The world feels tumultuous and chaotic right now. January might have felt especially dark- seasonally, emotionally, politically, environmentally. February might feel similarly.
I am inspired by the three elements of self-compassion as outlined by Dr. Kristin Neff and Christopher Germer, as a guideline for how to navigate this time:
We are now in winter, with cold, dark days and snow and blustery weather. We’re just past “new year’s day”, where many set new year’s resolutions, and commit to start or stop various habits. However, to me, in connecting with the seasons, and to indigenous, seasonally connected cultures around the world, it’s not quite the new year yet…
Here in Detroit, summer has started- with a blast of very hot air. Officially, she makes her entrance on Thursday, June 20th, the Summer Solstice, but she has been teasing us with waves of heat for months now, thanks to climate change (remember that 75 degree day in February?!) How do we not melt into despair or burn up with eco-anxiety?
If you've been following me for awhile you know that I often write about the seasons and about Ayurveda (traditional Indian medicine and the sister science of yoga). Seasonal cycles are incredibly important to Ayurveda. Learning more about these seasonal rhythms and corresponding characteristics has helped me find so much more balance in times of change (both in life and in the seasons)!
