Rainy reminders…

“Gus” the young male Elephant Seal basking in the sunshine and seaweed last week.

Well, I think the weather put a few people off coming to my Forest meditation at the Wellington Discovery Forest last week- only because it was so delightful everyone flocked to the beach! We’ve had balmy dreamy days where there is not a breath of wind and you feel like just lying with your stomach in the sunshine like the elephant seal in Augusta last week was doing… ! “Gus”, as he’s been dubbed, has come ashore to rest and eat before winter kicks in, and he was definitely getting cosy in all of that seaweed and taking resting and putting on winter fat very seriously…It was amazing to see him. However, on the back of a very crazy week for me, running around in my car organising things and getting lots of sunshine and blue sky, I found myself falling in a bit of a heap afterwards.

I should really have taken Gus’ sage advice and just rested in the sun, because the next day turned very bleak indeed with 76ml of rain in the gauge and I was forced rather abruptly indoors feeling jittery, anxious and worn out.

I think because the weather this time of the year is so unpredictable, I really feel like I need to make the most of it and ‘get out there’ before it turns wet and cold, but the reality is is that we need the changes in the weather to take stock and check ourselves.

If it had stayed warm and sunny, I probably would have just kept on going on like I was. Sure, I was enjoying it, but being busy all of the time is completely unsustainable. We are living beings, not machines. And I was really burnt out.

So, whilst I loved being out in the sunshine, when the rain came I realised I actually need to just stop and relax for a bit and do some dreaming and taking stock. Go slow, think and plan. Stop doing and just BE. Rest.

Normally I’m pretty good at looking to nature for advice and guidance on how to do this, but clearly, all that blue sky got to me and I was momentarily blinded! I really should have thought more about Gus and got off the sunshine treadmill for a bit.

Thankfully, nature took control, which as always, was a blessing and my saviour, those 76ml of rain fell and I was forced to slow down and be more reflective. We lit a fire in the back yard and I watched the flames and breathed. It was such a lovely reminder, and a gift this time of the year when we can have 4 seasons in one day and all of them wonderful, so be aware and slow down to enjoy them.

Because for every sunny day crazy you might indulge in, you need an equal amount of slow and gentle to recover.

Katherine May’s delightful book “Wintering”, is an excellent read if you need a reminder that winter is not bad, it’s an important time of the cycle of the year to celebrate in really slow, gentle, peaceful lazy ways.

It’s a time for intentional rituals around light and hope.

It’s time to practice “Being”.

Being mindful, being peaceful, being restful.

So this week I hope you can practice doing a “Gus” and recharging. Because this time of the year it’s only a matter of days before the sun will come again. And in the meantime, when it’s wet, you need to generate some of your own sunshine inside to light you up and make you shine with peace, calm and joy, and not let your own personal fire burn out. Look for those signs in nature that help you recharge this week. They are there for you to see! xxx

Jacquie

Crescent moon and firelight after a very wet day. Time to slow down and reflect !