Jane Witherspoon is a Canadian expat adventurer, yoga instructor and passionate rambler who recently relocated from Panama to Denia, Spain.
My dear friend and fellow Sole Sister, Celeste Mallett Jason, owner of the Ganges Yoga Studio on Salt Spring Island in British Columbia, Canada, wrote this beautiful and poignant narrative on her internal reflections during a recent fall afternoon. I hope that it resonates with you all as much as it did with me.
Dear Everyone,
My reflections today, on this most stunning of Fall afternoons, rested on the body. I use this phrase deliberately as I was purposefully resting my body, taking in the moment and allowing my thoughts to rise. My body was tired, so I listened and took the break.
September is usually a frenzied month for most folks I know around these parts.
Autumn harvests of food and forest bounty, preparations to make for the Winter, only weeks away. The month of September has been glorious and you would be excused to think it based on these dazzling sunlight days we have been experiencing, but the darker days and longer nights of November are but weeks away.
We cannot be certain of what is in store for us weather wise; we can only prepare the best we can. Knowing the devastating effects of Climate Change all over our planet, we could be in for a surprise!
So what does this have to do about my body???
Lying down, I experienced an overwhelming flood of gratitude for being alive and experiencing life in this peculiar, magnificent bag of bones!
Lately I have been struggling with the corporeal, acknowledging the mystery of being, yes, but struggling to find a way of controlling my health and well being. My body is changing in ways new to me and questions are arising as to how to be with this. Anxiety started to flutter.
And then I read this!!! This is a paraphrase of a story I read to calm and focus the mind:
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A young man was restless and agitated and could not rest his anxious mind.
He had heard about a sage living in the mountains nearby, so began his pilgrimage in search of peace and wisdom.
In the darkness of the cave the young man sat opposite the sage and told him his woes.
The sage replied, slowly and deliberately;
Sit comfortably and close your eyes.
Imagine a knob of firm butter shaped like an egg resting perfectly on the top of your head.
Watch how the heat from your head slowly starts to melt the butter and feel the molten butter covering your head and soaking into your skull.
Feel the golden light of the butter entering your consciousness and moving through your entire being until all that exists is golden light.
You are that light.
Breathe easily and rest well
Ommmmm
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Sometimes the profound can be so simple! The resulting effects were immediate! Free from quizzical judgment, a sense of deep, abiding peace and calm resounded in every pore of my being.
Please try this for yourself and share it with your friends! Let me know what happens for you."
And so my Sole Sisters, as you ramble through your week take time to listen to your body and give yourself permission to breathe easily and rest well.
Respect your body when it is asking for a break.
Respect your mind when it is seeking rest.
Honor yourself when you need a moment for yourself - Unknown
Sacred rest is not just about sleeping or taking it easy.
It consists of physical, emotional, and spiritual rest.
The purpose is to promote a healthier mindset, attitudes, boundaries, relationships, productivity, and wellness as a whole person. Body, Mind and Spirit - Dana Arcuri
READ MORE > Jane's Mindful Musings, Rambler Cafe Blog
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