Lessons from Nature :: Change

In the beginning of September, I went on a road trip to Jackson Hole and Yellowstone with my man.  It was such an amazing trip and I took millions of pictures trying to capture the beauty of the land, which really doesn't do it any justice of being there in the moment soaking it all in.  

I mean, take this picture of this gorgeous waterfall, for example: 

You can kind of get the gist of it from this snapshot, but in real life, it was so incredible I almost couldn't believe it was real.  I could've gazed at it all day long!  

One of the days on our trip, we took a bus tour of Yellowstone and it was so fascinating to hear all the details and history of the park.  The forest is literally built to survive forest fires the way one breed of trees' seeds only open up and grow under severe heat (like that of a fire).  When those lodgepole pines grow tall enough and provide enough shade, then the conditions are just perfect for the spruce and firs to grow and mature the forest.  

I learned that things in the park are always changing.  For several years there was a hot spring that looked black in contrast to the other more brilliant ocean blues of the others.  It was named Abyss and the tour guide loved having the contrast to explain to his group the difference between water temperature and other scientific deets.  THEN ONE YEAR, in the spring, when he arrived to this particular part of the tour, the hot spring had changed conditions and therefore the black color and contrast was gone!  

This is very much like our lives, yes?  

THINGS ARE ALWAYS CHANGING! 

For us human beings, change can be hard.  We want to be in control of our environments.  We can be creatures of habit who want to see the things we love stay the same.  

Similar to the species of trees, the animals, and the other natural features on our earth, we are adaptable.  We are resilient.  We are flexible.  We are creative.  And we can handle change.  

We may not like it.  We may not embrace it.  We may welcome it in with open arms!  

Wherever you are in your relationship to change, here are my two cents worth: find the tools and support you need to keep you going through times of change.

I've been experiencing a lot of change in the past couple months myself.  After coming back from our trip, we sold the place we were living, bought a house, packed up all our things, and moved.  I took on taking care of my grandma a couple times a week while also deciding to join on a team of practitioners at a new space.  Though the moments of waking up with anxiety, running on adrenaline, feeling exhausted, and fighting off getting sick, I've needed to consciously make an effort to include those things that make me feel grounded and aligned with my inner self.  Nature, breathwork, coffee dates with friends, long walks outside in the fresh fall air, journaling, hot showers, and SLEEP have been my key essentials in this current time of my life.

So dear ones, while change is inevitable, self-care and our essential tools can be so valuable.  And looking back after we've gone through our transitions, we may find the beauty in the journey, just like we see the changing beauty in nature. 

What are some of the things you lean on?  Share in the comments!