i’m having trouble focusing.
i expect most of us are.
i live in rural Nova Scotia & mostly my days haven’t changed. the warmth of the spring sun brings energy as we stir from our winter hibernation & find that there is much to do. seeds to be started, sap to be collected, trees & bushes to prune, gardens to plan, compost to spread around. a whole growing season to prepare for.
but everything has changed. hasn’t it.
my mind is swimming with worries & questions. the entire subject of pandemic brings up questions of economy, soil health, seed security, food security & so so much more…
it is overwhelming.
it’s no wonder i’m having trouble sleeping.
i am angry. and sad. and scared for what will be. i don't even know what to say. with Nova Scotia declaring a state of emergency i am not even sure where in nature i can go. so we stick close to home.
over the last year i have been bringing full moon rituals of releasing/cleansing & new moon rituals of setting intensions into my life.
a new moon is a time to set new intensions.
i see this as an opportunity & i’ve decided to keep it as simple as i can this month. i have spent this last week berating myself - these fears & anxieties, these sleepless nights, aren’t helping my immune system. it is true, of course, but not fair.
these feelings are real & i have every right to them.
we all do.
rather than try to keep myself busy & distracted, rather than bullying myself over what feelings are “productive” & “right”, i am going to slow down. acknowledge the feelings & move to cope with & process them.
i intend to use ritual to help.
ritual is a funny word in today’s world but i think it is time that we recognize it for what it is - a powerful tool to make a transition. whether it is a transition from a task, a thought, a moment in time, or a place - a ritual acts as a way to slow down time & can make meaning in a moment.
a ritual can be anything from taking a deep breath to breathe in the scents from your morning cuppa or lighting a candle before starting a new task. if you take a moment, you can probably identify many rituals you already do.
when i have trouble focusing, glass breaks.
a truth, but also a simple analogy. nothing works out well when we are distracted & busying ourselves. we fail to be grateful for the moments we have, our relationships & our emotional health suffer.
i know this isn’t simple for most of us & for many, health issues make it impossible. i know for me, this practice won’t be perfect - i will, most certainly, loose myself in those big emotions in the coming weeks but am hopeful that with the help of ritual, i will be able to make those transitions & find some space. it is my hope you can as well.
