Brrrrr! The Lotus Pond isn’t frozen over, but…

The chill months of the year are here, and our natural response to cold is to husband our strength, let go of what is not needed, and renew our deep resources. Plants go dormant, animals hibernate, waters slow as the temperatures drop. Butt humans are expected to be equally productive and energetic no matter the time of year. It’s no wonder that SAD (seasonal affective disorder) is common in these months, or that immune systems get overloaded and people are more likely to get sick. The planet is in a low point of its cycle here in the northern hemisphere, and that's often perceived as a negative, a “bad” thing. A period of restoration is good for us, and finding ways to provide that for ourselves is a positive. When we restore our own reserves, then we can move more easily in the world around us.

Today this came to my attention, and set off a chain of thought.
“The antidote to negativity is not positivity—it’s warmth.
Positivity tells a sad person there’s no reason to be sad.
Warmth asks the sad person if they want to go get some ice cream.”

With the temperatures below zero across much of our hemisphere, we might want to opt for a cup of hot cocoa instead of ice cream, but remedies aside, what this recommends is to respond to the reality of the situation, to be present for that sad person, to meet someone struggling exactly where they are at the moment of encounter.

Warmth steps away from judgment, from comparison or advice, from “fixing” someone’s problem. As a bodyworker, it’s far too easy to fall into being the fixer, to think that I can change a muscle tension or a holding pattern or a trauma response by simply moving or touching the body, when what the body is asking for is to be heard and held as it is.

Humans are hard-wired to move toward healing; our bodies know what we need, if we take the time and attention to listen to them. The classes I've had recently reminded me again that my job is not to heal you, but to help you find the direction to move to allow you to heal yourself. Whether that’s a physical direction to be better aligned, or looking at a mindset that’s affecting your body patterns in a different way, or listening to your body respond to a sorrow or worry you are carrying, my role is to provide a safe space for you to find your own way.

An ideal way to provide that restorative space is with a Reiki session. For February only, I’m offering you an hour of Reiki combined with acupressure for only $60 here in Isleton. No fuss with getting undressed, just come be cozy on my heated table under a soft blanket, and be restored and rebalanced.

What’s New in Lotus Land

As you know, I’m building up a practice in Sacramento Tuesdays and Wednesdays, in addition to my Isleton practice. Right now, you can introduce your friends and family to me for half-price, via my current Sacramento-only Groupon deal.

60- or 90-minute sessions of Reiki combined with acupressure, Ortho-Bionomy® and other body work. What a great Valentine’s Day gift for someone special!

As part this process, I’m volunteering clothed bodywork in places where it’s needed. On the 1st & 3rd Tuesdays from 1-3 PM I’m at the Asian Community Senior Center (7334 Park City Dr., Sacramento) for a $10 donation to the ACC.

And beginning March 12, every 2nd & 4th Tuesday between 9:30-11:30 AM, I’ll be helping some of Sacramento’s unhoused women at Wellspring Women’s Center (3414 4th Ave, Sacramento) with some self-care tips and free mini-sessions. Wellspring does amazing work, and I’m hoping someone who sees this will donate a portable table to the Center; the space for sessions is up a steep and narrow stairway in a repurposed fire station, and lugging a table up there every time will be a little challenging for me.

And with thanks…

As always, I’m grateful that you take the time to read these notes, that you share your wellness journey with me, and that you give me your trust. As we hibernate and heal through the winter cold, we can let go of what no longer is in our best interests, and trust our body’s deepest wisdom to be moved into healing and health.

With love and light to all,
Beth