5 Ways to Reconnect With Your Inner World

Here’s a truth all of us summer lovers hate to admit: we’ve reached a turning point in our beloved season. The solstice has passed, and although summer is at its peak, we’re beginning to lose one very precious commodity: daylight. August 1st marks the cross-quarter day—the halfway point between the summer solstice and fall equinox known as Lammas.

Lammas, traditionally a time to honor the first harvest of wheat, signifies a time to bless our metaphorical and literal crops. Even though this is a time of crazy awesome abundance, it’s also a season of waning, too. As life thrusts itself forward, nature’s growth cycle at its zenith begins to decline. In eight weeks we’ll celebrate the Autumnal Equinox, entering into longer nights and the season of harvest.

Did that just give you a little twinge of sadness? Me, too.

It makes total sense. Life has literally been bursting all around us since April, from the trees and flowers to the birds and bees, completely pulling our attention outward. We uncurled ourselves from the hibernation of winter to feel the sun again. We stretched our legs and stepped outside. We got intoxicated by nature. We got bit by the travel bug. And maybe we fell in love.

Just as we cozy up to this new state of being, it’s time for change yet again. And it’s natural to feel some resistance. In my younger years, that opposition has meant heading face first into a pile of “end of summer blues” for me. Every single year it would hit me just as the seasonal transition started.

But what I’ve learned through years of personal development and practice is that this sadness usually comes because we haven’t been tending to our inner world. Perhaps we’ve let our self-care practices fall to the wayside. Meditation went out the window in May. Solo activities went out the window in June. And nourishing the body with high vibe foods went out the window last weekend.

We’re at a point where all the fun in our outer experience has significantly pulled our attention from our connection to self and our divine feminine energy—the part of us that’s grounded, nurturing, and can find appreciation and joy in the flow of earth’s cycles.

With the season beginning to shift, this is the perfect time to repair that connection. To come back home to ourselves, and build self-care back into our routines.

Something I love doing to reconnect with myself is to spend time alone in nature. Whether that’s taking a long dip in the lake near my house upstate (I have yet to skinny dip, but maybe, just maybe…) or an easy hike through the woods, it’s in those moments that I’m able to access a deep peace and joy.

Music, especially live at a concert, is also a fantastic access point for me. I’m able to fully let go, feel into the sound, and tune into my intuition every single time. (Just between you and me, I love to twirl like a hippy. Shhh, don’t tell anyone.)

If you’re feeling called to go inward for a bit of re-grounding and reconnection, here are a few ways to get there.

1. Move your body.

Is there a form of exercise or physical activity that always clears your mind? Do that. Whether it’s swimming in the ocean, taking a long walk on the beach at sunset, running through the woods, or dancing to your favorite female vocalist (like Kate Bush’s Woman’s Work), pick one and fully immerse yourself in the experience. Feel the cold water on your skin, flowing with you as you glide along the surface. Feel the sand under your feet and the strength of your legs moving you forward. Feel your hips sway and become one with the music.

2. Be still.

Set an alarm on your phone for 15 minutes, pick a cozy spot, and just sit silently. You can keep your eyes open, or close them and just notice your experience. Witness the thoughts that are popping into your head and feel the sensations in your body. Breathe into tension and release it on each exhale. Just be with yourself and ask what you need. Listen gently for the answer, which could simply be “a hug,” “to sweat,” “more sleep,” or “a big glass of water.” Give yourself whatever comes up.

3. Surrender to change.

Through all of this introspection, there is no doubt that a desire for an endless summer will arise. Feel into that and do two things. First, write down everything you are grateful for about the past couple of months, while also intending to soak every ounce of juice out of the next six weeks. And second, cultivate some excitement for a fresh start come September. What project or practice would light you up?

4. Gather your girlfriends.

There’s nothing better than heart-centered time with other conscious women. Why not get together and express how you’re all feeling in this moment and set intentions for what you’d like to accomplish before September. Hint: There’s a New Moon coming up on August 2nd—an excellent time to gather your crew for some conscious conversation.

5. Bless your abundance.

In the spirit of Lammas, a time when farmers would take their first crop of wheat to church to be blessed, this is a time to gather your crops and bless them, affirming their abundance and ability to sustain you. Whether that’s love, finances, creativity, or playfulness, name what you are harvesting! And by all means, say a prayer for your continued growth!

Although the end of summer is inevitable, right now it’s in full roar (hello, Leo), and now is the perfect point of the season to reconnect with ourselves and create new intentions for the remaining weeks. We’ll enter into this transitional phase feeling much more empowered, prepared, and in sync with life’s cycles.