This blog series is my offering to you, a chance to see how Ayurveda is weaved into my life & how you can apply these principles to your own life.

UNFOLDING

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"Spring is a time for unfolding, the real new year begins ~ which is why I pay little attention to New Years’ resolutions. The Gregorian calendar is just that, a way to conform with one another. But nature shows us the way…."

Spring Mood

How are you feeling as we move into Spring? Nature doesn’t force into bloom and I am following along at a softer pace than my Pitta energy would indicate. As the winter is fading I am very ready for making some further shifts. To consolidate on some recent changes I have been making. If you have been following along you will know that in February I changed how I was showing up online (which is now mostly my Facebook Group) I gave myself clearer boundaries and also invited the members of the group to join a little Social Media experiment. This involved 21 days of adopting one or more of the suggested ways to reduce time spent online – and in particular social media.

I found this not only resonated with members but it also gave me a level of accountability. It also gave a different perspective of my social media views. I felt better having boundaries. So, what did I do? I set myself time limits ~ both on Instagram and Facebook, I aimed to only be on these apps between 9am – 5pm ~ treating it like a working window. I was also more consistent with my 8pm device curfew ~ I was actually getting closer to 7pm!

Some days were easier than others, I guess this can be said for most things in life.

The time limit was a real eye opener, highlighting how easy it is to get distracted. My biggest drain is checking in for messages to find myself scrolling through content! When the limit expired it made me question a) what I had spent my time doing ? and b) did I really need to open the app again?

A new habit I developed was to remain standing up when checking messages. The act of sitting down and being comfortable certainly makes mindless scrolling easy. Just another nudge to question the necessity of picking up my phone. Do those messages need to be answered immediately?

My friends already know that I won’t enter into chit chat after 9pm. I am now aiming to get better at answering work related messages during a ‘working’ session. I don’t have a regular 9-5 so it has become easy to be available all the time. Flexibility can be great but structure is also helpful.

I also learnt a new term “ bloom scrolling “ from my dear friend Helene. It is a lovely way to approach social media, it does have its plus points after all. My feed is most definitely bloom than doom! I am being more choosy about follows and likes. I only want my attention to be drawn to positive and uplifting content. I am a sucker for aesthetics as many of us are! Love or hate Instagram it does have some fantastic content available. Accounts like the offline club are great.

There is a gentle shift towards analogue ~ even in social media. That makes me ponder. There is also a lovely aesthetic attached to it, all vintage, old style cameras, books and the like. I think it is great but worry that it will become another passing trend. Fingers crossed that it will grow!

If I am choosing my inputs carefully, then what am I placing into other people’s field of view?

I have been much clearer about what I consume online and this got me thinking about what I share online. Reducing what I consumed made me reflect on what I contribute. I am choosing my inputs carefully and I should also consider what am I placing into other people’s field of view? What about you?

You are consuming my content. Needless to say it stopped me in my tracks. I haven’t fully figured this bit out yet.

The update was a little overdue if I am honest. Partly the site needed a refresh but mostly because I had outgrown it. After creating Inner Nourishment I was, at first, a little scattered in my approach. It is true what they say, listening to your gut is always the best way. Doing what lights me up has brought me to where I am now, the new website reflects that growth. I won’t turn my blog into a promo tool, you are already here, if you are interested go take a look at the homepage for some new updates!

I am getting to a happy place with my online presence, the last piece of the puzzle is creating more intentional content. It matters to me that what I share is intentional and nourishing.

A new moment, a new day, a new season, a new year ahead. Each of them unfolding.

"It is important to me that I am sharing with intention"

The analogue aim has been supported by letter writing. Do you see my pledge to the Sunday Letter Project? Writing has become a key component of Inner Nourishment and the project has arrived at a perfect time. It aligned nicely with my offline intentions and my Switch Off Sunday campaign.

Since the beginning of February I have been writing a letter each Sunday. Sharing this pledge with others has really sparked some wonderful conversations. Many people I have spoken to have been very interested in the project which is reflective of how many of us are feeling right now. My first letter was sent to Rebecca and Karl, the founders of SLP. I felt compelled to express my gratitude to them.

My unfolding is not dramatic. Maybe yours doesn’t need to be either.

It is a gentle rhythm that takes me from day to day with ease.

Each morning my practice brings a steadiness, some time in silence before the rest of my day begins. Moving forward but still grounded.

My intentions this Spring include:

~ releasing those beliefs that my Ayurvedic journey should ‘look’ a certain way. This mostly manifests itself from looking at social media, you know that constant comparison game! Partly my ego is wanting to know that I am doing it right or to the best of my ability but it is also tiring (I refuse to have comparison fatigue). The pressure to ‘perform’ in the wellness space is contradictory in and of itself. Letting go of what I thought my Ayurvedic journey should look like.

~ not every meal that I make needs to be Instagram worthy. I love sharing my food creations but it is ok to just cook a nutritious meal and it not look like a photoshoot. My aim is to cook and eat first, think about sharing second.

~ my asana practice is my own. No one else’s. My development is my own and will always look different to the next person. Another comparison game…competing on the mat defeats the whole philosophy of yoga. And I was reminded recently that is was brought to the West as a philosophy not as a lifestyle brand.

~ to commit time each week to my own development and growth. There are so many areas of Ayurveda that I want to learn more about that. Being focused on building Inner Nourishment and sharing everything I know has taken up a fair amount of time and I miss studying myself.

~ to continue to embody what I have learned in my everyday life. That’s it, a real simple one!

~ to commit to adopting a more analogue way of living. No aesthetic photos planned but just living life the way should be!

Space for Intention

Creating space for how I want to live isn’t always easy but as we enter into Spring I am embracing the renewal energy. Using the space that I created with less time on devices has helped but I am also working on recognising intention. Largely my life is flowing with ease. It would be easy to stand still at this juncture but I am aware that as we move through Kapha season it would be easy to get stuck. Life is a continuous cycle so I believe the right thing is to keep moving. That movement can (and should) be gentle.

Spring does not ask for a complete overhaul, it is just asking for us to move forward. The question is, where are you still choosing comfort instead of growth?

Stagnation is a symptom of excess Kapha and after Winter’s hibernation mode it can become rather habitual. This applies to your physical, emotional and spiritual Self. This means Spring season is the ideal time to set some new intentions and move forward with those projects or changes you have been contemplating.

Doing something new right now aligns with nature, making it more likely that you will stick with it (rather than the traditional 1st January resolutions). Your intentions can be big or small and anywhere in between. The important thing is that you understand your ‘why’. Ask yourself

• Why am I setting this new intention?

• What do I want to feel/achieve, what does the outcome look like?

• How will this benefit my wellbeing?

• How will I measure its success? Or is this part of everlasting development?

• Do I need support? (and what kind?) Or do I need accountability?

• How do I create space for this?

With Love

Claire

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