Autumn: Soul Time
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As the weather changes and we start to retreat from outdoor life, what autumn rituals will you to adopt?
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- Autumn: Soul Time
I’ve been going on about rituals a bit as small routines help you feel rested, energetic, calm and centred.
If the concept sounds a bit narcissistic (must admit I’m not a fan of the term ‘me time’ for that very reason), just remember that even the most giving individuals need time out to recharge and to strengthen their, well, inner strength.
In an interview I held with Janet Michelmore, former CEO of the Jean Hailes Foundation in Melbourne and daughter of the late Dr Jean Hailes. some years ago, she said women in particular need this – pamper time or soul time – in order to fortify their ability to give love and energy to those in their families. Mothers, she said, should spend time cultivating their strength in order to pass that strength on.
So how to design your ritual? Dietician and author Susie Burrell, says to start small.
“When was the last time that you can remember taking an hour, or even two, to simply indulge your soul – to have someone nurture you, to completely immerse in something that you love, to have no other expectation or pressure placed on you, to clear your mind and let free thought and desire come to you?” she writes.
“Begin to schedule some ‘soul time’ – even just an hour to do nothing but what you want to do for a period of time each week. If you are not sure how to spend this time, soul time can be spent simply considering what it would be that would help to make you feel happy and tend to your soul.”
My own ritual is a little more indulgent.
I take Tuesday nights out, just to be quiet and do little things for myself. I go to yoga; I come home and cook whilst listening to a podcast (a favourite, as I’ve mentioned before is This American Life – quirky, creative stories from Chicago Public Media); and then I read for around 30 minutes on the couch… before slipping off to bed.
Another idea? The founder of Be Genki skincare, Sam Sample, makes Tuesday nights ‘pamper night’. She runs a bath and gives herself a home facial.
As Burrell writes: “The ability to care for self is the platform of health and well-being long term, it is time to start before something happens that will force us to do so, whether we like it or not.”
References available on request
If the concept sounds a bit narcissistic (must admit I’m not a fan of the term ‘me time’ for that very reason), just remember that even the most giving individuals need time out to recharge and to strengthen their, well, inner strength.
In an interview I held with Janet Michelmore, former CEO of the Jean Hailes Foundation in Melbourne and daughter of the late Dr Jean Hailes. some years ago, she said women in particular need this – pamper time or soul time – in order to fortify their ability to give love and energy to those in their families. Mothers, she said, should spend time cultivating their strength in order to pass that strength on.
So how to design your ritual? Dietician and author Susie Burrell, says to start small.
“When was the last time that you can remember taking an hour, or even two, to simply indulge your soul – to have someone nurture you, to completely immerse in something that you love, to have no other expectation or pressure placed on you, to clear your mind and let free thought and desire come to you?” she writes.
“Begin to schedule some ‘soul time’ – even just an hour to do nothing but what you want to do for a period of time each week. If you are not sure how to spend this time, soul time can be spent simply considering what it would be that would help to make you feel happy and tend to your soul.”
My own ritual is a little more indulgent.
I take Tuesday nights out, just to be quiet and do little things for myself. I go to yoga; I come home and cook whilst listening to a podcast (a favourite, as I’ve mentioned before is This American Life – quirky, creative stories from Chicago Public Media); and then I read for around 30 minutes on the couch… before slipping off to bed.
Another idea? The founder of Be Genki skincare, Sam Sample, makes Tuesday nights ‘pamper night’. She runs a bath and gives herself a home facial.
As Burrell writes: “The ability to care for self is the platform of health and well-being long term, it is time to start before something happens that will force us to do so, whether we like it or not.”
References available on request
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