You're listening to the human ng podcast with real conversations as we call bullshit. On everything capitalism, the patriarchy and white supremacy culture has duped us into believing about self care, mental health, fitness, wellness, and all things life. I am Steff Gallante, and I created this show to support badass people doing solidarity work in pursuit of disrupting these systems in their lives and communities. Together, we'll discuss how systems of oppression are keeping us unwell, and disconnected from ourselves in each other, and how to best support you in creating more aligned self care practices that will help you human more easily. It's the shit we need to talk about. Hey, friend, welcome back. And if you're new around here, welcome. How is your heart today? Truly, I'm recording this on the evening after we had the solar eclipse. And I felt like the air was super charged this morning. And in the into the early afternoon. That change in vibe, especially after so many days of cold heavy rain last week, on the tail end of which we had a 4.8 magnitude earthquake here in New Jersey, I don't know if you heard well, anyway, this change in vibe was much appreciated by me, since this week is the five month mark of losing my dad. And I can't remember if I shared in the last episode that carrying around sadness every day is very tiring. And so anytime I can experience a bit of a lift. During this time, I'm really grateful. And as I mentioned quite a bit in the last episode, I'm experiencing the start of spring in a way I never have before, with so much yuck and sadness and fatigue and some more yuck. And so for me, my heart is kind of feeling heavy and also grateful for the sprinkling in of lightness, both literal lightness, and anything that feels lighter. Now that nature has increased the sunlight and has some warmer temperatures. You know, it's it's thawing out from winters cold and depending on where you live geographically, may be also thawing out from ice and snow. And so the earth is starting to be saturated with water which is providing us fantastic conditions for planting seeds and reaping abundance. In all of this, right in this shift from winter into spring, you might be feeling uplifted. Now that we're out from under that veil of darkness and nature feels lighter. Or like me, you might be feeling a lingering lethargy from the winter or maybe and or maybe from ongoing accumulation of hard things in your life or within your community or all the events going on around the world. It's really hard. I say this every single week. It is hard to be in the world right now. And it maybe is a combination of both for you. Right uplifted in some situations and you know, lethargic, sad, deeply unmotivated, whatever it is, you know with others. If you're feeling uplifted, you might be feeling really excited for a fresh, clean slate clean start motivated to go all in perhaps on cleaning and clearing out and enjoying the sun and warmer weather, maybe even hustling the shit out of your goals. This was me so many, many, many, many, many years for many, many years. And if you're feeling lingering lethargy, you might want to keep moving slowly, maybe stay kind of to yourself and want to do this or only these types of things. I can relate so deeply to this because this is me currently. Now when it comes to the characteristics of spring, we're talking about moisture both through the thawing out from winter snow and ice and also through the spring showers. And also some other characteristics that are softness, warmth, a slow ish pace, new beginnings birth renewal growth. So when I say there's not one right way to feel there really isn't. You know, if you feel uplifted or if you feel lethargic or down or low vibe or whatever you call your critic experience both makes sense. I mean it they both make sense because they're some of both Both of those characteristics present right now out in nature. And we are deeply affected by nature, whether we realize it or not. And with all of this in consideration, I've got some thoughts on how to create a bit of balance, so that you can be more at ease. And also not overdoing it too fast or for too long, if you're feeling uplifted and motivated, OR, AND, OR, and also, not under doing it, yeah, I made up a word right under doing it for too long. And this last piece is gonna be really important. You know, for any of you who are feeling just like that weight of winter, or just like a weight on you. You know, spring can get a bit heavy in the moisture area, both outside in nature, and also within us, you know, spring allergies, clothes, cold, etc. And so it's really going to be important to not, not let there be too many opportunities for an over accumulation of this heaviness to stay within you. So when it comes to balancing spring, or really any season of life, I or better has a really great teaching, which is like increases, like and opposites balance. And so what that means is, you know, we're always going to kind of tend to the things that we like, we're going to tend towards those things. And that's great, we got to honor the things that make us comfortable, make us feel good. The things aren't in alignment with, you know, the type of energy we've got, and our needs, right. And we also have to make sure we are peppering in some of opposites, some opposite energy, some opposing actions, to kind of balance the scales a little bit so that we don't over do it in one area, or one type of activity or one type of energy versus the others. So how it applies to this situation is you want to honor where you are right now. And do things that feel good and comfortable to you. And also bring in some other actions from that, you know, opposite energy. So that way, you can establish, like I said, a little bit more homeostasis. And so I've got some to actually offerings of support for you here. Now, one thing is to remember that spring is not meant to be fixed or rigid in our practices, you know, spring is changing, always one day, it's cloudy, one day, it's, you know, sunny, one day, it's cooler, one day, it's warmer, you know, kind of gives us vibes from the winter that's ending and you know, the upcoming summer that's coming, it's very much a transitional period. So