever evenly distributed? I'm not sure that my life has even looked like the picture above! Sometimes it feels like everything is constantly in flux, and it's a battle to keep up.
Time Off:
To get a bit more balance in our lives, we recently took time off - we had about 10 days off from teaching, and Phil took the week off from his day-job too. Because there isn't really anywhere to go, it's tempting to just carry on working - and Phil has lost quite a lot of annual leave days from last year doing just that (I hear quite a lot of other people saying the same thing).
It's important to remember that we still need to stop and rest though, even (and perhaps especially) in these strange times. I found that I read a lot last week, I just parked myself in my rocking chair and read book after book. It was absolute bliss! We also managed to clear out the shed and the loft - jobs we've been putting off for years, which meant multiple trips to the recycling centre. It felt very Spring-like to be sorting and clearing out so much!
You may have seen on social media that I've been bitten by the cold water therapy bug. Well, I've been in once - but am planning to make it a regular thing - twice a week at the moment, but possibly to increase. Getting up before 6am is the hardest part of it (that bit's not strictly necessary, but it's when the group that I've joined go). I'm reading more and more about the benefits of it, which include boosting mood and immunity. It is also said to relieve symptoms of perimenopause too - something else I've been reading more about recently.
In the interest of complete transparency, I didn't manage to take the full week off - I did do some work, and I nearly wrote this blog too!! But I felt that was too hypocritical :)
April Showers:
April is known for its showers - apparently this is caused by the jet stream moving northwards, the land warming up but the sea being cool - which causes shower clouds to form. I always think about April as being changeable - unpredictable, maybe. This can lead to feeling unsettled, as weather can really affect our mood and wellbeing.
Watch out for any fluctuations, and if you do notice that you're being affected, see if you can bring in some daily routines to balance yourself. This is often where practices like gratitude journals can be a real boon, or finding a motivational mantra that suits you. Check out this motivational mantra practice, which I shared in an early morning meditation recently - pick the mantra that speaks to you (or create your own) - I've taken to writing mine on my mirror (a great suggestion from a community member!):
Balancing Life Through Lockdown Changes:
Did you know that "April" means "open"? It comes from the Latin word "aperit", which means to open. Of course, this is about nature opening - trees and flowers bud and open up, but our world is starting to open too. Phil and his son have both been for haircuts - the only change that's affected us so far. What's been different for you?
As we look at the map to transition us out of lockdown, we might notice a whole range of different feelings arise. I want to reassure you that that's OK. There may be some happiness - perhaps that we'll be able to meet with people we love again. But there may also be fear, anxiety and a sense of pulling back - not wanting this to happen yet.
Please do take things at your own pace. Just because it's written in the "roadmap", doesn't mean that it's right for you. We all need to make our own decisions about how we journey out, and it may be that we decide not to go back to how things were fully. Please don't feel pressured to go at the Government's pace. I also want to reassure you that we'll be online in the longer-term, so you'll still be able to practice with us on zoom.
If you are feeling nervous, anxious and scared we have got a morning retreat coming up on Sunday that will help look at how to respond to our difficult emotions differently. We are going to look at the conditions of happiness we already have in life, before considering our more complex emotions - bringing our feelings into balance. If you're interested click here to read more and book in.
Thank you for reading, and let me know how you're bringing balance into your life,
Susie