And we are back with another inspiring and elevating creative piece written by the wonderful Maria Diego, who is currently taking part in our Journalist Work Experience program. In this piece Maria goes onto talk about a more personal perspective, and talks of recalibrating her energies.
Lately, Mom and Dad have been constantly telling me to stop. To pause, to breathe, to slow down. It has been only two weeks since I came and I have less than four more to be gone again. I know they still do not deal well with that. I guess that is not something you think of when you have a child, although it is something you subconsciously always know. The thing is; I have been running non-stop, from my friends’ house to my aunt’s one, from the closest lake in the town to the outdoors pub at night, from the pool to the gym, from the park to the forest. I was longing for freedom after quarantine. Mask on, sanitizer ready and a smile portrayed even when it is hidden under safety measures. Everyone tells you to stay safe but no one tells you how to do so. I cannot deny I have enjoyed my time this past week, but I had to agree with them when I fell asleep the other day at six in the afternoon. I was too tired I had to take a nap – and all my thoughts were teetering while the heat woke me up several times. Because I am on holiday and I do not have a specific routine, I just tried to keep myself busy, as if time was running out spilling through my hands whenever I was not outdoors, so I ended up exceeding my limits. My body has many weird ways of telling me it has had enough. When anxiety turns physical, all of a sudden, I get migraines, tummy aches, or I feel completely knocked down for a whole week. After a while, I learnt to read the signs and now I know how to treat my temple. So, after having Mum and Dad reading those red signs for me this time, I woke up yesterday and decided to have a slow morning routine to recharge my energies. I need to do this often.
I cleaned my face in circular motions, had my hot coffee in silence just to warm my body and become aware of every inch of my skin and wisely decided to turn off my phone. I decisively smiled, shook the dust off my yoga mat and rolled it out on the cold floor. Rays of sun entered through the window of the living-room and drew themselves upon the mat. I pressed play on my chill-music playlist and whispered to myself: “slow down”. I set my intention for that practice with the first breath and each of them got longer, helping the air tour through my body until it deeply filled my lungs. If I had wings, I would have flown, as I felt instantly lighter. “Everything I need is within me”, I repeated that mantra several times until I made my subconscious believe it. Two Sun salutations, a 40-minutes Hatha practice full of sitting postures to ground my soul and 15 minutes of pranayama in a beautiful Full Moon meditation later, I rose as a phoenix. I felt energised, strong, healthy and powerful. A slow and steady morning goes a long way and because of it, I was capable of revive my tired spirit from a very lively but busy month.
by Maria Diego, published 10/08/2020
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