we need to remain fluid and adjustable. And that just to be fluid, and adjustable is bringing in some opposing energy to the heaviness of spring that sometimes is here. So allows for some fluidity, some organic movement, based on how you're feeling or things that pop up, this is a great time to be spontaneous. And also, within this, this one offering of support has a few caveats. This time is not about getting it right, quote unquote, or doing things perfectly. At all, there is no right there's no perfect, there never is. But this is very important to remember. And so for those of you who you know, really like she does strive to, to get things right or you know, get things a certain way, this might be a little tough for you. I'm not gonna lie, and there used to be me, I want you to remember then that consistency is not synonymous with constant discipline or rigidity. So try that on for size, right? Because American culture tells us consistency means we do the same exact thing every single day or every single day that we set out to do it. But we're ever changing, even day to day, even morning tonight. So it makes sense that the things we do for ourselves will change too. And now the way that we kind of navigate being fluid being organic and our movements and the things that we do for ourselves is by using your intuition. And the spring is a beautiful time after spending some winter dormant. You know, regenerating rejuvenating, imagining, this is a beautiful time to begin to build your skill of listening to yourself of tuning into yourself. And
another piece of this is being able to discern if what you're sensing within yourself is your intuition. or your internal bullshit? Radar or fear talking? You know, because sometimes you're like, ah, you know, kind of want to do this, but I'm not sure. You know, maybe I should be doing this instead. Is it ego? Is it fear? Is it bullshit? Or is it your intuition? And I cannot tell you how many people I come across that say, I'm not really sure when my intuition is talking to me. And I get that because we live in a society that unless you were brought up with in a culture other than American culture you know, we here in America are not taught to tune into ourselves to listen to ourselves, we're really not. And so we, it's quite possible you are an adult. Without that skill being developed, like we're taught to bypass and gaslight ourselves, you know, that life is supposed to look a certain way in all these different ways, you know, in all these different areas of our life, I should say. And so here is a way for you, for you to kind of help yourself in identifying if your intuition is speaking to you, or if it's internal bullshit fear ego. Remember that your intuition doesn't guide you from a place of tightness or scarcity or shame. Your intuition does not guide from tightness scarcity or shame period. And so if those things are present, you can guarantee that is bullshit, ego fear, American culture bullshit talking. So when you decide to take action, start small. Try it out and see what happens. Eventually, over time, it'll feel more peaceful. If the practice is right for you, of course. And remember, you know, sometimes, you got to try some out and adjust it. Now, the second bit of support I have for you is morning routine. Generally in the spring, an uplifting and warming morning routine is key it jives with the brighter morning, and also couldn't balance the cool the moisture and sometimes heaviness of spring. But again, adjust adjust if you're feeling unsettled, that vata energy and change it if you are feeling really critical, heated that pit to energy, right. So here's why we focus so much on a morning routine within an Ayurvedic lens. It's because it's a really great time to set the tone for the day. It is a support for the body and mind 100% It allows for steadiness and connection from the very beginning of the day. And whatever it is that you do in your morning ritual will support you throughout your day. If you are craving more peace, more ease, even control in your day, more uplifting, more grounding, this is a key place to start. And it doesn't have to be, you know, over the top. What I love about a morning routine is that it'll connect you to practices that you can come back to later on in the day. And remember that when you start the day, by tending to yourself, you're you're more likely to come back to tending to yourself within the day. Which is really important. And the vibe that you set in your morning routine will kind of be an undercurrent throughout your day, especially when shit hits the fan. Whether that's because you're losing your shit the world is you know, either way. So before we get into, you know, some options for our morning routine, I've got some considerations for you. And you can you know, pause as you listen or come back to these at a later time. But there are about four of them. How does your morning routine typically start or how does your morning typically start right now? And there's no judgment here. There's no right answer, right? There's no best way. And I'd like you to consider where do capitalism white supremacy culture, old beliefs old habits show up in your morning routine, or your expectations of your morning routine? And these are questions I still ask myself, right. How also, here's the third one. How do you want to feel every day this month? This season? Why? How did you feel last year April in life or last month or the end of last year, what needs to shift so some options for your morning routine or some very small guidelines, begin your day by waking at or up by 6am. But at or before, this will allow you to use that, you know kind of mobile energy that happens between two and 6am. If you get up by then you'll be able to still tap into it as we head into a more common study time of day. I encourage you to change the label of your alarm to a message for yourself or an affirmation a mantra, something that connects to a meaningful intention perhaps, and maybe set the sound to a song or a sound that has you feeling at ease or loved or encouraged to get the morning started something that brings a smile to your face. And, you know, perhaps you are listening to UPLIFTING MUSIC As you start