On the mend … on the mend, taking things slowly in hopes to take all in stride by doing what I had avoided – organizing, planning and thinking … to be better prepared. Prepared for what?
“Little Fires Everywhere” by Cleste Ng was the book up for discussion for our very first Book Club. Had powered through it and finished it 30 mintues before the meeting so … everything was still very fresh in my mind. Highly recommended book that explores mother/daughter relationships and how a toxic parent can extinguish a child’s passion and talents due to the parents’ own fears about uncertainties and the unkowns. Mia is the catalysit, an agent of transformation for Izzy … Sometimes we just need to get together and talk about something other than the causes of stress – the election, the pandemic, the economy, the to-do-list to check-off that includes one’s health directive … a living will. It’s never too early to think about what’s plannable – then – no longer able to plan, we just accept and let go.
White Miso broth with Enoki mushrooms, kale & wakame
rose petals made of apple slices
assembled into a rose
baked golden
with honey/brown sugar glaze
Tart & sweet with flaky tartlet crust – super yummy
baked by the ever artistic Miki … impressed by the presentation and the delicate apple flavors … I on the other hand, served Miso broth full of Autumn bounty … mushrooms and greens … super savory way to start the day, ending with these lovely flowers of apples. Thank you Miki:) It’s like a bouquet of roses ending up in your stomach – pretty & satisfied !
Self-care week: (1) Surround yourself with beauty … indulge in anything you consider beautiful – a single flower blooming, leaves turning color … a child’s smile … a puppy’s big innocent eyes. (2) Encourage creativity … think what’s in this season and incorporate & integrate the beauty this season of harvest holds. Go with the flow … cultivating strength to take all things in stride – what nourishes us? Single point focus on all things that nourishes and reboots us if you were feeling exhausted, depleted, strung-out. Mindfulness Practice … I have been practicing TRE as it’s been a rough few weeks.
TRE? “Tension Release Exercises” that incorporates yoga and Tai-chi- like movements … slow, flowing, mesmoraizing, hypnotic … relaxing while strengthening at every level – mind, body, spirit ; just what the doctor ordered.
Reviewing Scott Blossom’s Fall Resilience Aryuveda & Yoga course I had the honor to partake in. We need to all cultivate RESILIENCE during these unique times, as we head into the winter season with fear over – not knowing what the future holds – so many uncertainties but we can be certain of one thing – our action – how we act – we can be certain in what we, us, I can do – our own action we are certain and we know it to be authentic. We can be certain that our SELF-CARE protocol has a direct health benefit.
Another impactful certain action to take in addition to or as related to “self-care” as ever, would be to:
VOTE … every vote counts … every vote makes a difference … that’s what Democracy means – we each count, if we “take action” in the democratic process. This country and its people need CARE and RESPECT so each can live and die with self-dignity.
