Episode 40

Steff Gallante33min

Steff Gallante

00:00

Hey there, I'm so glad you're here. Whether this is your first episode with me, or you've been here for a while, I'm really glad as always to be connecting with you somewhere in the ether. I know that, at this point, when this episode airs, we're already a month into the fall season. So you might be like, seriously stuff talking to me about soothing the fall season? well beyond that need.

Unknown Speaker

00:31

I know, I know, I know.

Steff Gallante

00:33

But you know what this information is never old or too late, there is always time for soothing, no matter how far you are in the other direction. I'm hoping that by this point, if you were experiencing in your personal life, big changes, you know, from the, you know, start or middle of August, or maybe into the start of September, whether that was to your schedule, or to your responsibilities, or, you know, maybe not yours, but somebody who lives in your house or is in your close circle, I'm hoping that if there were any big changes, that that all has settled, or at least begun to settle down, or you've kind of found your way, through the newness of it. Maybe some other stuff have come up in your personal life, you know, obviously, there continues to be so much that is happening outside of our communities, outside of our own countries, and around the world. Remembering that wherever it is that you find yourself whatever challenge it is that you find yourself in if there is one. A reminder that's really important that I find that I don't remind myself up often enough is that it's not permanent, it will shift. And the biggest reminder that I try to give myself is that the bigger the energy is in nature, or the bigger, the changes you're facing, or the bigger the energy is that you are feeling, especially if it comes to feeling imbalanced, not balanced, right? Then the smaller and more defined your practices, your self care practices need to be your mental hygiene practices, right, all of the things you might say it needs to be more efficient, maybe, but really just simplified. So I want to jump right into a conversation about fall because while you may not feel this way, fall is nature's natural downshift. And I think that the reason it doesn't feel this way is because of the way we live our lives in Western culture. As always, I can only speak to American culture because I've only ever lived in the United States. I am always interested those of you who live outside of the United States or have spent significant time outside of the United States. What this is like in other areas of the world. But I think part of the reason why we struggle, not only is it not all of us struggle, right, but those of us who do struggle this time of year, it's because society is still going like breakneck speed. Right, like so fast, because there's this feeling of we got to get everything done before the last two weeks of December when it's culturally American culture. And that is acceptable to slow down if you have the privilege to do so. Right. So it's like we've got to meet or make up the money we didn't make earlier or we've got to make sure that we've got everything T's. I always get this wrong. Eyes dotted T's crossed, I wasn't the other way around. Right. Like, there is just all this and I know for me, like in my family, my family is busy right now. It's so much. And so when I often chuckle honestly, because it's like nature's natural downshift, but life and society are not mirroring that or not in the same way. Right. And also fall, I'll talk more about false energy, but it's also a big transitional period, right? Like I just said, I mean, we have big summer energy, vibe, vibrant summer. And then we're heading into the exact opposite in winter in you know, most places of the Northern Hemisphere anyway. And that's very dark and dull compared to the vibrancy of summer. And so there's also this feeling of wanting to hold on to whatever light and brightness we can, especially for people who really struggle in the winter and when I say that there's no shame ate, right. But for some people winter is a really hard time for many reasons. And so if you're feeling unsettled, I will just want to normalize that for you, whether it is normal for you to feel, you know, unsettled at this time. Please do not discount all of the factors, please do not discount the weight of all the factors, please do not discount. The things that you feel should not be bothering you or the things that you feel you should be doing better, please, please be kind and gentle to yourself. And I'm hoping that maybe you can just take a few exhales right now, if you're kind of feeling a certain way. You know, if you've been having a particularly tough time or off time, please go ahead and take a few moments and do that for yourself. Because it's really important. And know that anytime I offer you. And offering are a reminder, it's as it's as much of a reminder for me as well. But anyway, or continuing on. You know, now we are a month into fall, we've shifted from that pit to energy, you know, that bright hots sharp intensity, to the dominance of the air and ether elements that brings us VITAS, cool energy, light and dry energy, there's a roughness, sometimes a hardness, there's a mobility, and also quite unpredictable qualities in the fall as well. Now I always say with every single season, that the conversation around characteristics of the seasons really has shifted. In the last 510 years, as we have seen, the effects of climate change more and more, and what used to be standard characteristics of seasons geographically, it's shifted, it really has New Jersey here, where I live has always been kind of variable, in terms of like for the fall season, especially at the beginning of fall, we may still have, you know, some hot days with cooler mornings and cooler evenings. But generally by this time of year, when we're at the end of October, it's usually cool. But what we're seeing in the last five years or so, maybe even the 10 last 10 years, we could have 80 degrees on Halloween on, you know, October 31. And that's not really normal for New Jersey. Growing up, we rarely have that. But we're seeing a shift. And as a matter of fact, as I'm recording this, this week, we're heading into the mid 70s. And going to be in the 80s on the weekend like that, that's just, you know, typically doesn't happen. And so I do want to name that, that, you know, climate change really is kind of making things not so clear. But there are pieces where, you know, we can still kind of see those general characteristics as they used to be, you might be noticing that where you are, there is a feeling of transformation, maybe a feeling of expansion or a moon mobility. That has continued on from summer because vata energy was the subtle energy of summertime. And now at this point, you may be living in a place where

