Nourishing the in-between

“Honor the space between no longer and not yet.” - Nancy Levin

I think it's safe to say, many of us have been refreshing our phones every fifteen minutes hoping for an update or a resolution in our election for president. 

I know I'm not alone in stating that this experience has been mentally agitating, and that’s a strong understatement.

I have been pondering the quotation above. How do we honor this space we are in?  And isn’t this experience of waiting for the results of the election just another experience of being in between the no longer and the not yet?

I for one cannot keep refreshing my phone like this. I also have to come back to my balance of staying informed of the world and not immersing myself in every drama and story.  

What do we do?  We find ways to truly nourish ourselves. Now, ice cream can be nourishing (I experienced this last night), but not every day. What are some daily things we can do to nourish ourselves through this period of time?

Sleep

Sleep is GOLD.  Guard your sleep like it is the holy grail of your health. Because it is. We all know this, but we develop habits that actually interrupt our sleep. Turning off all devices sixty minutes before you fall asleep helps with the secretion of melatonin. Going to sleep earlier and waking up earlier is huge. I used to hit that snooze button at least three times every morning. Usually when I did that, my day started with a sensation of feeling rushed and late. That sensation followed me throughout the day, which I satiated with coffee and carbs. Now I’m not hating on coffee and carbs, but using them for energy boosts doesn’t really work. Going to bed early and waking up early works. Take it to the next level and try to match your rest and sleep with the cycles of the sun. So, when the sun goes down, you begin to wind down your day. 

Evening Rituals

What are some things we can do as we wind down our day?  In our home, we usually eat dinner around 5:30pm. Just after it gets dark now. Our ritual begins with kitchen clean-up and then (for me) usually a shower to rinse off the day. Then the girls and I watch an episode of something and cuddle on the couch. By 7:15 we are in pajamas, showering, cuddling, and reading. It's a very sweet, slow time. By 9pm, we are all ready for sleep. Rituals can be anything, but let them be focused on slowing you down. Sometimes we do mandala coloring books. Sometimes we just sit and talk. Find a ritual that works for you that both disconnects you a little from the outside world and slows you down. By sundown, there is really nothing that can’t wait until the next day.  

Exercise/Movement

Whether it is your yoga practice, running, walking in the park, move your body daily and get your heart rate up. This has so many benefits I can’t even list them. I know them, you know them; we all know that exercise is important for our health. The more you exercise, the better your sleep is. So there’s that. I’ve been off my cardio routine for the last few months. I admit it and I miss it. I am hereby committing to myself to get back into my daily thirty-minute cardio routine. Let's commit together!

Mindfulness

I’m not even talking meditation here (although I encourage you to have a daily meditation practice). Mindfulness is maintaining awareness of your inner and outer world: awareness of automatic thinking, of your emotional state, of the sensations in your body, etc. Slow down when you eat your meals. Really savor the tastes and textures.  Stay present when you bathe. Feel the sensation of warm water on your body and scent of your soap or shampoo.  Develop a habit of being mindful as often as you can all day long. 

Conscious Breathing

Watch your breath. As often as it occurs to you, bring your awareness to your breath over and over. The more you are conscious of your breath, the less you are immersed in your thoughts. Conscious breathing calms an overstimulated nervous system. Conscious breathing lowers your blood pressure and increases your immune function and cardiovascular function. Those are just the physical effects. Conscious breathing also deeply connects you to the here and now. In the here and now exists a door to your Highest Self. That door is for you and for you alone to explore. I can share, from my own experience, conscious breathing leads to the pinnacle of nourishment, the feeling of peace.

And ultimately isn’t that what we are all after?  Joy sometimes feels out of reach. Happiness feels fleeting or based upon some external condition. But peace, peace is attainable right now. You can feel at peace even in a world that is out of sorts.

I would like to offer you a prayer that I learned from a teacher named Dr. Joseph Michael Levry.  He used to run a yoga center named Universal Healing Force. It's been over twenty years and those Wednesday evening Kundalini classes are still with me. He used to close with a prayer of light. Let us say this daily:

The Prayer of Light

Love before me

Love behind me

Love at my left

Love at my right

Love above me

Love below me

Love unto me

Love in my surroundings

Love to all

Love to the Universe

Peace before me

Peace behind me

Peace at my left

Peace at my right

Peace above me

Peace below me

Peace unto me

Peace in my surroundings

Peace to all

Peace to the Universe

Light before me

Light behind me

Light at my left

Light at my right

Light above me

Light below me

Light unto me

Light in my surroundings

Light to all

Light to the Universe