I took a Mom-cation this week – 3 days of glorious alone time at my friend Christine’s rental on Cape Cod – and I spent some of it in bed, recovering from a virus. It’s been rocking my body (and not in the good way 🫠).
September is always intense for me. It’s that transition from summer into fall when the heat has accumulated, it dries everything out, and then the wind and cold hit. If you have a lot of Pitta and Vata in your constitution, you probably feel it too, especially with respiratory stuff.
Anytime we transition into a new season, our physiology is unstable for a few weeks. Add to that a 2-week eclipse season, which always kicks up world (and personal) events, supporting my aging mom with ongoing health issues, my oldest starting middle school and my youngest competing in his first swim meet (and being so nervous about it) – I didn’t realize how much my system was feeling the weight of it all.
I picked up a virus from my oldest in early September and I did that mom thing where it’s not a matter of whether or not we can function (because we have to), but how much we can push our limits. I was functional enough so I kept going. After lots of herbs, 2 acupuncture sessions, and homeopathy, I realized I just needed that endangered species of motherhood – deep rest.
As I wound down into my alone time, I felt all of that scattered energy pulling back to center. I noticed my body again, not because of her sickness, but from what she wanted to feel good – movement, fresh air, yummy food, uninterrupted focus time and rest.
It’s not easy being a sensitive in a world on fire, especially during times of big change. When we feel so deeply, see more than we wish we did, have a vision for how the world could be, and dedicate our lives to making it better, it can seep in and affect our coherence, disrupt the flow of our own life force and make us sick.
As a mother, these are some of the questions that guide me in supporting myself and my family right now:
🌀How do we stay embodied and connected to our humanity in a time when we’re living from the neck up, in our minds, on our screens, digesting the extremes of life at warp speed?
🌀How do we develop enough resilience in our bodies and minds so we bend as we need to but don’t break?
🌀How do we nourish our bodies and minds so that we can be as adaptable as we need to in a world changing so rapidly and for a future we can’t predict?
In Ayurveda the basic principle of healing is “like increases like, opposites balance.”
☯️When something is complex, we simplify.
☯️In the face of destruction, we put our energy towards what cultivates life.
☯️When the “branches” are sick, we tend to the root.
☯️In the face of dehumanization, we become more human and humane.
And we can’t do any of this without living in a way that keeps us connected us to our bodies, without the practical knowledge how to physically and emotionally nourish ourselves and our loved ones, and how to live our lives in a way that cultivates our life force and connects us to the Source of life itself – Mother Nature.
This is how we and our loved ones become resilient.
This is how we become adaptable.
This is how we can witness the weight of the world and still revel in her beauty despite her imperfection.
This is how we bend without breaking.
Much love,
Courtney
P.S. Vata dosha aggravates in fall and early winter. It’s responsible for about 90% of the imbalances we all face, especially if you’re a woman nearing perimenopause. Vata rules the nervous system and when out of balance can lead to anxiety, depletion, insomnia, constipation and other lovely symptoms. Now is the time to do what you can to keep Vata in check. My Seasonal Eating Guide with Shopping Lists will give you a clear idea of the foods that are most supportive right now. Healthy oils, ghee, spices, root veggies, meat and other animal products are the best in Vata season.