At the Root
Anyone having a new or recurrent flare of back pain this month? So many of my clients are coming in with some combination of the following symptoms:
Back Pain
Sciatica
Constipation
Insomnia
Anxiety or a general feeling of being untethered
We could also add dry skin, dry hair, dry eyes, and difficulty concentrating to that list. To some these things might seem random, but to me, they make perfect sense because they are all signs of being impacted by the seasonal shifts.
Fall and spring are big seasonal transitions, and many of us need more support when we are navigating change. Unfortunately, the "back to school/work" energy of the fall usually has us doing more with less opportunity to rest and replenish.
Whenever I am unsure about how to interpret something in my life, I look to nature because nature always shows us the way. Fall is my favorite season, not just because it is beautiful and full of all things pumpkin, but because of the lessons it imparts.
Every year the trees instinctively know when it is time to start to conserve their energy. It was 80 degrees this week, but that didn't stop Mother Nature from being right on time. Trees drop their leaves so that they can conserve their energy in their roots and seal in enough moisture to survive the cold, dry, depleting winter. Other animals in nature are doing something similar and are storing the harvest and preparing their dens so they can hunker down during the cold months.
Mother Nature is showing us how to practice radical self-care. If you don't know, the etymology of the word radical is "at the root." Self-care isn't trying to heal chronic fatigue and burnout with a bubble bath; When we are in critical condition, we need a much stronger medicine. Self-care is a preventative practice so we don't get to the critical stage, and it is being modeled by nature right now.
Between the busyness of fall, eclipse season, the ancestor fortnight, and the changing qualities of our environment from hot, humid, oily, sharp, and spicy to cold, dry, rough, subtle, and turbulent, we need to be practicing radical self-care. Many of our bodies are asking us to slow down, rest, hydrate, and nourish. In fact, our bodies communicate with us all the time, and when symptoms grow, it is often a sign that we either aren't listening, or don't know how to interpret their signals.
Helping people connect with their own wisdom and learn to speak their body's language is a big part of my practice. When people feel really seen and heard, true healing can happen. I've had several clients make really big strides in the past few weeks...
One new client who is working with chronic fatigue and insomnia has had a full night sleep every night for the past two weeks after just one session with me.
If you are feeling out of sorts, or your body is asking for help, I'm here to support you. Fall is a great time to receive CranioSacral Therapy. You get to lie down and rest for an hour, and your nervous system gets to replenish. It also helps you get grounded enough that you can hear what your body is asking for. Ready to give it a try?
