What I Learned About Gentleness In August

During my meditation today, the instruction was to silently repeat:

My body always knows, and I am ready to listen.

I nearly missed the words as they were spoken. Yet, there was something within them that caused me to take notice. My body always knows. Is that so? And if it does, have I really been listening?

Perhaps I’ve just been pushing forward, assuming my body could handle the strain.

What I’ve Been Carrying

When I stopped to notice, I realised my body had been telling me quite a lot. I wrote about this last month.

It’s that feeling of being too tired from holding on for too long. I haven’t been sleeping well or making the right choices about food and exercise. Stress can sneak up on you. At times, it rests within the body, patiently waiting for us to perceive it. I think my body knew before I did.

What I Learned About Gentleness In August

I’ve selected Rooted as my word for this year. And now, in August, as I’ve been exploring what it means to be Gentle, I’m realising that gentleness is part of being rooted. Not pushing, but pausing, listening, reaffirming myself, setting boundaries, , resting, staying. (read more on this post on Substack – This, Here)

I was on vacation at the start of the month. There was more time. More quiet. More Nature. I noticed how different it felt to wake up without immediately thinking about everything that needs to be done. To sit outside and shoot the air! To walk without needing to get somewhere. To hear birds, notice trees, feel the breeze and simply be there.

I’m trying to use that now that I’m back home and to my routine. Ordinary life will still be ordinary life. There is work, responsibilities, decisions, noise and days when I feel stretched again. But I’m trying to give myself permission to pause. To rest.

I used to think being rooted was all about being strong – keep going, be resilient, get back up. But I am beginning to realise that it is another kind of strength. The strength to stop, say no, ask for help, rest without earning it, and forgive myself for being human! 😉 Read more about my resolve in my post Drink Water, Mind Your Business.

Being rooted doesn’t mean standing still forever. Sometimes it means being rooted enough to rest. Being rooted may look like a quiet morning, a slower walk, a page of honest writing, a boundary, or simply a decision not to be harsh with myself.

4 Words To End August

(You might like to read my post to end July – which I posted late – to see my Four Words To End July).

What I want to carry forward

As August comes to an end, I want to remember what gentleness has taught me.

To soften without losing my strength, to rest without guilt, to notice without immediately trying to fix, and to trust that slowing down isn’t falling behind.

I don’t have to fight my way into becoming the person I want to be.

Gentleness doesn’t ask me to reinvent my life. It asks me to pay attention to the life I already have.

As I move toward September, I want to leave a little more room in my days – to notice, breathe, wonder, write, and simply be.

What has August taught you?