We are often given messages in our culture that we must be entertained, distracted, and pleased by things outside of ourselves.  We are taught that we must be moving forward, growing, doing, and cultivating in order to feel worthy, loved, and productive. We are a doing society, ingrained in our bodies we feel that the only way to be worthy and successful is if we are always doing more. 

Surrender is not a word we understand or relate to.

Being is foreign to most of us. 

Nourishing our roots is not possible when we are pushed to do more and achieve greatness outside of ourselves.  

This time of year is often challenging for most of us. The outward, more masculine way of being doesn’t teach us to follow the earth’s natural ways of being. Right now, we are coming up on the darkest time of year. For most of us, this feels scary, cold, and maybe even sad.  For the earth, however, it is a time to replenish her roots, to rest and reset for those months when she will have more energy to flourish. She knows instinctively what she needs, and she surrenders to the season and the quiet.

The earth knows its rhythms and cycles and she prepares for it and steps back from her outer focus to dive into the darker recesses of her being.  Can we truly say we know how to do this as well?

Eleven days ago, I was diagnosed with COVID.  While I have been lucky, I am still struggling with fatigue and some other symptoms that have literally forced me to listen to my body no matter what.

I have been forced to go underneath the ground, release my work, and not even touch a dirty dish (well, that hasn’t been so bad!).

I have been taught what it means to count the moments and stay inside each present moment. It hasn’t been easy to stop myself from running and catapulting myself into the next month. I’m living and learning the word surrender and I’ve relinquished control (as if I had any to begin with). I too have gone underground, similar to the earth at this time of year, and learned a great deal about my Being self vs. my Doing self.  It is a hard lesson as a working mom of four children.  

But Being is the invitation from the earth and this season. While we have been taught to run and buy and do more, this season is the lesson of being more of who you really are. Our bodies need to rest. We push ourselves beyond what is humanly possible, and wonder why we feel scared of the darkness and quiet of the earth. Our bodies want to be more and do less. 

So here is the permission to rest, nourish and relinquish your Doing self.  Listen to the call of your soul and your body, asking you to go underground for a while and learn to trust yourself. Take the time to listen to the deep call of your dreams and let those seeds grow in the darkness until the light comes again and your seeds sprout into new ideas and new life.