What to look out for as we head into late late summer..

Wow! What a summer we've been having and continue to have here in Guernsey.  I hope wherever you are you've been able to make the most of the long days as we begin our descent into late summer and in a few weeks, Autumn.

Important Dates 

When it comes to health there are just a few dates to put in your diary - the Full and New moons, particularly the Full moon because of it's detoxifying effect, the Equinoxes and Solstices, particularly the equinoxes (which are usually around 21st of September, March and Solstices around 21st June and December) and your birthday (there is a shift towards breaking down the old in the 6 weeks leading up to your birthday and building up in the 6 weeks afterwards).

Why?  Because when we work with these lunar and seasonal influences we can be healthier and better prepared to navigate tougher times of the year such as Autumn and Winter.

The Autumn Equinox this year falls on 23rd September at 0203am.  So now is the time to pay attention in the 3 weeks leading up to this energetic shift. Remember we are balls of energy or light if you prefer, encapsulated which is why we look solid. So we feel energy shifts within our system often as a change in energy levels and perhaps more unpleasant symptoms. It really depends on what we’re carrying toxicity-wise as to how we’ll react.  Summer is easier for our systems to cleanse and re-balance.  We tend to drink more water, spend more time outside and experience more light.   

Being aware enables us to adapt to the changing light and outside temperature by supporting our health with the right nutrition and lifestyle.  If you're interested to know how, check out these previous blog posts to help you get the most out of this time plus a couple of videos in the 3rd one too;)

https://www.fullernutrition.com/post/how-to-navigate-the-autumn-equinox-intermittent-fasting-explained

https://www.fullernutrition.com/post/my-top-ten-tips-to-make-the-best-of-the-equinox-feel-your-best-this-autumn-amp-winter

https://www.fullernutrition.com/post/how-to-navigate-the-autumn-equinox-intermittent-fasting-explained

What has been your focus so far this year? I'd love to know and as we wind down to the last quarter, it's perhaps a useful practice.

For me, it has been practicing my New year's intentional word - Enough which is about letting go of not feeling enough and embracing I AM ENOUGH.

Surrender to the flow of life which means changing the way I approach work in particular.

Meditation & Breath-work to help with my desire to 'go into the woods.' A metaphorical phrase for my need to rest, retreat, seek solitude and quiet to hear my inner voice. Then my meditation mentor invited me to ask the question, 'what's beyond the woods?' Hmmm..I'm pondering that one. It looks good from here. And this is vital if you're peri-menopausal. Any hormonal change is a massive shift in and of itself without all the other influences so the balance between rest and action is absolutely crucial.

Surrender

It helps to read the right material so the book I'm reading presently is The Surrender Experiment by Michael Singer. Whilst I'm not about to build a temple in my garden with a large Spiritual following as Singer does, the process by which the author conducts his life is nothing short of extraordinary.
He simply decides to surrender to the flow of life and whatever is put in his path is part of this. What starts out as a desire to quieten that incessant voice of the mind (don't we all want a magic pill for that hey!) through meditation, solitude and simple living actually becomes a path of service. It really is a wonderful book and highly recommended.

Breath-Work
I will now be entering my 4th year of sea-swimming throughout the year and from the beginning was introduced to Wim Hof's breathing technique. An absolute God-send when you're trying to enter very cold water on a very cold March day. The benefits of breath-work go far beyond embracing the cold which is why I loved the book, Breath by James Nestor and highly recommend it to discover the hidden science and how amazing correct breathing is for your health.

A quick tip from the book reveals to us that the perfect inhale and exhale should be 5.5 secs long. Apparently we're breathing far too much which causes a build up of stress. So why not have a go at slowing down your breath to de-stress;) I won't even go into the subject of mouth-breathing which is an absolute no-no says the research. I'm not talking about the conscious big exhale through the mouth in meditation for eg. The author is focused more on permanent mouth-breathing revealed by conditions such as snoring and the use of sleep tape to help resolve it.

Do you need a reminder to drink more water and why it's a good idea?

Take a listen to this recent BBC Radio Guernsey live interview all about it, the effect of modern living on hydration, what we can do and a little about water conservation too.

Finally, if any of these subjects interest you and you'd like to know more or would like more information about the way I work, schedule a complimentary call here.

Now is your time and you don't have to do it all alone.  I am more than delighted to accompany and facilitate you on your journey if that feels right to you.

You can find out more about my packages and individual sessions here.

Sending you a big hug 

Sophie xox