Shifting Gears

Here in the northern hemisphere we are about to experience the summer solstice-the longest day of the year. What this signals in my world is a downward shift from high season to the lower gears of summer. Being desert rats, we get somewhat accustomed to three straight months of triple digits...we're a hearty and heat loving kind of people. As the temperatures rise, the seasonal people begin to flee, leaving us plenty of room on our roads, ease of getting into restaurants and a definite sense of a letting up.



I have been very blessed with what seemed liked my busiest season ever and, quite frankly, I now feel a bit beat up. Parts of my body have been aching, my energy is lower than the amped up speed of the season and I'm just getting over a cold. I find myself thinking, "what gives?". And then I begin to recognize an old pattern, one that I experienced during every semester break and holiday when I was at university. My studies and activities as a physical education major had me pushing myself both academically and physically. Add part time work into that mix and I would find myself getting slammed with some form of cold, flu or infection during every break. I felt as though I couldn't catch a break...time off was spent sniffling, taking decongestants and spending my "free time" feeling lousy.



Since we moved to the desert (a dry climate) and I dove deeper into my yoga practice, I can't remember the last time I got hit by a cold. Until now. I think it's a universal reminder that we need to keep ourselves in balance...the harder we push, the harder we fall (eventually).



I'm not complaining as I feel so fortunate to be doing what I love and to have abundance around it. I'm just aware that thinking I'm super-human is beyond me and I need to heed the warnings of overdoing it. So, my thought for the week is what do we do to keep ourselves in balance?



Sometimes we're going along and don't realize we've been doing too much until we get sick. It's as though our subconscious says "enough already, I'm taking you down because you're choosing not to do it yourself". For me, it means the following:



*Get enough sleep. That translates to at least 8 hours (yes, each night, not accumulated over two or three nights)



*Stick with my daily meditation practice. It sets the framework for each day



*Make healthy eating choices. Translation-plant based, organic and fresh



*Don't push hard when exercising if my inner voice is saying, "whoa Nelly...take it easy today"



*Stay committed to regular movement-yoga, walking, weights etc



*Find fun stuff to do rather than always feeling the need to "work"



*Practice compassion toward myself. I'm doing the best I can.



I'd love to hear from you as to how you keep yourself in balance, or what throws you out of whack. I hope you enjoy a blissfully nourishing week that connects you to body, mind and spirit.