Water, Rest, and Movement…A Check In!!!

Hello beautiful people and welcome to your weekly dose of Celestial Goodness. As always, thank you for joining me in this space and on this journey. So, we were going to wrap up our conversation on the Crown Chakra, but my spirit led me in a different direction for this week. See this week’s video here: https://youtu.be/kIxX1fyw0h4

I actually wanted to check in with everyone and just see how you all were doing. Are you resting, hydrating, and moving your body? Are you engaging in self-care? It might not seem like these simple things matter, but they do—they matter a lot. Sometimes I do think that life is actually trying to remind us that the simple things can often bring about the most profound blessings into our lives.

Many moons ago now, I wrote blog posts and videos on the topics that I just mentioned: The importance of sleep, the importance of hydration, and the importance of moving our bodies. I wanted to make sure that I was also practicing what I preach, so here is a mini report on rest, hydration, and movement, probably not in that order. 

Rest:

Since working mostly from home for the past year, one of the biggest chunks of my day actually got removed—and that was the commute. Now, instead of riding the metro for about an hour each way, or driving into DC (driving time varied based on traffic conditions), I have basically been able to get up, clean up, have some breakfast, and then commute by walking to my desk. I thought initially that being home more would also mean more rest, but then I found that pandemic fatigue was a real thing. That and it also felt like I was doing more work at home. The ease of having the computer right there, meant that it is not difficult to check email, or to finish one last thing. But the buffer between commuting and work, also meant that I felt a loosening of my work/life boundaries. I also noticed that my sleep patterns felt off, even though I wasn’t doing much, and really time itself seemed to have lost some meaning.

Since doing my research on rest, and sleep, I have definitely tried to get more rest in the nights. I try to follow my circadian rhythm, and rest when I feel tired, if possible. If not, then I try to get to bed at a reasonable hour. What I have found is that my body wakes up pretty early on its own accord, and generally feels more rested than not. I have also tried to create a routine for myself logging in to work at around the same time each weekday to create a sense of consistency. I have also tried to take downtime for rest, and to allow my own creative projects to flourish. I noticed benefits from this including feeling more refreshed, less groggy, and able to have more energy to do some of my own things. Have you been resting? If you would like to see some benefits of resting and of sleep—please check out my video here: https://youtu.be/r_WrMm4Ygr4

Movement:

With regards to movement, for the past 39 weeks, I have kept a record of walks that I take during the week. Things like weather, events, travel, and even honestly just needing a nap more than the walk, have impacted dates and times, but for the most part, I have been able to walk at least 4 times per week. I set a goal for myself of 3 miles per day, and so my weekly goal is 12-15 miles. Sometimes on the weekends I will take a longer walk of about 5 miles. I will push myself to do my 3 miles, but anything over that really feels like a plus. I don’t overdo it because I have hurt myself before, and recovery takes time. It just feels good to give myself the gift of physical movement.

There have been multiple benefits from walking for me. First, I feel stronger. When I first started my walks, I had been in pandemic world for a few months, eating delicious things that I had been learning how to make from the Food channel, and epicurious, but I hadn’t really been moving. I could feel it more in my clothes, and then I started to feel more sluggish. Walking, helps me to feel more energetic. Second, I get to spend some time in nature. That means grounding, and earthing. By taking a walk, I have some designated time when I am not connected to everything else that is going on in the world. My brain gets a break, and I find some peace in my day.

Third, I truly feel that by observing nature, that there are more things that make sense for me. For example, I have talked about the seasons that we go through in our individual lives. That’s no accident. In nature, everything gets done—things grow when they are supposed to without rush. In nature, we also witness the power of sunshine, water (rain), rest, and growth. Walking has genuinely put me in a better mood, and I am thankful for the opportunity to spend that time outside. Check out my video on movement and drinking water: https://youtu.be/vnfBpT0AQmQ

You can also check out my video on disconnecting and decompressing: https://youtu.be/Nv7DwmYntp4

And my video on Earthing and Grounding: https://youtu.be/01RUU0L_2Qk

Water: 

The journey to better hydration has probably been my most challenging, but also my most rewarding journey. Out of the last 37 days, I have completed 35 days of drinking 1 gallon (128 oz) of water. Prior to this, I had started feeling really brittle within myself. My bones and joints felt achy, and I knew instinctively that I probably needed more water. Since I had also done research on the benefits of water, I also knew that if I increased my intake, my body would be thankful! I did some research on water bottles, and found one that I liked on Amazon.

The Fidus water bottle in a beautiful shade of blue green and pinkish purple. It also had motivational quotes that started at 7am and went until 9pm. Sort of cynically, I said, who is drinking water from 7am – 9pm? As it turns out, me. There is something about seeing the bottle that made me feel like I should be drinking it. The result of my month of water are that:

a)     I definitely FEEL hydrated. My joints and body as a whole feel better and more fluid.

b)    I think my skin also looks better, and more glowy.

c)     Water is definitely a detoxing agent. If you want your kidneys and intestines to thank you, drink water. As a matter of fact, I think all of you will feel better!

d)    Yes, you do have to go to the bathroom a lot initially, but as time progress, I think my body got used to the amount of water it could hold without constantly running back and forth.

e)    I think it has been helping me to sleep better. 

f)      I feel more energized.

g) I snack less, because when drinking that much water, there is no time to be doing anything else. LOL

h)    Drinking water begats drinking more water. Probably the most surprising thing has been that even after drinking a gallon of water, I still feel that I could drink more. 

I think if you want to get more water in your body, my suggestions are:

a)     Just start!!! Just start drinking a glass or two more, and work your way up

b)    If you don’t like the taste of water (and I know this is a thing), maybe add fresh fruit to help you with the taste

c)     Schedule your day around this. I know that if I was commuting, I wouldn’t be able to drink my water consistently through the day—what it means is that I would break it down into time clumps. Morning, Afternoon, and Evening, with enough time to get home. As it stands, I schedule my water around my walks. If I know I will walk at 6:30pm, I might stop drinking water at 5. When I return from my walk, I want to drink more water.  

Another thing that I learned from a very wise woman recently, was that I should work with my water. Right now, I have just been drinking it to keep me hydrated, but I haven’t thanked the water for all the amazing things that it has been doing for my body. With this in mind, today as I held my water bottle, I asked the water to work with me. As I took my first sips, I let myself feel the water flowing through my body and I thanked it for purification, cleansing, healing, and love.

This wise woman also said, What does the world need to be carried from you by the water? When I think of that, I think—what toxins need to be removed so that I have the energy to use my gifts in the ways that are most of service to the world, and also to my own dreams and goals? This has profoundly changed my experience with water and my hydration process.

I hope that you are resting well, moving your body as you have the capability to do, and also hydrating. These are simple things—are the foundational level of our lives. We need air, we need water, we need the earth, and we need the inner and outer fire to sustain us, nurture us, and to help us give back to the earth and its people. May the stars shine brightly over your week, and may you be hydrated, rested, and energized.