Well, gosh, when I left you last Wednesday with: “I decided to say “Welcome May”, because I get to choose that … to welcome all that comes, all that is here, and all that I have no clue will occur this month.” Little did I know that I would be in that “all that I have no clue will occur this month” right away. (That is how that works, and was kinda the point really, and whoosh it was true for me 😉).

Next week I will share the “what” part … I am still listening in to distill the reflection or offering for you all.

This week I want to talk about preparation. Doing our healing work, and finding our inner and outer resources so that when life happens (in any way from sublime to terrifying) we can meet those moments with readiness more organically.

What does that mean?

Well, on one had it is very literal … here in CA we talk a lot about disaster preparedness, for example, and I have a hunch that many of us don’t have our kits ready 🙋🏼‍♀️ unless we have been through something already and we learned to be prepared. I’ve been traveling more again recently, so I have my travel items ready now to make packing (which I hate) easier. I learned, and now I’m more prepared, and there is more ease. Having an apothecary of all my favorite essential oils has also been one of my favorite ways to prepare to support my body and heart on the fly when needed.

Then there are habits and daily routines that we can cultivate to help us feel prepared. I shared a bit about that when I did my Ayurvedic cleanse a few months ago, and I’ve been working with that ongoingly. I’ve been getting to bed earlier, waking earlier with some gentle movement and some Ayurvedic supports for my body like warm lemon water to turn on my digestion, and oil pulling for my oral health.

And you know what? It works! Last weekend when I was traveling in Grass Valley and one of these unexpected things had occurred the day before, I was able to keep this going for several days on the road … what a treat to take a short morning walk in that beautiful town (bonus that there was an incredible gluten free bakery in town … balance and joy … and not every day for the bakery part 😉 … worked well to keep my habits in place.)

And then there is the deeper layer, the one where we practice and heal our bodies, hearts, and spirits ongoingly. Where we can learn to support the nervous system in ways that help us manage stressful or overwhelming circumstances. Or heal longstanding habits and patterns rooted in our identies, lived experiences, culture, and ancestry.

For me, as a healer I often support folks in all these ways from the literal to the daily habits to the deepest layers of our beings. Personally I live into all of this ongoingly as I’m also an ever evolving human of course. And my spiritual practice, my teacher, and my community of other practitioners is of utmost resource to me year after year. Sometimes that comes into view in sessions, and sometimes it is much more behind the scenes.

So, my inquiry for you this week is to do a little self assessment …

Where do you feel resourced and prepared in an inner and outer way?

What helps you feel that way? (Take a moment to let your nervous system soak in that awareness, whether it’s a felt sense in your body or a mental knowing of people, places, habits, etc)

Where do you need or want more support?

What is one action step you may be able to take?

What is your heart asking for? (This one may come from getting quiet enough to listen below the noise of your thinking brain. Perhaps there is a longing there, or something that is outside of your awareness of what you “know”, and maybe it’s quiet. All is welcome.)

Feel free to respond and let me know what came up in your assessment.

Take good care … I’ll see you next week for Part 3 on Welcoming May, apparently its an unintended theme this month 😊.