November Full Moon- What Nourishes You?
One of my tips for aligning yourself with your inner Goddess- the source of your wisdom, divine feminine, and deep intuitive knowing is to pay attention to the moon and all of her cycles. This can be done in a variety of ways, but one of my favorite ways lately has been to spend time every day in front of my altar.
I have an altar that I dedicate to my divine feminine, to the harmony of my family and to the work I do with women. I take a moment every day to sit in front of it and align myself with these elements that I find so important. On every new moon and full moon I make extra space to connect and lately my practice has been to simply listen deeply. For me the energy is always heightened on these two days and I am able to receive special messages that not only benefit me but also those that I work with. This practice of deep listening has been so simple and yet incredibly revealing.
As we enter into this month's full moon and I listen deeply, this question keeps arising: "What nourishes me?" As I hear this question I allow myself to gently respond, but the response does not come through words or thoughts. It is not my mind that is responding, but a deeper part of my being that I invite forward as I do my altar practice. Over time I have been able to sensitize myself to these kind of responses and messages that speak so gently and yet so powerfully as well. I see that there are layers to these responses going from the deepest to the more superficial.
The clearest response I received was that the deepest part of my being is nourished by the simple act of surrendering to every moment that life gives me. This surrendering is a practice and it's not something that can be faked. As I begin to invite more and more surrender into my day-to-day life, I am able to feel so acutely the times in which I am not surrendered. This is what surrender does not look like: my body gets tight, my mind spins in all directions and makes up worries and anxieties, or I am completely distracted and not present while I am interacting with another person. Surrender, on the other hand, is a deliciousness that runs up and down my body. It feels like pure presence, heart opening, expansive and joy. Even if something that is not so desired is happening around me, there is joy in my heart because I am surrendered into the presence of it all.
The other layers of the response to my question, "What nourishes me?"
Helping women, spending time with friends, bone broth soup, romantic dates with my lover, soulful connection to my work, a dance class, a pilates class, singing, meditation, uninterrupted time with my daughter, time alone with a cup of tea, a practice of slowing down.
If we truly take time to nourish ourselves every day, everyone else around will benefit tremendously too. There is no substitute for self-care and if you neglect yourself for too long you will reach a point of burn-out.
I learn There are so many layers to just my one simple question and I make a point to keep exploring these layers over the next two weeks until the new moon.
What nourishes you? How do you celebrate the full moon? Do you have an altar that you spend time with each day?