Natch Collective

Hard Question: Do you accept yourself completely?

This question makes me squirm on the inside and outside, and my answer to it is "no...but I'm trying." Life has held up no shortage of mirrors for me this year and I haven't always liked the reflection.

But here's what I'm processing. Can we hold two seemingly opposing beliefs at the same time? For me, those beliefs are that I'm freaking proud of the woman I've become and the life I've created *AND* that I have a long list of ways I'd like to be better. Can they co-exist? Yes. Through that terrifying process of acceptance.

You're human. So go be human. Can we just enjoy the experience of being so very human with all its perfect imperfection?

So, when life holds up mirrors--and it will--let's try to look squarely at that reflection with softness and acceptance, yeah?

I’m moving apartments tomorrow and judging by my stress dreams, fast talking, ping-ping-pinging of my thoughts, shallow breathing, and trembly ‘lil tongue, my vata dosha energy is high. I’m not surprised since any life change can increase vata - moving house, starting/ending a job, having a baby, getting married, travel, etc.

What I love about Ayurveda is that once you learn the signs of imbalance on a physical and subtle level, you can do something about it. Opposites bring balance. Vata’s elements are ether and air and are all about motion, so grounding is my keyword for tonight. Here’s how I’m balancing my vata on Moving Eve.

1️⃣ I’m doing everything deliberately slow. Breathing. Walking. Brushing my teeth. Typing this post on my phone.
2️⃣ I have the lights low to help me feel cozy and signal to my brain to prepare for sleep.
3️⃣ Alternate nostril pranayama - breathing in one nostril, holding, then out the other, then reversing. This balances the masculine/feminine sides of the body and just slows you the heck down.
4️⃣ I took a shower and spent time just feeling the warmth of the water.
5️⃣ Head self-massage - this works wonders to move congested energy out, literally getting me out of my head.
6️⃣ I’ll do some chill bedtime yoga to keep the energy circulating around my body and be in bed by 10pm because otherwise the pitta dosha time of day will make it harder for me to sleep.
7️⃣ If all my goodies weren’t packed, I’d make a turmeric latte, roll on some grounding essential oils, and put a celestite crystal under my pillow to ease all the mind busy-ness.

I had a solid list of things to get done yesterday. Boxes to pack for my move, dinner plans, a grocery order to submit. I wanted to feel that feeling I love so much - checking things off the to-do list.

But my body wasn’t having it. A headache was coming on, my movements became slow, and I felt overstimulated. But instead of ignoring it all and pushing through like I tend to do, I softened into it. I let my body speak up. She said she needed stillness. She needed to be cared for. And she needed to replace the to-do list with nourishment.

So I ran an epsom salt bubble bath to reset my energy, got into some cozy PJs, did a handful of guided meditations, and had an early night. All that my body needed.

I get it, sometimes we need to push through. But sometimes we don't. Can we listen to our bodies more deeply? Can we notice the signs then do something about them? Your body knows exactly what you need, trust what it's telling you. As we say yes to that inner guidance, we strengthen trust in ourselves and develop a deeper body/mind relationship. You become more "you."

Last year, I resigned from my job and put my legal status in the USA at risk. After an 8-month hiatus and trip to the motherland, I learned a thing or two about myself and the universe.

1. YOUR INTUITION CAN BE TRUSTED. My intuition whispered I needed change and to get more fully on my path, but logic won.... until my gut feelings were loud enough that I could trust the freefall into whatever came next after resigning, even if it meant moving back to Australia after 16 years if I couldn’t find a company willing to sponsor me. Spoiler alert, it all worked out better than I could have designed, and I’ll start a perfect job in Arizona on Monday.

2. LEARN THE MORSE CODE OF THE UNIVERSE. I learned how to chat with the universe, and we’re great buds now. I was in a pickle and needed guidance, so I got readings from intuitives, pulled tarot and oracle cards, and asked for specific signs. And those signs showed up without fanfare through conversations, song lyrics, tattoos, mind’s eye, repeating animals and numbers.

3. YOU ALWAYS GET WHAT YOU WANT—OR BETTER. I wanted a job in the USA near my family with a long wishlist. The literal last job I applied for worked out and had the best job description of them all. I got what I wanted but the bonus was all the stories and learning from the past 8 months. Turns out, things were always working out for me, although I couldn’t see all the nuance. Trust the process, my friends.

4. WHAT YOU DON’T WANT TO HAPPEN MAY JUST HAPPEN, AND IT’LL BE GREAT. I didn’t want to lose legal status since that meant going back to Australia and reducing my chances of landing a job in the USA. Time ran out and I flew back. I reconnected with old friends, explored different cities, and rekindled my fun side after years of burnout. It was the absolute best capstone to the whole hiatus.

5. MAKE PEACE WITH SPACE. And the departure from “normal.” With a 40+ hour job out of the picture, there’s space. It’s confronting for someone like me who loves the feeling of productivity. Space brings heightened awareness. Everything was a mirror. I saw my own crap and from there, tried to reroute my patterns.

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Oh hi! I’m Justine, Ayurvedic Health Counselor in training, nature fan, essential oil and crystal aficionado, and aspiring ritualist. Enchantee!

I mostly get confused expressions when I ask people if they’ve heard of Ayurveda. In Sanskrit, it means “the science of life” and it’s the world’s oldest health system—we’re talkin’ 5000 years young. It shows how we can live optimally in the self and Self so we can get on with other important things--our dharma/purpose in life. It’s preventative, curative, rooted in nature, and a beautiful way to live.

Through Ayurveda, I’ve met myself. Just like you, I’m a combination of three doshas which are biological energies made up of the conceptual and physical ideas of ether, air, fire, water, and earth. My fingerprint-unique original constitution will never change and is the perfect balance I’m always trying to get back to. Ayurveda gives tools to see the imbalances. I can hear my voice sounding sharp and intense and know I have a Pitta imbalance—too much fire. I can have sluggish digestion and know I have a Kapha imbalance—too much water and earth. I can poke out my tongue and see tremors and know I have a Vata imbalance—too much air and ether. Then through food choices, movement, aromatherapy, chromotherapy, touch, routines, breathing, and mindfulness, I can rebalance.

I’ll use this space to share Ayurvedic practices, my fangirling over nature, and all things spiritual. Excited to walk this path with you!