My stiff neck, work overload, and the start to holiday mayhem are all brought to you by Mercury in retrograde, which is set to last until December 15. It’s already working its disruptive ways, but I’ve decided to make a concerted effort to go with the flow, no matter how wayward it may seem and feel. The only other option would be to fight what will ultimately be a losing battle with the fates. At this point in my life, ease and comfort are more important than waging war.
In order to be as prepared as possible for this malleable attitude, I’ve been focusing on my daily meditations more than usual – fully making use of those moments for deep breathing, clearing the mind, and focusing on not focusing. Sitting lotus-style, I acknowledge the slight pain that now appears in my left leg when stretching in any way, and I feel the stiffness of my neck – an affliction not caused by strenuous efforts of lifting or moving, but some errant quick motion of the head – which makes the resulting pain all the more annoying; it would be worth it for some uncharacteristic exertion of effort. Simply turning around quickly shouldn’t do such a thing. I accept the annoyance, the agitation, the twinge of pain.
Thoughts and worries race across the mind, and as they pause to gain traction, I honor them, then allow them to move onward. It’s not that I want to forget or bury them – they exist and they have their reasons for existing – and I am learning to exist beside them. A stick of Palo Santo sends sweet curls of smoke into the air before me, its scent now familiar and rich when it once was challenging and repellant.
This is how I greet the holiday season. Not with bombast or excitement, nor with dread or worry – but with a steadiness and resolve to breathe deeply, to be mindful, to be present, and to be forgiving.
