We are so lucky to partner with Ash; a writer, yoga teacher, a dear human. The other day she told me about this story and we both knew that this was going to be the next theme. Ash’s words below hold a reminder about how sweet it is to live within your nature. Thank you for your wisdom and for BEING Ash, we adore you.

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Last week, to welcome autumn, I made Thai Pumpkin Soup in the morning, just after waking up. While theoretically I like the idea of making dinner at dinner time, I have learned — over many years — that I am much more likely to cook if I do it earlier in the day, when I tend to have more energy.

For a long time though, I wanted to be more energetic in the afternoons and evenings. I tried to force it. Back then, I spent a lot of time trying to make myself different than I naturally am — my habits, energy levels, external appearance, even my interests and curiosities were at times scrutinized under my judging eye — “Why are you like this? Why can’t you be different?”

How exhausting.

At some point, I stopped fighting with myself. I decided that when my schedule allows, I cook early. When I finally began to accept my nature, I found ease. This practice has helped me in so many areas of my life — not just in soup making. It’s made me kinder and gentler to myself and others while also allowing me to pursue the things that matter most to me by working with my nature instead of against it.

In her discussion of santosha in the Language of Yin, Gabrielle Harris writes, “We can waste a lot of energy trying to fulfill the conditions we place on our life,” and on ourselves, I would add. When we stop fighting with ourselves, we suddenly get back a lot of that wasted energy. Santosha, or contentment, asks us to look for the sweetness of life happening in our current moment. When we practice santosha, we also practice accepting ourselves as we are right now. 

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Ash teaches Yin on Thursday’s at 4:30 and Restorative on Sunday’s at 12 pm. 

*check out Ash’s Writing and Yoga workshop in October*

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• How can you embrace yourself more fully?
• What if you spent the next month affirming your nature, habits, lifestyle and felt SEEN? 
• What would you feel like day after day if you let yourself go into the cycle that affirms you?