With summer here, there’s an anticipation of what is ahead, according to our intuitive self-help expert, Austin-based Resonance Repatterning Practitioner, Mary Schneider, who explains the importance of anticipating and planning for the future.

A SUMMER PLACE

Summer is most definitely here, yet four days ago, I told an out-of-town friend how gloomy and grey it had been. I fully expected our infamous spate of winter weather to have killed all the local plant life, yet today verdant summer green is everywhere.

It is safe to say Mother Nature probably handles change better than the rest of us. And despite her constant changes, we are also still pretty resilient. As we move into the season most beloved by a large segment of the population, we are offered tremendous hope. Nature is a most important aspect of healing in Chinese 5 Element Acupuncture.

Hope is what has carried us through when we were hit this last year with the pandemic and severe weather. The most interesting aspect of hope is it’s the only virtue that shows up in bad times. Hope inspires us to stay focused and strong. It ushers in creativity, enabling us to find new solutions to the problems that confront us. Just like the summer green we see everywhere right now.

Hope sees us beyond to the promise of change, bringing  us to where we are today. This summer heralds much more than its typical pledge of potential growth. Gazing at the foliage and blooms on the trees, we are reminded of our imminent foray into society again. So, there is much transformation ahead.

Of course, we want to remember all of those who have passed and those who have been left behind. Our hearts go out to all of you experiencing grief, which is immense. The changes you encounter at the precipice of this summer are of another kind, like no other in recent memory. The growth potential is also of another nature.

When reflecting on nature, try to focus on change or transition and how we can best help this process along. In the Ayurvedic chakra tradition, change is associated with the Earth or Root chakra. Home, family, tribe, security, and mother are the main issues with this chakra. This past year, much of these influential aspects have been upended in one form or another. We all know that the usual outlets people engage in, such as sports and dining out, have been sidelined. All of this has created the feeling of continuous adaptation. This may be seizing upon the obvious with a sense of discovery, but it has also created layers of stress and a ton of grief.

COPING CAPABILITY

We have lots of coping mechanisms to deal with stress such as exercise, which improves our focus, while drinking alcohol numbs us, or taking drugs to help us sleep–just to name a few. This stress is hard on the body and does not do any better with the psyche. There is nothing wrong with these activities…but the stress still multiplies.

What would be something we all could do to beat the stress? Taking care of ourselves will help the most during these times and we now have an opportunity to learn more about this important lesson. Learning to take care of oneself is somewhat of an art. It is like taking dance lessons. At first, you are a little self-conscious, and then you start to feel how much fun it is.

It is the same with self-care. It may seem aa bit wonky in the beginning, but when you have that moment of realization about how important your well-being is, you wonder why you did not commit to this a long time ago.

A helpful way to start the process is to make a list of all the things you have wanted to do for a long time. Cull out what is reasonable for your lifestyle and put them in your calendar. It might be something as simple as giving yourself a facial. Or calling a loved one or perhaps, cooking yourself a lovely dinner. Do one a day and see what starts to happen. And, then for the pièce de résistance, do one for another person in your life who might appreciate the gesture. 

It is a powerful thing to take care of oneself. We as a culture are not oriented in this direction, and so much has changed. In the middle of this pandemic, we have had the time to learn this expression of self-love better than usual, so today’s a great day to anticipate the future.