Ramblings from the Mountain:
Happy Vernal Equinox! (Yes, I know it was last week, but we were busy on the mountain celebrating with a BBQ and bonfire. So accept our heartfelt wishes for a fertile Spring season, now, today.).
Around the world, the Spring Equinox is associated with rebirth, fertility, and resurrection. It is a time of religious observances. It is a time to ready fields for planting. Technically, it is the day when the amount of dark (night) is equal to the amount of light (day). I like to think of it as a reminder to look at my life and see where I am in balance or where I may be out of balance.
My Tai Chi practice has made me acutely aware of physical balance--and I do declare, I am less likely to fall over now, than a year ago! Focusing my breathing, connecting with the balls of my feet, allowing myself to sway like a slender bamboo reed…all of this has put me more in touch with how I occupy space and given me a new resilient and confident sense of balance.
But, I’m not always in balance in other ways. Our work here, at Finca Luz, goes through stages of hyper-busyness and then not-so busy down times. I tend to get all caught up in the hyper stage--tours, planting, product making, finca projects, etc.--and then find that I am exhausted and cranky. I’m like the Red Queen in Alice in Wonderland: “No time! No time!” Then a down time comes along and I panic thinking NOTHING will ever happen, ever again. The temptation at that point is to MAKE something happen, instead of simply allowing a bit of fallowness or rest. I'm likely to say, "That's it. I'm selling everything and moving...away!" Then, I realize that even if I did, I would take myself with me and recreate the same cycle. Too much, then not enough. What's the old saying? "No matter where you go, there you are."?
So, how do we measure and adjust balance in our lives? How much work is too much? How much food, drink, socializing, is too much? How much is not enough? And, how do we know? Mindfulness comes to mind (sorry). Paying attention—how does my body feel? Enervated or energized? How does my spirit feel? Dull or joyful? How does my mind feel? Bored or intrigued? Tuning in and then fine tuning our activities, our schedules, our commitments, our diet and lifestyle, etc. to achieve a place that feels flexible, strong, responsive and alive. It often is not easy or clear cut—and there is no one-size-fits-all recipe. Each of us has to figure it out for ourselves and act accordingly.
In Tai Chi there is the yin and yang symbol – light and dark, masculine and feminine. It recognizes the immutability and gifts of opposites. Being in balance is not about never being tired, or cranky, or ill, or bored, or depressed, or about always being productive, creative, happy and UP. It’s about honouring where you are and then moving your life energy in a way that brings you to a place where it is all possible and available to you. There is a movement called
Repulse Monkey, Hold the World that moves backwards, shifts weight from right to left, back to front, gathers energy, holds it, then pushes it away to release, and repeats. Smoothly. Effortlessly. Consciously. For me, it is a metaphor in movement for balancing my life.
How else do I strive for balance? Changing my diet to mostly avoid grains, sugar, nightshades and processed foods has been a critical shift. Focusing on fresh foods, clean water, sunshine, the company of good friends. Music. Making time to read crap mysteries on the terrace. Engaging in interesting work that varies and stimulates my brain with new thoughts. Naps. And, sometimes, I still fall out of balance. I regroup and regather my energy when that happens and make adjustments. I am a work in progress.
Oh—and I also take two droppers full of
Ashwagandha, every day. This amazing Ayurvedic botanical plant is a natural balancer for the endocrine system. It reduces cortisol levels (the stress hormone) and smooths out anxious energy. I recommend it!
Happy Balancing! Elizabeth Worley