The end of August ended with a stress fracture of my second metatarsal. Before I knew that something was broken, I realized that I needed the month of September for a bit of rest and rejuvenation. Apparently, my foot was in agreement. If only rest, relaxation, and rejuvenation were easy to do.
Resting my foot.
As my daughter reminded me when she had been in a similar situation almost a year ago, I had to honor my body and give it time to heal. This was a complete role reversal that was not lost on either of us. Providing some much needed comic relief.
Knowing something and doing it are two different things. My attempts to let others pitch in and sit by watching proved to be more painful than the foot. My need to be doing runs deep. My inner dialogue began to insert more and more questions and doubts about my self-worth, who am I if I am simply being. While I was consciously leaning into my journal practice and trying to pay attention to the lessons being offered to me. It became part of my daily mental dance. Not necessarily the most relaxing state of mind.
As the days of September went by I was able to experiment with what truly felt relaxing, where I could find rejuvenation, and guiding my attention towards the present. A few things stood out that I want to share with you:
Listening deeply is relaxing. Conversations that are less about trading information and more about hearing what is being shared move at a slower pace.
Water is rejuvenating. Swimming, bathing, or showering is a wonderful reset.
Paying attention to my thoughts does not mean that I have to act on everything or judge my own.
