Feeling a little too overwhelmed for my liking during my favorite season of all, I turned to some divine wisdom. My littlest one pulled the card this time for me while asking what wisdom I needed for the summer. And of course she handed me "Restore and Replenish” (from one of my favorite decks).
I freaking love the universe, especially when it’s so obvious and direct with me ✨
Restore is one of three key pillars in my framework for navigating matrescence (more on the Restore phase here). It’s foundational for the postpartum mama and throughout the early years, the starting point for all the other stuff. Without it, it can be difficult to Redefine and Redesign from a place of alignment and wellbeing.
Want a fun challenge for the summer? Choose a daily restorative practice for the next 40 days. You can do the same one every day or switch it up to your heart’s content. The habit is in creating the time to do the practice.
Forty days is a common time period in many ancient wisdom and spiritual traditions to establish a new habit or pattern.
Here’s a list of some of my favorite restorative practices - none of which require booking an appointment or taking out a small personal loan:
A walk in nature / outside
Intuitive exercise (focus on what your body needs and is calling for)
A short restorative yoga practice
Meditation (Favorite apps: Insight Timer, Headspace, O-P-E-N
Breathwork (plenty of guided breathwork on Insight Timer)
Journaling (can include a gratitude practice or a “proud of” list)
Abhyanga (self massage with warm oil) - Demo here
A nap
NSDR / Yoga Nidra - Ally Boothroyd has great videos
Scientific research has demonstrated that restorative power of just one hour of Yoga Nidra is equal to 4 hours of healthy sleep. This is why some people refer to yoga nidra as "bliss for your brain" or "divine sleep"
Vagus nerve stimulation techniques (example)
A creative practice (painting, drawing, writing, anything that feels creative and fun)
Solo time just to “be” (sip your coffee or tea mindfully, sit outside with sun on your face, do something that brings your body pleasure)
If you’ve got a go-to restorative practice to share, let me know in the comments.
Until next week, restore and replenish dear friend ♥️
-Lauren
I help women in the early years of motherhood restore their life force postpartum, redefine what matters most, and redesign their rhythms and routines to navigate this transformational period with less overwhelm and more ease.
P.S. choosing cards for my clients at the beginning or end of a coaching container is one of my favorite things to do - it's always juicy, magical, and just the medicine that is needed. The next Redefine Intensive small group program for new moms navigating the massive identity shift of motherhood opens in September > be sure you're subscribed to be the first to know ⤵️
P.P.S. If you know a new mom who could benefit from some extra support, forward this email along. It’s a good reminder that she’s not in this alone. And there just might be a way to do this differently…