I want to be this woman when I grow up

The other day Paul, Oakley and I were out for a walk. I don’t know what it’s like where you live but here we’ve had warm spring-like weather followed by very cold weather, followed by warm weather and so on. What that means for the purpose of this story is that the snow fell, then thawed, then froze, then thawed and so on.

Because Paul was in the lead on this particular walk, we found ourselves bushwacking on an urban trail by the river. (He doesn’t tend to stick to any main routes.) I wasn’t prepared for bushwacking so my shoes didn’t match the very-slippery-semi-melted-somewhat-muddy steep riverbank conditions. 

Both Oakley and Paul had to hold my hands and hoist me up the treacherous path so I didn’t end up seated in puddles or sliding down the hill. Gradually we made our way to the top where there was a wonderfully clear sidewalk.

There was also a woman who must have been in her 70s at the top of the path. She had a dog and a walking stick and was putting yak tracks on her shoes. (Not sure what yak tracks are? Because you live in some tropical place where you don’t need spikes on your shoes to prevent slips on the ice? Well yay for you.)

She smiled at us and said, “My walk was pretty slippery yesterday, so today I came prepared!” Down the hill she headed with confidence and feistiness. 

I love that woman and want to be just like her as I get older. Here’s what I admired:

• She was solutions-oriented. 
• She was out in nature in conditions that would cause many to just stay home. 
• She made a connection with us by smiling and talking with us.
• She was headed down an icy hill with no fear! She found great tools to make her adventure safe and enjoyable. 

I also loved that she was a tad rebellious and counter-culture, doing what she loved. 

Amazing! Is there anything you can take away from this rockin’ woman? 

Could you bring your attention more to the side of solutions?

Could you head out into nature and connect?

Could you start up a conversation with someone along your path?

Are there any tools that would help you do more of what you love?

A little food for thought as we head into the next week. Perhaps pick one action item on the list above and schedule it in or set the intention to incorporate it into your day. May we continue to age gracefully with a rebellious twinkle in our eyes.

With feisty love and defiant courage,

Christina

>Creator of Courageous Self-Care

>Seeking my own pair of yak tracks

>Saved my teenage rebellion for my 40s

PS - Body Awake Yoga is happening this Friday at 9:15am Mountain/8:15am Pacific for an hour. Join us live (on zoom) or access the replay as a member of the Community. Join us here. 

Over the last 15 years, I’ve become a connoisseur of the daily practices and rituals that make the most impact for the least amount of time invested. 

To make it easy for clients to know what to do and when, I created the Self-Care Resource Centre. It’s a series of instructional done-with-you videos and audios that takes all the guesswork out of self-care. All you have to do is press play and follow along. 

For the next month, I’ll be giving you free access to several of the practices; a new one each week. Hooray!

This week’s practice is called Artist’s Paintbrush. It’s great for stimulating creativity, slowing down an overactive mind and feeling more grounded by coming into the body. It takes less than 5 minutes and will leave you feeling refreshed, energized and ready to go!

Click here to access the Artist’s Paintbrush video. It will be available until next week.