Steff Gallante

08:16

the leaves have begun to change color or the temperature is cooling even more, maybe the sunlight is waning, and perhaps there is a breeze or like a light wind blowing. So your tendency might be to reach for warmer drinks, maybe wearing sweaters or cozying up to underneath the blankets, even eating like heavier, richer foods, which are all actions that balance the qualities of vata energy, you may also have a need to be productive, which is also a characteristic of vata energy. And also, it is a natural progression, after all the work you've done, and the seeds You've nurtured in that first half of the year. Right. And so this is kind of our final harvest. Before the dormancy of the winter, you also might be feeling more creative or more mobile in your thoughts or the ways that you go about things maybe less regimented, which is also a characteristic of vata energy. Now, these things that I need, I mean, they're kind of general right, and they may be showing up within you some versus others may not, you know, other qualities that I need may not be showing up for you. Also, they can show up in different kinds of variations or different intensities. Like for me, it might be creativity, but for somebody else, it may be this characteristic or that characteristic, it really just depends on your dosha dominance, you know, like how, how saturated vata energy is within you or not, right, but a quick note and I'm gonna get more into energy today. A quick note though, I want to make sure I say this from the very beginning, that vata energy, right, we've talked about this as well. governed by the air and ether elements in excess vata energy can cause constipation, joint pain, dry skin, dry sinuses, coughs, colds, sleep loss, and anxiety, especially within those who are naturally vata and Pitta dominant orcs, anyone who's experiencing excess of either energy currently. And so as a result of that, generally speaking, calming the nervous system from the inside out, and rest are going to be major players for the fall for your well being. As you navigate your busy schedule, as you tackle your never ending To Do List of you as you tackle possibly being nearing burnout, maybe it's over, it's emotional overwhelm mental overwhelm, I mean, the list goes on. And again, I'm not saying this flippantly at all, please know everything I name is with deep reverence. And so I have to ask you a question. And I asked you this, for those of you who've been around for a while I asked you this every single season. How do you want to experience this season? Yes, I know, we're already a month in but shit, you still get to decide. And you may take some time, if you haven't done this already to, you know, consider how do you typically experience fall? And is there a pattern? And is there a pattern that you might want to break? You know, you might consider what energy do you want to take advantage of? And where do you need to make shifts for better balance? And where do you need support? And I recognize I'm rattling off these questions, but they're big questions that may require some time to consider. So take that time. Right? It's okay, if you are continuing to consider these questions even as fall continues on. It's okay, November is next week when this this airs, that's okay, keep thinking about it. It's never too late. And so here are some general guidelines general information about fall. When it comes to balancing fall, being at ease at in the fall being soothed and stable in the fall. We want to do a few main things. You want to remain nourished and resourced deeply, mentally, emotionally, physically and energetically. You want to remain warm, moist, I like to say that word as often as possible, because I know it makes some people cringe.

Speaker 1

12:39

It just makes me laugh because it doesn't bother me. Also oily from the inside out.

