Sept. 2024: Septmeber As Sanctuary

september salve:

I was out for a walk this morning, the air crisper than it has been, and the mountain mist rolling over the Little Tennessee river like ethereal pixie dust.

The sun started to peak through and dissolve the morning glaze.

I don't remember what exactly I was thinking about when this happened, but when it did I was overwhelmed with a sense of awe and amazement for the depth that we humans can feel and the breadth that we can experience.

I was reminded how important it is to find sanctuary.

However, September feels far from a sanctuary on the surface for me- my to do list is uber long and feels never ending.

But, but, the swirl of crisp mornings and the smell of Autumn feels like an antidote; like a personal invitation to not get swept up in the chaos and to prioritize tending to what grounds so that the load may be lightened and so that the thinness (veil between the seen and unseen) of this time of year can be embraced for its medicinal properties.

What choices can you make within your capacity to create a sanctuary for yourself out of the month and threshold of September?

Ayurveda provides a plethora of insight into the seasons and their governing elements and how to dance with them to support whole person well-being and spiritual exploration.

Of course it all depends on the individual but for the sake of this email I would like to share some simple, embodied suggestions for you to feel into:

• less is more

• you are the best authority when it comes to your well-being..notice what makes you feel grounded, nourished, and supported versus not, prioritize the former

• seasonal foods tend to naturally have qualities that balance the season at hand

• warm foods and substances strengthen Agni/digestive fire

• routine/intentional habits can be medicinal when approached without dogma and adjusted to meet you where you’re at

• we are a micro of the macro, so as you watch leaves twirl to the ground in their return to earth to become fertile soil, consider what in your life wants to do the same thing and tend to it

• remember, this approach to well-being and living is rather radical considering the culture we live in, so it likely won’t always be easy and that doesn’t mean anything is wrong with you and it’s totally okay to reach out for support

• opposites create balance, like increase like (most of the time), so maybe finding sanctuary amidst the chaos can restore some degree of dynamic balance

• no matter what you do or don’t do, you are enough

With the elements of air + ether at play this time of year (the most subtle of the elements), it is easy to find anxiety lurking, busyness in the drivers seat, distraction abound, stress running the show, etc. The other side of this is that it also becomes easier to access the subtle realms- the mystery, the unseen, soul, creative desire, the spark of inspiration, divine guidance, etc. 

This season and its elements generously ask us not to lose sight of the unseen amidst the commotion of the seen; to remember and commune with the support, wholeness, wisdom, intelligence, love, belonging, and enoughness that is always there, that is our birthright, that is a touchstone as we move through the seasons of our life.

So, what essential items- behaviors, perceptions, practices, rituals, approaches, experiences; details, can you prioritize so that September becomes a sanctuary for you to find awe and amazement in the seen and remember your divine connection to the unseen?

I'd love to hear from you if it feels helpful to share.

recent inspiration & inquiries:
 

• "Satisfaction does not come from an absence of hardship, rather from an abundance of meaning." -Danica Boyce

• "Nothing has to change, and everything can." -Katja Markelova

• Even in no one ever applauds the hard work you've done to get to where you are because it's subtle and rooted in the unseen realms, it's important.

• We all have things that we struggle with and it doesn't change our value and worth- nothing can change our inherent value and worth.

• There's time for it all, let it take longer.

• Write like no one is listening and everyone can hear.

sometimes letting the simple things be enough is hard:

To be a homemaker is valuable
To grow flowers is worthy
To write these words is enough.

You try...

Prompt:
To be a  ___ is valuable.
To grow ___ is worthy.
To write/express/create/etc.___ is enough.

Please feel free to share if you give it a try.