Less is More: Receiving Counsel

Many people in the class were taking on major cleanses, changing their diets, changing their routines.  A few weeks before the experiment began I had to get an emergency appendectomy.  This had uprooted and paused my life for the time being and changed so much of what I was working for.  Over the last few weeks I had been desperately trying to get stability and normalcy back.  The thought of making another change in my life was overwhelming and terrifying.  My body and mind did not need more change, it needed grounding, it needed normalcy, and I needed calm stability.  After class I wrote Beth about my struggles and fears.  I felt so lost and reading back on the email I can feel the emotional desperation.  When I read her reply email, it was as if a huge weight was lifted off of my shoulders.  Her soothing words and advice were exactly what my imbalanced prakruti needed to hear.  Beth told me that it was natural to feel this way, and that our society has set us up for it.  She then wrote, “It does sound like your body and perhaps even your heart are begging you to slow down, to allow life to be more simple.”  Beth advised that I needed to slow down at work, ask for help, and delegate responsibility.  She told me to try the sesame oil massage, practice slow restorative asana, stay warm, eat warm, and even get a massage.  Beth stated I needed to not add more but to do less.  She finished by adding, “Any combination of these really soft, gently nurturing, luxurious things is what you need right now Amanda.  Yes, some things may fall through the cracks but I really think you need to let some of that happen AND ask for some support from others (and then receive it!).”  What a concept!!!  Ask for help and then receive it?  While this may not be revolutionary for some people, it was for me.  I have always felt that if you want something done you have to do it yourself.  The thought of asking others and delegating work was a little anxiety provoking at first but I was so exhausted by that point I figured I would give it a shot.