Steff Gallante

12:44

You want to stay grounded, especially in your wisdom. Hear me say that, again, stay grounded, especially in your wisdom, calm your nervous system and prioritize rest and also slowing your roll into dominant friends, you know, my go getters, I'm looking at you and prioritizing routine, specifically morning rituals with an awareness throughout the day. And engaging in loving relationships, especially with your self. The keys to remember for fall are to have a mindful awareness of early signs of imbalance. And the reason is vata energy is so fickle. And imbalance can happen very quickly. And remember I said some of the signs right the symptoms constipation, joint pain, dry skin, sinuses, coughs, colds, sleep loss, anxiety. Maybe just a general feeling of unsettled Ness, right. Also, beware of doing too much water dominant folks pushing too hard. Pick the dominant folks or coffee dominant folks avoid, you know, overdoing the moisture because then you can become lethargic. And most importantly, or I shouldn't say most importantly, because they're all important, but something of else of consideration is to honor the type of energy that's present within you and adjust the practices accordingly. Right, because I'm talking about things in in general terms, because it's a vata dominant season. So it's important to understand, you know, the characteristics of the season and how they might land in you, but you are you right? And how you're experiencing life may be different from me or anybody else. And so, you've got to pay attention to you not just take the blanket statements and say, Oh, Steff said, This is what we need to be doing. No, no. Pay attention to you what's present for you. Some people who normally do not feel very lethargic or feeling very heavy these days, emotionally and mentally. And so they're having to switch their practices up because, excuse me, they're just not feeling like they normally do. And for some people, it's like, you know, the people are really just experiencing things in a new way at this point and We're seeing I'm seeing the need for people to really begin to shift and learn and unlearn and relearn new ways forward. So when it comes to AI or Veta self care, I offer seven guiding principles that we examine we journey through each season, because our practices change each season based on how the energy of nature, you know, comes at us. And so we're going to break down each of these over the next few weeks or so. And the first one we're going to talk about today is called Living in tune with nature. And we do this in four ways. Considering yourself your nature, as in, like who you are, how you are the energy that fuels all this, and how you experience the nature of season number two, honoring the natural rhythms of the day. Third, a well timed schedule with intentional actions to create harmony. And fourth, feeding your senses with different experiences of sights, sounds, tastes, feel, smells, etc. So when it comes to the first one, considering you and your nature and how you experience nature season, I've talked about this quite a bit a little bit, right? Quite a bit a little bit that made no sense. I've talked about this quite a bit already. And so if you don't know, your dosha dominance, of course, there are quizzes that you could do online, but I find that they're not quite as accurate, as you know, working with someone who can help you uncover this, and so happy to work with you to do that. But also just having a general sense of, you know, what's my energy typically, like, you know, am I am I naturally creative, and, you know, flexible in terms of my thinking, Am I also though, you know, easily unsettled, you know, that's more so vata energy, pitta, energy shows up in us, personality wise as like the go getters. The people who are highly motivated, but also maybe highly critical, easy to anger. And then Kapha dominance, in our personalities shows up a lot of times, but not always as calm and steady, loyal, but also, you know, resistant to change, sometimes maybe easily lethargic, or saddened, or depressed, even. So, it's important to understand what energy is natural within you in terms of dominance, but then also consider what is your state of balance or imbalance, because sometimes we are living in balance within our energy that is natural, and sometimes we're not. Right, I was talking before about how some people who don't normally feel very heavy emotionally and mentally, are doing so now based on whatever's going on in their lives, or how they're affected by current events. Right. And so they're having to meet themselves where they are with that with practices that maybe they never had to do before, or variations of practices they never had to do before. You also want to consider how do you normally experience fall? And like I asked you before, like what do you want to shift. And so for anybody who is feeling unsettled, feeling like there's quite an excess or a heightened amount of vata energy or maybe that's your dosha dominant so you're easily aggravated this season, you're going to focus on grounding on routine and stability. Those of you who are pitted dominant or feeling that big time, Pitta energy powered by you know, fire and water, you're going to want to really focus on continuing to clear out the accumulated heat from the summertime. You can do this through many practices continue with the practices that brought you self awareness from the summertime. Eating some pumpkin actually is a really wonderful heat dissipator this time of year. And also you will benefit from the same practices as those who are feeling high vata energy, which is focusing on grounding, routine and stability. And then for Kapha dominant folks are people who are feeling that, you know, lethargy or heaviness you know, or maybe even you're just feeling steady right now, embrace the light, the dry the mobile and subtle qualities of vata, because this is this is the time to really lean into that, but also be very careful that you're not aggravating the Kapha energy by overdoing moist heavy oily qualities. When it comes to honoring the natural rhythms of the day, I or Venus energy right the three doshas the three energies, they cycle in dominance throughout the day around us, and they we I are ready to offer this to us in intervals of time Time. And so from six to 10am, that's when kafa energy is dominant. And so this is a great time to utilize that energy to work on projects of that require endurance of the mind, if you have the ability to create your own schedule or adjust your schedule, this is a wonderful time to do the projects that really require stability and sturdiness of your mind. Your greatest productivity is going to be between 10am and 2pm. Because that's Pitta time, right? So that's when we get all the shit done. People go out on their lunch breaks, or you know, whether they're actually leaving their house or leaving their office or you know, there's just a lot that tends to get done between that time. Also, lunch happens during that time. creative projects and tackling prog problems are going to be well suited for two to 6pm, because that's when Bata energy is dominant. And then we cycle back in six to 10pm is kafa energy again, which is why it's a wonderful time to begin or evening wind down to honor that kafa energy from 10pm to 2am, brings us back into Pitta energy. This is why sleep is so important during this time period, so that we can use that pit to energy for digestion of the day of our experiences, and to promote regeneration of all the cells and tissues.

