Can you feel the sap rising?

Can you feel the earth warming up and the underground alive again?

Can you feel the energy shift as the sun gives us more daylight?

It’s February and its time to look to the SOURCE: the things that energise, move and enliven us. Its the month when we remind ourselves what is most important, central to our own little universe. As busy mothers, we rarely feel able to stop and check. And, if you’ve been with me for a while - you may not have had a chance to remember for some time. So here it is. That opportunity to stop. To reflect. To draw in, and consider how to draw on, our energetic source.

What lights you up?

Where do you notice your spark?

What puts fire in your belly?

You might notice that these questions are all pretty elemental - that what is important to us might have strong roots in the natural cycles and the energetic fields of our environment. I think historically, and physiologically, what feels right and important might also have a lot to do with our connection to the earth, our hormonal rhythms, and how well our nervous systems manage whats going on around us. It feels right to make a strong connection between our bodies, our environment, and how resourced and energised we feel.

THE RESOURCES THIS MONTH

VALUES

From a coaching perspective, we have everything we already need to know what energises us. We just might not have had the time to check in and put language to it. Indeed, what we felt was important even a year ago might well have shifted. So this month is the opportunity to remind yourself and find out what might have changed. Our values are always a great place to start: those labels that help us filter what makes us unique - and valuable in our world.

SOURCE

What is at your SOURCE? What do you most enjoy, and what imaginary lives have you entertained in the past? The Pages and Artist Dates from Julia Cameron’s The Artist’s Way are powerful habits that help remind you (regularly) of your source - your playful inner child. Maybe the memory of a long lost ambition might spark up a newer, updated version. Maybe you’ll remember a simple fix, a quick trick, or a sure fire way to put a smile on your face.

AN ENERGY AUDIT

This activity is simply a way to understand how our energy - our SOURCE - is affected, day to day. It reminds us of the small activities that deplete - and those that energise and fill us up. It is a useful reminder - on grey and gloomy days - of ways to refill your cup, and tap into your source.

IKIGAI

A Japanese term that means ‘purpose’, Ikigai was a bit of a trend a few years back - but I often share the idea with clients who are not quite sure what hey want or need in life. It prompts us to think about our passions, what we’re good at - and how that fits in to the broader question of what the world needs.

PEAK EXPERIENCES

Another Coaching Classic, the idea of a ‘peak experience’ comes from Abraham Maslow (20th Century psychologist and godfather of ‘The Hierarchy of Needs’). It refers to those moments, or periods in life, that create a feeling of awe, or wonder - and of being a very small part of something much bigger than ourselves. It is a great antidote to the insular thinking that can come with stress and difficulty - not to undermine, but to contextualise.

STATES OF FLOW

Lastly this month - some resrouces to focus on that beautiful FLOW state - a real product of being plugged in to your SOURCE. A flow state will be triggered by different things for different people - but fundamentally, it is when your interest in something is perfectly in balance with the feeling of challenge the task evokes. There is a sweet spot that creates that time-bending, deeply satisfying state of FLOW.