attunement

Photo by Katie Krueger

Lake Margaret, Duvall, Washington

My youngest sister, pictured above in a split-second moment of serenity, is an eleven year old miracle child.  Ask any of us, and we'll tell you that she is a plant, a gift placed into our lives to make every moment a little more magical.  Adopted from China 10 years ago this January, she is hilarious, imaginative and unbelievably insightful.

One of the most incredible things about her is her true connection and attunement to her body.  Since coming home to us, she has shown the most amazing knowledge of her body and its needs.  And, without a word, she fulfills those needs.  She's getting sick?  She'll drink more of the broth from her soup than usual.  Sleepy?  She'll find a place to rest or announce that she is heading to bed early.  Even more miraculously, as she begins the adolescent process, this innate connection is becoming psychological and spiritual as well.  She knows when the pubescent phases come and instinctually knows what's really her and what's coming from the hormones, apologizing for her short temper or irritable mood while still being able to acknowledge her truer emotions.  Not that she's perfect -- just a heck of a lot more insightful than I was at 11 (... and might still be at times).

One of my many goals this year is to re-attune to myself, to my body and its needs, to my spirit and its desires.  As I have shared before, I am a perfectionist and a should-girl, lazy and self-sacrificing in the most unhealthy way.  I believe that, in our culture, we are taught to separate the different parts of ourselves, the physical and psychological, the spiritual and the sexual (gasp! did she just say that?!), our bodies, our minds, our souls.  Even down to the way that we eat -- we lack a connection between what our bodies need and what we crave psychologically, letting our wounded, over-stressed, over-worked psyches lead us to devoid our bodies of nourishment and care.  We rest without truly resting.  We work without ever knowing our purpose.  To live wholly, boldly, in-tune with our most authentic selves, it is going to take a conscious commitment to resetting those societal impulses and a dedication to reconnecting the different pieces of ourselves.  And that's where the beautiful work begins.

As the emails from the many wellness and fitness websites I follow excitedly shared, this month is National Yoga Month.  Believe me, I am anything but a yogi. Though I've joined my much-more-flexible and meditative mother and sister in the yoga studio once or twice,  I am inflexible and impatient and, up to this point, have never given yoga a true chance.  But -- as I am up for anything on this journey, especially something that balances the meditative and physical aspects of embodiment -- I am up for the challenge (do your research first!)!

I'm now on my fourth yoga workout (I am switching off between hitting the yoga mat and my usual cardio routine) and, I'll tell you... I suck.  I still can't touch my toes and the grunting that goes on while I'm breathing into some of those poses is down right embarrassing!  But I'm still in it, pushing through the embarrassment and the awkwardness that comes with growing into a practice.

What about you?!  What are you doing this month in your commitment to wellness?  I would love to hear, learn and grow with you!

Want to read more about being in tune with your purpose?  I found this great article!