Steff Gallante

21:23

And then we cycled back into vata energy, again, from 2am, to 6am. Sleeping still, but starting to become aware usually of what's going on around us, we might wait with the sun or by 6am and get our morning routine started. So that's how we honor the natural rhythms of the day. And the reality is friends, you're not always gonna be able to do that, you know, life is life egg shifts going on in real time. And so, you know, this is a great guide. But the reality is, you may have to be flexible, remember, nothing's rigid AI or better offers us a foundation, a framework in order for something to be a framework or a foundation, it kind of does have to be steady and sturdy, right? But we get to be flexible from there. So remember, flexibility is key. When it comes to a well time schedule, you know, again, framework framework Foundation, right, but we are choosing intentional actions to create harmony, and that is always number one. So I read a offers Dena Acharya, which are daily practices, that allow us to intentionally connect with ourselves, intentionally nourish ourselves. And focusing on this throughout the day is going to be really important. Now traditionally, with an iron betta, the bulk of the DT, Acharya practices are going to be in the morning, but especially within American culture. For a lot of us, the morning feels like a very pressure, you know, cooker kind of time. And so that's why first of all, you know, if you can get up with the sun, if you can get up by 6am, and maybe have some space and time for yourself, that's going to be ideal. Yes, of course, you can get up earlier. Some of you might have to base on your responsibilities, right? A grounding morning routine is especially nourishing in the fall. And I also want to encourage you to you know, not overload your morning, maybe have anywhere from two to five practices that you do. And that could include your oral hygiene, right tongue scraping, brushing your teeth. For instance, for me, always, my morning routine is getting up tongue scraping, brushing my teeth, going to the bathroom, and breathing at some point, whether I do that first, or I do it after. And then I'll typically just spend time quietly, whether that is moving my body, I'm not a big journaler. But I am a big thinker. And so I'll think of things I might read in the morning, right? Those are the things I will always do. Sometimes if I'm feeling motivated by work vata, dominant, I'll get up and I'll work depending on what I have coming on during my day. But then just so you know, when you hear me say, I might work in the early hours of the morning, that also means that then I rest later, that doesn't mean I continue on and just get more work done. Unless I have to, unless I'm on a deadline, but typically, no, I try to make sure I'm not overworking myself. So make sure you know you're spreading out your self care practices throughout the day. I can help you with this if you've got any questions, but having a stable and grounding morning routine is going to be really, really important so that you can lean on that stability throughout the day. If you notice, as the weeks go on, that you're wanting to shift your eating practices, please no you can. But also I encourage you to make very small shifts. They're not a big overhaul unless there's a medical or health concern involved. And the reason is that remember that eating is such an emotional process, there's so much tied to eating, and the process of it and the relationship that we have with eating can often be very complicated. And so I encourage you first to get a really good foundation of self care practices, so that everything doesn't feel like upheaval. Okay? Now the last thing is feeding your senses with different experiences, sights, sounds, tastes, feels and smells, right engaging with life in so many different ways all to uplift you, to nourish you to ground you to create space. So this might be through food, this might be through different experiences, this might be through music, this might be through hugs, or, or wearing different types of, of, of clothing, like fabric, this might be through petting your animals more, I don't know, like, right, it could be all kinds of things, it could be changing up the scent that you wear, or the soap you use, or candles that you burn, I don't know, it could be all kinds of things. Because the thing of it is friends, we need joy, we need to access joy, we need to enjoy ourselves. And when your to do list is a mile long, when you're feeling like you need to achieve or you're feeling like holy shit, the world is literally on fire and rapidly, just completely going bananas. Right? You have got to access ease, you have got to access joy, you have got to center your well being so that you are not causing harm outside, you are not walking around dysregulated that you can add to the conversations that need to be happened for happening. And the actions that need to be taken for justice in a long term sustainable way. So remember, when you're depriving yourself of the nurturing you need, or when you give yourself too much of one thing and imbalance occurs? We've got to talk about opposites balance, right? That's what we've been talking about all day, or all episode, right? Because we don't want you to manifest on E stress indices, we want ease, and whatever else you need more of. So I'm wondering, what are your thoughts with this kind of how, you know, wondering how this is this landing for you. If you're feeling like holy shit, stuff, like I really could benefit from all that that you said. Please, you don't don't feel any certain way about that. That's how that's what always happens. So remember that it's not about quantity, it's about quality. So feel free to just let the tendency to want to do all the things just let it go. You know, that's conditioning from dominant culture. And come back to the original question of like, how do you want to feel this fall? And also consider what's one small practice that will support you? Yes, of course, you might have uncovered 10 practices you want to do. But let's start with one and one very small one. So here's the proc pack lit up process that I use when I'm working with clients, I offer them these prompts. And then we go through them together to refine and clarify whatever they came up with on their own, if needed. So the first thing to do is consider the type of energy that's present for you. Right, vata, pitta, kapha, are you feeling? And also, are you feeling balanced and resourced or not? Right? Consider the amount of time you can spare to do your self care practices, that's your bandwidth. And also consider your capacity, what you're capable of doing with the time and energy you have, because here's the reality, if you are feeling imbalanced and under resourced, and you also have very little time, then the reality is you may not be able to do this thing in a big bang kind of way, every day or three days a week. That's the reality, that might be the ideal. That might be what you want to build up to, but it just may not happen right now. And the reality is, you're not lesser because of that. That's just the fucking reality. So meet yourself where they are with compassion. And so what I'd like you to do is take that stat action that you want to do that self care practice, and consider it in three different ways. Consider it in three different actions, so that you have flexibility. And we do this in the high bandwidth capacity step, meaning you've got all the time you've got all the energy, you're feeling balanced. Here's how you're going to do it. Medium bandwidth and capacity, you're kind of like so. So resource so so amount of of time. And then low bandwidth and capacity. You've got very little time, very low energy, maybe feel like possibly imbalanced, not balanced. You might also say well, staff what if the practice needs to change but whether you know, based on if I'm feeling anxious or a Green or lethargic? Yes, consider that as well. If I am feeling anxious, I'm going to do it this way. If I am feeling, you know, angry, critical, I'm going to do it this way. If I am feeling unmotivated, or just like, Well, I'm gonna do it this way, right? Yes, consider that. Friend above all else, remember that slowing down to consider this slowing down to attend to yourself in small ways that directly align with support that you need for the season, it is going to create the space for what it is that you want to be present, maybe not the entire way you want it but at least a step in that direction, right? For being able to breathe for B for being able to just be for having clarity for problem solving for creativity for you know, allowing yourself to take advantage of in a good way like enjoy the, all the fruits that vata energy has to give us with having a resource workflow all without, you know, having severe symptoms of sickness or dis ease or anxiety or burnout.

