I am very excited to be a part of the Wild & Raw ambassador team this Fall. Part of this program involves instagram takeovers, blog posts, events, collaborations and a whole lot of fun. Head to Wild & Raw and mention my name to get a 10% discount on your order. Trust me, it's worth checking out! Not sure what to order? Ask the amazing staff what they would suggest as you describe how you are feeling and what you enjoy. ;)
Here is my first blog contribution to the wild & raw website. Check it out. At the bottom I have the link that will take you to their website so you can learn more about this wonderful family owned business in the heart of Kensington.
M I N D F U LT R A N S I T I O N S
written by Marin McCue
Just as the seasons change, so to our mind and body goes through cycles, phases and periods of stagnancy and growth. As the air gets crisper, the leaves change color and move from taking space in the sky to covering the ground beneath our feet, and the days get shorter, our inner environment is also shifting. We are called to create and be in new experiences and routines that will accommodate and flow with the changing external environment.
I want to tackle the question:
What are some mindful ways to transition into the Fall?
Summer is a time for exploration, adventure, energy and passion. It can feel like a huge shift when we enter the Fall and we hear and feel our body asking for comfort, warmth and routine. The change of pace can be enough to halt our progress and cause stagnancy as we fight the natural flow of the seasons and long for more sunshine and heat. But what you resist, persists. A great lesson in life is to surrender to what is.
With that preamble, let’s dive into five great practices to bring into your repertoire to support your smooth transition this Fall.
1. NON-NEGOTIABLE SELF-CARE // Open up your calendar and schedule quality you-time. A block of time that you commit to as an important appointment with your self. Take yourself to your fave café (Wild & Raw has a great atmosphere for this sort of thing), get yourself a warm elixir or energizing shake, and sit down to put pen to paper. Start with a big question you have been grappling with and allow yourself some space and time to explore the conversation and pull the wisdom out that is waiting to be heard.
2. BRAIN FOOD // Organize a book club with a small group of friends. Create a short book list that sparks your curiosity and excitement to learn and explore. Here are a few of my faves:
- Rising Strong by Brene Brown
- The Untethered Soul by Micheal Singer
- But What If We Are Wrong? By Chuck Klosterman
- How Emotions are Made by Lisa Feldman Barrett
- The Gifts of Our Compulsions by Mary O’Malley
- Nourishing Wisdom by Marc David
3. MINDFUL EATING // Sign up for a mindful cooking and eating class. We are lucky in Calgary to have so many amazing small businesses and entrepreneurs who specialize in this sort of thing. Everyone at Wild & Raw and the other three powerhouse ambassadors are a great place for you to start your research. We all get into ruts and needs some support and inspiration to try new things and learn more about how we can heal and empower our own mind and body through food.
4. JOURNALING // Commit to 30 days (or more) of nightly journaling. Make note of the words you are over-using in your vocabulary and what words or mantras you want to bring into your vocabulary. Capture your patterns of self-talk that take you down into low energy or limiting beliefs about who you are or what you are capable of, and then follow a series of Q & A as you challenge yourself on the truth of those statements and how you could shift your perspective to allow for more compassion, growth and imperfection in your journey. And finish off with recording what you are proud of and grateful for.
5. GOALS + BOUNDARIES // Commit to your personal goals and boundaries. Bring on the holidays, the family dinners, the work and friend’s parties, and the many reasons to neglect your personal time or commitments for the sake of pleasing others. Take some time this month to get clear on what your goals are as we lead into the end of 2017 so that you come out the other end refreshed, energized and motivated to keep your momentum going. As I like to say – and I am sure many others have said this before me –the world will find boundaries within your boundaries.So make and set clear boundaries, share your goals and curiosities with those around you, and allow the intuitive nature of the Fall to open you up to the wisdom and possibilities within you and all around you.