And now set that aside to ruminate for 2-4 hours
Ruminating on the past couple of months, I can safely say it has been quite a journey. Four out of six of us in our house are furloughed with myself and my husband continuing to work. None of us really saw this coming at such a pace.
I decided to keep in touch with all my clients via Zoom and to be more present on social media which I know many others did too. I was wondering about how this would actually work once I began working in this way as I’m sure a lot of you did too. Working on zoom has been amazing for me and I have found that the conversations between myself and clients are just as connected as they are in person, so much so, I am planning to continue with this. Being able to connect with people all around the world is fantastic, there is no barrier to being able to help people now. What a positive thing to have discovered.
For the last 8 weeks, I have gone live on Facebook and Instagram and given whoever chose to tune in, a way to connect, move and to do some inner work. In a world where we are constantly bombarded with things from the outside, the lockdown has almost forced us to look inward instead. This time has allowed us to dig deep and really ask ourselves what we are doing and why. Do we want to be doing it, if we do, do we want to be doing it this way or do we need to shake things up a bit? Rather than looking externally for the answers we have a real chance to look within. My morning sessions ran Monday to Friday and for 45 minutes we moved and stretched our bodies in a mindful way, focusing on our breathing and really activating parts of our body that perhaps usually we are unaware of. I taught a number of relaxation and anxiety relieving techniques which are so important right now. Then we meditated together, relaxing each part of the body and focusing on a different theme each day. Whether it was acceptance, gratitude, staying in the present moment, kindness, self love, or self compassion, we worked through so many of them together.
My reason for wanting to share this time was twofold, first I got into a routine myself which is so important for me. I’m not the sort of person who can get up when they feel like it with no alarm set or real goals for the day. I thrive on routine and getting things done, feeling a sense of achievement and that I have been of service.
Secondly, it was a great way for us all to meaningfully connect with one another. I loved seeing the morning messages popping up, everyone saying good morning and chatting about their days and how they found the session. I wanted to constantly remind us all to take care of ourselves, if we don’t, we have very little to give. We can’t run a car with no fuel and similarly we need to be topped up regularly to enable us to be able to pour our energies into whatever is needed from us.
Right now it feels as though we are moving into another phase and although we are not there yet, we are making plans to get into a new normal. I have been speaking to mums who are anxiously waiting to hear if their children can go back to school, and are really conflicted about whether to send them in or not, based on their circumstances at home. Then there’s those who are struggling with being told to stay in for longer still, and are becoming more fearful of the big bad world. Only the news on the TV are updating them and that can be confusing for the best of us!
So having thought about where we are now and where we would like to be, I know we are still on this journey but as we are moving forward it feels like the right time to stop the morning sessions. To focus on helping the individuals who need support from someone like me: a wife, a mum, a sister, a daughter, a business owner, a carer, a homeopath and healer... a person who is now balancing, just as you no doubt are, more than ever. Keeping a busy house running with food and meals, washing, cleaning and all that comes with it, as well as continuing to work. It’s been a long time since there were so many meals prepared in this house. Before lockdown we were all up and out before breakfast, everyone was out for lunch, and dinner could be just the two of us. So I’ve had to up my game in this department again! But the positives that have come from this far outweigh the cons. The family have really come together, spending time together, real quality time, time that we won’t get back and time that we will ruminate on in the future. Reminiscing about how we did jigsaws after dinner, made each other laugh, or played a board game, did a quiz, or baked a random cake, planned for the future, or just sat together and read books. I feel incredibly lucky to have people around me, people who I love and like to be with, and grateful that we have all stayed well.
So wherever you are on your journey, maybe you’re worried about your job, your relationship, your health, feeling anxious, stressed, or overwhelmed. There is help here and if you think I could be the person to help you, then please get in touch, it would be my pleasure.