SUNDAY SLOWDOWN | Full Moon Rising
“Go slowly, my lovely moon, go slowly.”
- Khaled Hosseini
September arrived without warning. I mean, we knew it was coming, but it just seemed to show up so quickly - “is it autumn already?!” Ready or not, we have crossed the line into fall. We are only four months and a few days away from the end of the year. If that gives you anxiety, and has you reviewing your checklist of what you want or need to accomplish by December 31st, you are not alone. I am feeling it too. Business goals to achieve, some more challenging than others. Personal desires to realize and places I want to travel. All joyful aspirations, I just need to make time in my schedule. It can feel like a runaway freight train, that has us hanging on precipitously, as we race down the tracks of our days.
And, there is another way. I invite you to sit in stillness for a few minutes. Take a deep breath. Let yourself exhale slowly. 1, 2, 3. Have a sip of water, drink some coffee, or make yourself a pot of tea. Just breathe. You don't have to stop, but it is advisable to rest. Intentional pauses meant to restore and rejuvenate. This is what Sunday Slowdowns are for, a gentle reminder to turn towards the inner landscape, our soul's agenda.
It's easy to forget, and even harder to remember, that we are the masters of our mind. This complex computer-like system that seems to have all the answers, and yet, it will never replace our intuition, our spirit and emotions. It is merely a tool to help us navigate what's on our plate in a more efficient and effective way.
When we get stuck on auto pilot, going about the same routines day after day, we feel like our lives are in someone else's hands. Surrender is a good thing, but when our agency is given over without thought or intention, we allow our circumstances to have the final say. When we create rituals that ground us, that regulate our nervous system, provide nourishment for our bodies, and fill the well of our soul with awe and beauty, life takes on a very different hue.
Today is a full moon, a blood moon. A lunar eclipse moon. Whether or not you believe in the symbology of the universe, it might not be a bad thing to bow down to the mystery and magic of the natural world. A new season of cycles, the beauty of the cosmos. The omnipotence of a higher power. This Sunday Slowdown, I invite you to take a pause and ask yourself, “Where does my soul want to go?”
Take a walk, journal in a notebook, talk to a friend, meditate for a few minutes. Whatever ritual reconnects with the awe and beauty that guides your soul, give yourself the time and space to slow down and contemplate this question. Let the answer arrive, like September. Quietly, expected and yet seemingly suddenly. A new season slipping in. Get yourself ready to welcome it in with open arms and hearts, like a new adventure that awaits.
X Alisa
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