Steff Gallante

31:14

Right all as you just tackle whatever it is, you've got to tackle and show up all the ways that you need to. So my friend, I've got some openings on my calendar, if you're feeling like you want to talk through some of you know this exploration of your self care practices for the season. In real time, we can do it, we can schedule a release the pressure, call on Zoom, will discuss how you're experiencing life, how you want to feel as you move through life. And, you know, throughout the call, I'll offer some clarity and we'll end with some customized support with a few simple shifts that you can begin exploring to release the pressure based on your available time and energy. And remember, the way that I work, there's no rigidity, there's no shows there's no judgement, it's all about flexibility and consideration, right even if you need more consistency, we're still going to talk about flexibility within it. So head to Steff gallante.com/call For pricing and the link to book. I've also included the link in the show notes. Remember my friend, you do not have to figure all this out on your own no matter what the fuck dominant culture says. As always, before we leave one another, I'll offer you some wrap up considerations. How can you use these teachings are what comes up for you during this episode to human more easily. And also to support and uplift those in your community, especially those who are different from or hold identities more marginalized than your own? How can you use these teachings what's coming up for you to connect more authentically and deeply to your community to begin to move toward mass mutual reliance and away from Western cultures individualism, society. Lots of big considerations always. Until next time, my friend please be kind and gentle to yourself just as you would to those who are most precious to you. Whether that is a human and animal baby or a plant. I'd love Love, love, love, love to hear from you. Any thoughts about anything I've discussed today? Questions, arguments, anything I love to hear from you. And so please reach out DM me, email me whatever it is to share and also a humble request. If you've been loving the show, please share it with your nearest and dearest please share it on social media. Please tell everybody about it. And leave a review and a rating. My friend remember you are a badass and you are enough now go be your favorite self and be well

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