Fall is Almost Here
There is a movement back to looking at nature. Nature is a very wise guide if we are able to pay attention. The seasons themselves are a "whole" process. In Chinese medicine there is the simple concept of yin and yang. Summer is full expression of yang energy, outward expression, connecting with others, and exploding with potential. Winter is yin time, where there is a time of quiet, silence, and stillness that is supposed to be restoring. Spring and Fall are the transition times between these two opposing expressions, and if we are having trouble with these transitions, we can feel like we are never "catching up".
How do we honor this transition with grace? A lot of us see the marked sign of season change by kids going back to school or preparing for the busy holiday season. How do we take care of ourselves in this process? We do live in a very materialistic society that focuses on the stress of the holidays instead of appreciating what they are originally celebrated for. A lot of this stems from the inability to look within, to be superficial, and to spread ourselves so thin we can't appreciate what it means to slow down. When this tends to happen a lot, people might run into seasonal disorders or anticipate a "crash" of some type. We get rewarded by society when we are able to multi-task to the extreme. We are a very high burn out society that sometimes can't say no to extra projects. Where do you fall in this transition? What are you doing for self care?
For the Journey Group, we will be exploring some deeper themes that go beneath the surface. It's hard to live in todays society, and it takes a lot of courage. What does it mean to live with a courageous heart? And how do we explore the landscape that is our heart? This is what we will be exploring this month as well as for the months to come. If you are at a distance, you can follow along at your own pace at home and send in feedback or what type of changes it has created in you.
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