Staying Grounded When Life is in Flux

I keep taking pictures of my feet. I hope that staring at my feet will ground me. Looking down is a good first step but I can’t say that it has helped much.

Staying grounded isn’t my strong suit. For those of you who understand Aryuvedic doshas, balancing Vatta is a challenge for me (find a basic tool to discover your dosha at http://doshaquiz.chopra.com). Vatta types easily fly off in many directions, which can make us creative and productive but prone to burn-out from going too fast.

Last June, I left Toronto and moved to land right near the Niagara escarpment outside Dundas, Ontario. Slowing down and simplifying was the plan. I didn’t realize how insane it would be to gut a 200-year old historical house.

The basic lesson for me is, “Not all things can be done at the same time”. Much to my surprise, I can’t be a homeopath, yoga teacher, kirtan artist, renovation manager and mother of three kids with a frequently-traveling husband, all at the same time. It seems I can’t help three kids integrate into a new setting, take voice lessons, record music, swim and hike while researching eco building materials and the relevance of feng shui to my architect’s plans. Sigh.

I have a friend and fellow homeopath who laughs whenever I tell her what I’m doing. The harder she laughs the more I know I’m being ridiculous. Sadly, I seem to repeat this cycle of grandiose ideas and over-doing until my body says no. Over the years, with hours of yoga and meditation practice, I’ve become better at listening to my body, seeing the signs and pacing myself.

Somebody asked me today if I’m type A.  I said, “Type-A in recovery.” I’m pretty sure that’s like being an addict. Once a type-A you can self-improve through every therapy known to man and get much calmer, clearer and more centered but when the ground shifts too much and known supports fall away, old habits die hard.

The good news is that we’re all here to learn. Whatever we haven’t learned through one set of circumstances will come around again. This time around, I’m trying to be kinder to myself, to move more slowly and to pull back from my grand ambitions. Life is long. I’m blessed with many passions. I just need to pace myself.