Winter blues still has a hold on you?
March! For those of us still feeling winter- do not fret. I have a little love meditation for you below that will warm up your heart. I will admit, even though I didn't experience any snowfall this winter (wow!) I did still feel the winter blues. What can I say, I am a true beach girl at heart. Even for my ladies that may not be true beach girls, you may still feel the winter blues. From my experience, they aren't easy to navigate. It kind of feels like that moment when you make really exciting plans then a friend has to cancel last minute. A little disheartening. BUT I will say, these moments provide us the opportunity to move from the heart and practice presence. And so my gift to you is a mini meditation that will hopefully lighten your heart just a bit more.
Move
It's super easy to throw on sweats every day during winter and stay huddled in the same exact spot... however, it is super important to move your limbs from time to time. It can be a walk outside, dancing to your favorite song (just one, I swear it helps) or stretching. Either way, movement helps your mind get unstuck, and if you're like me and have a woe-is-me 'tude in the winter, then trust me when I say movement helps!
Breathe
Sometimes when I let my thoughts bubble with anxiety, I have to pause and just take 3 deep breaths. It's a tool I've known since teaching yoga yet sometimes my fiancé has to be the one to remind me. Why does it work? Because it brings you to focus on something physical, a single thought- "breathe". It involves the mind and the body to work together. The deeper the inhale and slower and bigger the exhale makes for a very very very very good mind reset. If you really need a release, try exhaling very loudly with any sound that wants to come out. It feels silly at first but is great for the body to release whatever is bottled up in the chest. Try it out! At least 3 breaths.
Presence
Make the mundane a treat. I recently started asking myself, "What in this moment do I love?" Turns out it can work brushing my teeth, sitting at my desk, walking the dog, making dinner. This is a very good practice to take up because it not only makes you focus on the now, it lets you find true gratitude for the small things. And guess what? It takes small adjustments to make a healthier mindset. Imagine if at least 6 times a day (which isn't that much) you ask yourself, "In this moment what do I love?" When we are intentional with practicing loving thoughts, it creates a softer heart. Kind of like pouring liquid gold onto a piece of ice (aka my heart during winter). I only just started this practice this week and so far, I have had less anger towards little things, been less bitter, and have found myself happier in the middle of my tasks.
Take Time
Winter is a time of self reflection. I like to practice this self reflection by slowly taking time to do my skincare routine in the morning. Make eye contact with yourself in the mirror. Acknowledge all the work and progress you have made. Let yourself say "you're doing a great job" for the dreams you have achieved, or the dreams you are going after. Take it slow. Really love and take care of yourself. Winter is a time of vulnerability, as if our thoughts and desires and dreams are thrown at our feet waiting for us to nourish them, water them, give them sunlight, and provide for in the coming Spring season. It is a time of reflection and planning.
I hope you can take all 4 of these practices and apply them to your days and nights this week, or at the least, try one of them for a consistent amount of days. Nobody can just give you a tool and say it will work. You have to commit to the work for it to work. And the work does not always have to be unpleasant, it can be filled with intention and love and awareness. We are so close to spring sweet chickens, stay afloat.
I wrote this because it has helped me. If you know someone that could benefit from this meditation, forward it on! Follow us on insta @goddessrising_intimates and if you liked this post click the ❤️ at the bottom right of this page.
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Intentionally love.
xx