Winter is coming. Everyone can feel it creeping in.

The Thanksgiving holiday was a time for me to return to the past and to nature, spending time in the town where I came of age. Going home puts us in a perpetual state of looking back over who and where you have been. I took a long walk in a field along the woods. There were too many hunters out for me to take the hiking trail. I spotted a little withered plant (a teeny Deadly Nightshade sticking out from the grass) that still had a dead berry or two holding on.

Now that the harvest time is ending/over, what did we all reap? I’ve been thinking about the cycles of the earth lately. Throughout November, many cycles have completed for me and I’m reflecting on what I have.

November 6 marked one year since my husband and I began our journey with Vedic meditation, which in 2015 we had studied with Light Watkins. (This particular style is a mantra-based meditation done twice a day for 20 minutes.) The year hasn’t been perfect for my meditation rhythm. In fact, during my most busy times, I often didn’t get to sit for my afternoon session. But I’m really proud of myself that I’ve stuck with this habit. But like I shared in my last post, It’s taken me all year to really make it stick and feel like something I just can’t go without.

November 8 not only marked the completion of our election cycle, but I also graduated from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition. I’ve been able to see clients since around the halfway mark, but I’m now fully committed to helping people change their lives in meaningful ways. I’ve seen just how much the benefits of eating whole foods, meditating, moving the body and other healthy habits have transformed my life, and I am ready to help bring that gift to others. During that first week of November, I quit my side job, so I have more time to devote to my clients and myself. 

November 9 was a day of strange energy for me. I suddenly felt free, after so many major parts of my life were finished. But we stepped into a precarious time in society. In the weeks since, we’ve all witnessed so much hate and division. I’m the last person to say that we shouldn’t feel our feelings and squash them or invalidate them. But my personal reaction has been one of clarity. Now we all see how diverse the beliefs are in our communities and countries, for better or for worse. The path is laid out in front of us and for many, our roles on this journey have been affirmed. It so important now for us to come together and take care of one another.

During that early November time, my friend Teva and I revitalized Community Reiki at Maha Rose, and in the weeks since, it has been so comforting for all who come to give and receive in love and without judgment. November 11 saw many members of our community come together to send aid to Standing Rock and to join our hands in prayer. The week after, I completed a 6-week Reiki Healer Mentorship with so many beautiful souls who share the intention of lifting one another up and spreading healing to all who need it.

I feel hopeful knowing that what I’ve brought into this world are skills to help my fellow humans. What I’ve reaped in my harvest this year is a clarity of purpose, a surge of hope, and bonds with like-minded people. And I have endless gratitude for the work and experiences that I’ve moved through to bring me here.