a few seasonal favs for mind-body wellbeing
Having a birthday in a colder month has never been particularly alluring to me, but as my age increases, my ability to remain stuffy about or resist the things I can’t avoid decreases (I end up being, as my friend once put it, a bit “exhausted by myself”).
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I suppose I am warming up to winter being a time of softening stuck emotions, combining resting with heating movement, cozy-ing with a book or a film or a friend, reflecting, cooking, finding warmth within (i.e. laughing), consuming a lot of tea.
I am learning that – as the saying goes – weather can only be deemed “bad” if we are wearing improper clothing (extreme exceptions aside…). Like Ayurveda teaches: we can balance the cold and airy things with the warming and grounded things – whether wearing layers of clothing or slowly enjoying a hot nourishing meal.
I am learning to love – or at least find more comfort in – my birthday season. I am learning to celebrate the life I am creating – even if the past couple years of international integration has felt a bit (a lot) bumpy.
Last year I also really learned what it meant to act out of love toward myself – from inner dialogue to physical actions – whether or not it felt like I was accomplishing much for age 38 (note: we always are accomplishing things, however big or small).
In my personal seasonal period of reflection, I haven’t felt much like sharing lately – hence my random month-plus-long hiatus from Instagram (10/10 recommend).
From the receiving end, though, I also know the significance and impact of some things that are shared, be it material or philosophical, especially when it comes to taking care of ourselves during the colder months (note: favor curiosity over the comparison trap – what works for someone else / myself may not work for you).
So today I am celebrating some seasonal things I love by sharing them here – not necessarily in hopes that you’ll purchase or do everything (you do you), but rather that it might inspire you to celebrate the life you lead by showing yourself, your body, and your mind (also our planet!) the love and care you deserve.
Note! This doesn’t have to be a laundry-list of daunting wellness check-boxes. Learning to cultivate and apply whatever self-care tools work for you on a regular basis will make them way more feasible and natural to sustain, and it will ultimately give us the energy to love and care for others. Rinse repeat.
Below are a few of my favorite things as of late – some of which I receive a small commission for, and others I’ve discovered from people who have shared with me. I have always partnered with ecologically conscious brands I use, trust, believe in, and love (some may borderline on healthy obsession…?).
You can find some of them listed on my website, my curated Amazon storefront(pantry staples, yoga props, books, etc), and others in my eco-conscious gift guide.
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Photo: Ian Nelson / film / Jenner, CA / Dec 2023
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