Halloween, Samhain, Dia de los Muertos, All Soul’s Day: A Self-Care Invitation to Surrender, Slow Down & Turn Inward
A Self-Care Invitation to Surrender, Slow Down & Turn Inward
Halloween and the holidays we celebrate today are largely rooted in ancient wisdom and ceremonies honoring the cycles of nature, agriculture, the moon and the most fundamental rhythm of human/nature itself: birth, life, death and rebirth. As autumn takes hold and nature’s bounty dies, as animals hibernate and darkness prevails, we have an opportunity to discover more peace and balance by aligning with nature, turning inward for reflection, slowing down and nurturing ourselves during this time of intentional rest. This is your invitation (and permission if you need it) to do just that, to make time for stillness despite the bustle of costumes, trick-or-treating and the approaching holiday season. Read on to learn how surrender and reflection go hand-in-hand with self-care and this cozy season, and how they have the ability to nurture you thoroughly until Spring.
Shifting perspectives and noticing the natural cycles around you are powerful and empowering practices. Check out the following methods for creating your own practices and experiments to re-align with nature, slow down and nurture yourself this fall and winter as you embrace your own metaphoric death, to be reborn, rested and radiant in Spring.
Reflection: Begin a journal to dive deeper and reflect on what this year has been about for you. Are you still living your intention you stated in January? Have you achieved some of your goals and growth? What seeds did you plant that have bloomed this year, and which seeds need more time to incubate? What have you harvested?
Stillness & Silence: How do you make time for solitude, to sit and still in silence? How can you commit to this necessity in order to be at your best, for yourself and others?
Self-Care: Autumn and winter are prime time to use the dark mornings and nights to re-discover your internal rhythm and use this forced down time to care for yourself deeply, in body, mind and soul. What is your minimal daily self-care routine? How do you expand and go further when you have more time to nurture and replenish yourself? Can you sleep more with the intention of supporting your healing on deeper levels? How will it feel to emerge in Spring, deeply rested and ready to bloom?
Listen to Your Intuition & Inner Wisdom: This season is primed for inner connection and making time to listen to your inner voice. Could you add this to your daily meditation and simply listen for answers?
Connect with Your Loved Ones on the Other Side: Tonight and the next few days especially are renowned for being conducive to communicating with your loved ones in spirit. Take some moments to share your heart’s message and listen to what’s being communicated to you. The veil between the worlds is at its thinnest now.
Surrender: This is the common thread among all of these topics. Surrender is an act of opening. It’s relinquishing control of and attachment to outcomes. In no way is it giving up; it’s sinking into your incredible power to stop fighting, trying so very hard, persisting even when your every move is met with resistance, and simply letting go and being. It’s ironic how often answers appear when we simply, finally surrender.
I hope these reflective journal prompts of stillness and surrender are helpful and that you make time to allow them to provide you with answers as you self-care your way through winter. Notice how they sit with you. Recognize your efforts. Challenge yourself to expand the ways in which you can go deeper. Allow yourself to rest and restore. Set intentions before your morning meditation, asking for insight. Close your eyes, light some candles and consciously connect with your loved ones on the other side. It’s so common that those who have passed embody their highest selves and have much to offer in the way of support, love and guidance…if we slow down, get still and open to the mystery.