Hey hey Barrebabes!
I hope this finds you all well in these last few chilly weeks of March. Diego and I have been enjoying the extra sunlight and the fresh astroturf at the track at McCarren Park, eating homemade gluten-free honey-sweetened muffins (I bake now, it's a thing), and I am gloriously busy dancing, Pilates-ing, and cooking up many batches of CBD Muscle Melt (holler if you want some! It's joy in a jar :)
Unsolicited advice
Sharing with you some things I've had on repeat in my head recently that have been useful in grounding and focusing me, especially as I get busier and a little more spastic as spring approaches.
- just because it's possible, doesn't mean it's desirable. This goes for moving to a new apartment, your workouts, accomplishing to-do lists, bagel toppings, art, and life choices. Being a bit choosy prevents us from feeling overextended, helps to hone focus, and illustrates our unique tastes and style. It's also worth adding that just because it's possible, doesn't mean it's desirable TODAY. Tomorrow is always a different story, which leads us to my next mantra...
- work where you are today. I know I say it all the time in class, but it's because I really, really mean it! Owning where you are means you progress better AND enjoy the journey, as they say. I know the continued success of my postpartum recovery is due to being patient with and listening to my body. I have rebuilt myself stronger, stretchier, and more capable than ever before, thus far without injury, excess inflammation, setbacks, or burnout, and I attribute this to slowing down and paying attention without imposing judgment. It's magic.
- less is best. Not only does a little go a long way, focusing on "less" helps magnify the effects of that focus, just like when you tap a face when taking an iPhone photo and the camera brings it into better view. For me, I've been doing less exercise but doing so much more efficaciously, drinking way less wine but truly enjoying the occasional glass, and using less plastic (because plastic sucks!) I spend less time on my phone but get a lot more accomplished with less mental chatter and FOMO. I eat less cheese, bread and sugar; don't miss them one bit, and seriously love it when I do have a treat (rainbow cookie, anyone?) Also magic.
Soapbox Alert
Speaking of plastic sucking, between the widespread death of ocean creatures, giant islands of floating plastic refuse, trash everywhere, serious endocrine disruption from leached chemicals, and the disaster that is plastic recycling in this country since China no longer buys it, it is truly up to us as consumers to stop the madness and USE LESS. I'm talking reusable grocery bags and paper straws as the very minimum you can do, but trying to impact businesses to provide better options as well. I want take out that comes in aluminum or paper rather than a cheap tupperware that will never biodegrade - or maybe I don't want take out at all. I want to buy fresh produce that isn't encased in plastic because there's other ways to get it home (and I've joined a CSA to try to eat all the fresh things and reduce my plastic consumption at the same time). I want beauty products in glass jars because they keep the products and recycle easier than plastic. I skip the lid at the coffee shop. And, no thank you, I don't need a bag.
It's not my intention to preach green at you. And I don't judge - my own child eats pureed fruit out of a plastic pouch every day and wears conventional diapers and I am too tired to cook and get Seamless instead pretty much every Thursday. I've just been thinking a lot lately that our internal health and peace can and should have positive effects on global health and peace, and in a time when public problems seem so big and out of our control, it's been good to remember that small changes can have a big impact.
I'd love to hear what your small changes are, whether it's a few minutes of meditation each day for self-care or unplugging your power strips for the environment, so please share, any time!
Be well, first and always,
Annie
