Fall into Simplicity
Dear Friends,
Autumn greetings to each of you. We made it through the hot summer! I’m feeling very grateful to have finally shared so much time with our yoga community this summer. I never tire of teaching and practicing here in our magical spot, and I’m always pleasantly reminded of the strength & joyful commitment of our TruroYoga tribe.
As September rolls along, there is a strong pull within myself toward simplifying. The late summer/early fall season and the quality of light invite me to take time for deeper reflection and introspection as well as space for creativity and nuanced observation. You feelin’ it?
Summer living is full of logistics. Who’s where...Has the garden been watered…What’s for dinner…Where’s the sunscreen…Is the cooler packed…Blah blah blah. When September arrives, all of this gorgeous space suddenly reveals itself and I feel like I have a choice. Is it time to enjoy the simple and the quiet or do I continue to fill my mind with unnecessary logistics and complications? For me, it is a choice, and hopefully with time and practice, simplifying becomes my healthy “new norm.” I’ve been feeling so attracted to Simple Living Practices recently that I even made a bumper sticker haha!
In the beginning of the month during the Harvest Full Moon, Paul and I visited my 99 year-old grand-maman Fernande in Quebec, and together we traveled to her châlet along the St. Lawrence River. During the visit we had many quiet moments alone with her. We finished a 500-piece puzzle, weeded her small garden, and enjoyed her simple rhythms. While seeing how healthy, content, and truly simple she is, I had to ask: “Hey Grand-maman, what’s the secret?” Her response: “ I eat three healthy meals each day…try to get a good night’s rest…go outside and get some exercise…keep on doing the things that bring me joy and pleasure.” Pretty simple. The takeaway from this long-overdue visit with Fernande: whether it is dancing under the moonlight with your beloved or enjoying your evening port surrounded by garden beauty, cherish it.
Coming home to the Cape, I could have easily gotten swept up in all the things I had to do, but the takeaway message from my grandmother made a real impression. So how can I not make extra work for myself, even in small and basic ways? Can my family agree on playing an album rather than trying to DJ or control Spotify? Can I simply let the recycling bin overflow? What’s the rush? A lot of it is resetting my mindset, right?! Life doesn’t necessarily slow down completely in the fall or winter months, but how might I infuse my days with this energy and mindset of simplicity and spaciousness? How can I remain present in the day, allow for moments of stillness, and calm my tendencies of obsessing over what should happen? Oh, it’s freeing, and with Fernande as living proof, I believe simplifying has an anti-aging, rejuvenating effect!
Cheers to That,
Genevieve
UPCOMING RETREATS
Cape Cod Weekend Simplify Yoga Retreat, October 21-23, 2022
Yoga & Spa Retreat in El Cuyo, Mexico, February 26 - March 3, 2023
Yoga & Hiking Retreat in Sardinia, Italy, April 22 - 29, 2023
READINGS & DISCOVERIES
Getting Along: How to Work with Anyone (Even Difficult People) - Inspirational,
Read how my dear friend + author Amy Gallo was such an influential part of my journey becoming a yoga instructor on Instagram on Instagram
MUSIC
Check out Bon Entendeur’s music app free up your mind and inspire you to DANCE!
RECIPES
Simple Warming Squash Soup (with very few ingredients): Deliciously Sweet & Spicy