(Originally Published December 21st 2016)
Happy Winter Solstice! It is currently the shortest day of the year in the northern hemisphere. In honour of this, I will keep this blog short and sweet. I would like to share a straightforward message. One that has been resonating in my head and heart these past few weeks;
Trust your gut.
You know that feeling you get upon first meeting a person? Where you are immediately drawn to them, or immediately wary? Remember the sensation that travels up the back of your neck, like hackles on a dog when you turn down an alley way and immediately feel uneasy? Can you recall that flood of endorphins or joy when an opportunity presented itself and the timing, the offer, the feeling of it was all just so right?
Trust your gut.
A really interesting side effect over my last decade of practising yoga, is an increase in volume of my gut. Call it your moral conscience, your Jiminey Cricket, that still small voice that speaks to you in critical moments of decision. By practicing yoga, I seem to have given this little fellow more of a voice.
And some days it’s annoying AF.
Much to my chagrin, 99.9% of the time, this voice is always right. Thankfully this little guy isn’t vindictive or boastful. He doesn’t rub it in my face when I don’t listen and falter. Instead, that same voice is the one that will whisper to me, after I’ve face planted,
“It’s okay, you’re still loved”
“Get up, dust yourself off, and try again. I am here for you.”
I want to encourage you to trust that still, small voice. Trust the initial physical reactions of your body. Our body senses things before our mind even has a chance to process them. Our body is incredibly smart. So listen to it.
As things grow loud this holiday season, take a moment to find a pocket of serenity. Whether it’s on a yoga mat, in a quiet room, or laying in bed at the days end. Take that little piece of peace and use it to listen to your body. Listen to your gut.
Trust your gut, and find peace.
