Today I was eating an heirloom acorn squash from the Santa Fe Farmers Market. After a couple of luscious bites I got up to wash some dishes. Then I stopped myself because while I was chewing, I remembered that taking the time to consciously savor my food is an essential way to honor and connect with Earth. For most women, the more we ground ourselves, the better.
A well-known Colorado healer used to say that, in terms of operating systems, men are electric and women are magnetic. I believe that women’s magnetism has something to do with our emotional intelligence, a trait that often positions us as the hubs of our families, workplaces, and communities.
Our bodies’ capacity to create life gives us an innate drive to protect life. The ability to feel into another’s reality helps us track the wellbeing of each individual and therefore the community. Empathy is one of our superpowers but when it goes into overdrive we lose our center, not to mention our joy.
We are in a precipitous time as mammals. We may be able to deny earth changes with our minds but our bodies are obliged to react because we are all connected. As more and more of us respond with accountability through our conservation efforts, our anxiety lessens as we reconnect with our primary instinct–to protect all life.
But how do we get from fear, denial, and paralysis to participation and restoration? By exercising our alliances with Earth and the present moment. By choosing activities that ground us. For me, this includes solitude, walking in nature, self-expression through music, writing, and fashion, and compassionate self-touch.
If my facial rejuvenation practice only resulted in aesthetic improvements, I don’t know if I would be as faithful to it. Practicing facial massage is the cornerstone of my health routine in that it reorganizes my nervous system and serves as a reliable conduit of self-love. In fact, it never ever fails to uplift me (pun intended).
Once you identify what balances you, do it for pleasure, do it to support yourself, do it with intention and without ambition. Make room for it in your life and your life will change. And then notice what you magnetize.