Hello,
We all know unlimited growth is not sustainable, for us or the planet. With the Summer Solstice behind us, it is time to scale down. If you were to ride the wave of Earth’s seasonal energies - go with the flow so to speak - now is the time to pare back.
Late summer/early autumn is an ideal time to take a breather, and reflect.
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On the wheel of the year, the seasonal energies of late summer/early autumn are equivalent to 3 pm in the afternoon. The intense peak of the day is behind you and it is time for afternoon tea. We're at 2 pm at the moment, checking the time and feeling very ready for a cup of tea. Can you relate? Speaking of afternoon tea, check out this spread at the recent Wildly Well Women's retreat.
Pic by Elisa Krey.
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Since the summer solstice a month ago, the days have begun to shorten and our hemisphere is turning towards the dark. Summer is a time of expansion and autumn is a time to contract. A reminder to trim away the excess.
I know! It's easier said than done.
What has helped me lately is to remember that just because we can do something (and maybe even should) doesn’t mean we have to.
I recently returned from a magical weekend of Deep Ecology with John Seed. What a treat! I enjoyed the kind of guided time in nature I facilitate - but rarely get to experience. Gosh it was wonderful. And affirming.
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Magical circle of people wishing to cultivate their ecological self at a recent weekend of Deep Ecology with John Seed. John is increasing the frequency of his workshops and planning to embrace social media. You can find John on IG and Facebook. Pic by Johanna Bodewes.
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(the next few paragraphs are about me. But stick with me. They are really about you. I promise)
I was on the brink of overwhelm in the weeks leading up to the weekend and had been doing plenty of pondering about how to simplify. But I wasn’t willing to let go of anything. It was all so worthwhile, I told myself.
Thankfully, the Deep Ecology workshop gifted me clarity regarding how best to do the work I wish to do. I focussed on what I was trying to achieve and realised I could trim away a few tasks without affecting outcomes.
Hosting another Wildly Well Women's retreat was among the several tasks that ended up on the cutting room floor.
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A few moments from the December 2022 Wildly Well Wommen’s retreat. Pics by Elisa Krey.
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The retreat was all I hoped it would be. Enthused and energised by its success, I scheduled another for deep winter. But then a few weeks later, once the adrenaline of hosting wore off (and I suspect also once we passed summer solstice and I embraced the reflective seasonal energy), I contemplated just how much work goes into hosting a multi-facilitator overnight retreat. And I realised my regular quarterly small and simple one-day Inside Time Outside retreats achieve the same thing (a deeper connection with nature, self, and others), just at a slower pace, and maybe that’s not a bad thing. I embraced the permaculture principle "use small and slow solutions."
After three years of running Inside Time Outside retreats, I’d settled into a rhythm. Hosting them was no longer a challenge and I thought that meant it was time to scale up. Incorporate something else into my offerings.
Why do we do that? Think we have to always grow and expand?
Thankfully, the cycles of nature remind us that continuous growth is not possible. We wax and then we wane, ebb and flow, expand and then contract. If we try to fight this pattern we only end up overwhelmed and exhausted. We can't achieve anything if we burn out.
So perhaps you have a wildly well retreat in your life? A task that's bigger and more complex than it needs to be? Something that could be dropped or tweaked without impacting the bigger picture?
It is likely you can achieve more, by doing less with more presence and heart.
Just because you can do something, doesn’t mean you have to.
I hope you enjoy a month of reflection and contraction.
Well wishes,
Tricia
P.s. The next Inside Time Outside retreats are less than 3 weeks away (Sunday 5th and Wednesday 8th February). Book here.
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