Today I’m inviting you to pause to mark mid summer and turn to look ahead to the future you want to create for yourself.
I’m marking a very special anniversary this week, as it’s been 30 years since I graduated from massage school. I’m celebrating in amazement that my deep desire to help and serve others has blossomed over the decades into an amazing career, not only as an MT, but also as a yoga and meditation teacher, school owner, life coach, and closest to my heart, as a teacher. It’s all been so much richer and deeper and more amazing than I could have ever dreamed.
Join me now in spending a few minutes reflecting and imagining as we mark mid summer together.
Celebrated since medieval times by pagans and Christians alike, Lammas marks the midpoint between the summer solstice and the fall equinox. Lammas is a festival of regrets and farewells, of harvest and preserves. It commemorates the first harvest and often loaves of bread from the wheat harvest are baked and enjoyed.
Here are some ideas, from a website called School of the Seasons, for marking the four themes of Lammas, as well as my own suggestions for Going Forward.
Regrets
Think of the things you meant to do this summer or this year that are not coming to fruition. You can project your regrets onto natural objects like pine cones and throw them into the fire, releasing them.
Going Forward: There’s still plenty of summer left to work important projects, or spend quality time in nature and with people you love. Don’t let these days slip away. If you’re an entrepreneur, this is the perfect time to think about what you want to manifest in your business this fall.
Begin planning for the fall now. Use my guide to Becoming Powerfully Productive to help you with the planning process. It’s geared toward wellness practitioners, but anyone can use the process. Request it HERE.
Farewells: What is passing from your life? What is over? Say good-bye to it. As with regrets, you can find visual symbols and throw them into the fire, a creek, or the ocean. You can also bury them in the ground, perhaps in the form of bulbs which will manifest in a new form in spring.
Going Forward: Once you free up your energy by releasing the old with love and gratitude, think about what you want to welcome into your life. I love the idea of planting bulbs now for next spring, so think about beginning to lay the plans for what you want in your life in the future.
Harvest: What have you harvested this year? What seeds have your planted that are sprouting? Find a visual way to represent these, perhaps creating a decoration in your house or altar which represents the harvest to you.
Going Forward: Take a moment to celebrate your accomplishments. What good work have you done? What connections have you forged? How have you helped others? Try to be as specific as possible as you deeply acknowledge yourself.
Preserves: This is also a good time for making preserves, either literally or symbolically. As you turn the summer’s fruit into jams, jellies and chutneys for winter, think about the fruits that you have gathered this year and how you can hold onto them. How can you keep them sweet in the store of your memory?
Going Forward: Consider creating a photo book or online album of special moments from the summer. Drop a note to friends you shared special times with this year. Tell stories with your family about fun times you had together.
I’m deeply grateful to every client, student, employee, and teacher, mentor, and coach I’ve worked with over the last 30 years, and to you, for letting me into your inbox to help you create your authentic life and business.
Are you wondering if life or business coaching might help you manifest something more for yourself, such as more job satisfaction, vibrant health, or a steady clientele in your wellness practice?
Find out more about my work and if we’re a good match by signing up for a Free 30 Minute Discovery Session. View my calendar and schedule when it’s convenient for you HERE.
All My Best,