your morning or maybe it's just the quiet, maybe you live in an area that has sounds outside that you like to hear. I don't know. But something that allows you to feel just taken care of from the moment you open your eyes. Now, if 6am waking up or you know a little bit beforehand is going to be a shift for you. Start with small increments, waking up 15 minutes earlier, you know for a week or two or three and then add, you know, add on that time. It may take you a few months to really get settled in this shift long term. Now, I encourage you when you wake up, to do a quick check in to see how you're experiencing life. And consider what options will be more most supportive for your morning ritual. You might explore breathing, meditation, visualization or exercise. These are all great practices, I encourage you to do something one thing, maybe two things that connects you to yourself to your abundance. And remember that you can absolutely shift these practices based on how you're feeling when it comes to using your intuition on how to come to your morning ritual for the spring. Here are some tips. If you're feeling uplifted, and settled in that lean into that energy and vibe by doing things that continue to help you feel uplifted and settled or do things in a way that helps to promote that. But beware of going too fast or doing too many things. And that's typically where ego dominant culture. Conditioning comes in, like do more, do more, do more, you've got energy, it's sunny out, let's do more, right, because that's going to send your system into overdrive. So a steady pace with some quickness or some levity is good but not over the top still have a bit of slowness, some grounding or some pausing to. And on the flip side, if you're feeling kind of dull on a spring morning, it's okay to honor that. By moving slowly and gently. I also encourage you still to pepper in some things that are more upbeat, a bit faster in pace, or spontaneous or maybe something that gets you out of your comfort zone. Generally speaking, the morning is a really wonderful time for some movement. Now on days when you're feeling uplifted, enjoy a faster paced, more intense exercise session that's wonderful for spring. And on days when you're feeling lethargic, unmotivated, maybe move gently to start and then build up to a faster pace. And maybe include a few options that are intense or a little intense, right. You don't have to push too hard too fast, you don't have to go over the top. But remember that movement is going to be essential for creating heat, and improving circulation. These are really important for this timeframe. And over time, you can keep building on you know how fast you move, how intense you go. In the direction of feeling a lighter vibe that's going to be really important. Now, I have a whole list of more self care practices that
are wonderful in the morning in Episode 18. I didn't want to bog up this episode with all of that. So please head back to Episode 18. And it was actually aired last spring. So you can you know, absolutely seek that out there. It's a pretty comprehensive list. But I want to drive home the key one more time is to check in and see how you're feeling Saying, use your intuition to guide what you choose to do. And remember, if it's your intuition talking, there will not be any scarcity, any shame, any judgment, nothing like that. Remember, my dears, that your morning routine does not have to be the same every day. I understand that goes against the American way of consistency and discipline. Remember, you are an ever changing human whose needs and wants change. And so your self care practices must be adjustable to and spring asks us to be adjustable. Now, if the idea of flexibility excites you, but the idea of having to figure out what to do make you know, or what makes the most sense for you, if that overwhelms you, let's meet for a release the pressure call based on your needs. I'll whittle down the list of options to a few for you to explore, and then I'll offer some low stress contingency plans, you know, for when shit goes awry. Or, you know, you're like, Nah, that wasn't for me. You'll have that at your disposal to my dears, I cannot say enough about having support. Somebody to walk beside you through this bit just lightens the load and it makes it more accessible and more sustainable. You can find all the information about the release the pressure call, and sign up at stuff galatia.com/work with me, or work dash with dash b. Now, if you want to take a step further on this whole conversation, obviously beyond the release the pressure call, you might create a special area in your home for your special morning routine. You might establish an weekend routine that is not too different from your weekday morning routine. And in the event that you're feeling like your morning routine is pretty on point. I offer you the option to consider any shifts needed for your evening routine, or pausing throughout the day, which we're gonna talk more about next week that might offer deeper support for your morning routine because remember, everything's connected. Alright friends, that's all I've got for you this week. Short and sweet. Please reach out to me and let me know how this lands y'all know I love to hear from you. And thank you to those of you who do reach out. Until next time, please be kind and gentle to yourself just as you would to those who are most precious to you whether that's a human, animal, baby or plant. Please if you're willing leave a review leave a rating share the show with your nearest and dearest. And remember my dears you are a badass and you are enough. Now go be your favorite self and be well. Human being is a production of Steff Gallante self care LLC. The show is produced by me, Steff Gallante. You can find blog posts of some of the episodes on the episode page at Steff gallante.com/podcast along with the transcript of today's episode and any other resources I shared today. If you're ready to create more aligned practices for yourself, head to Steff gallante.com To learn more about creating a personalized self care plan within the holistic self care collective and coaching with me, you are a badass and you are enough. See you next time be well
