On the subtle dance between hustle and grace..
Hello friend,
I hope this finds you well in your mind, body and soul. I am sitting with a cup of coffee after creating two playlists for my return to the bike tomorrow; a 7am vibey one and then a 10am Fred Again Vs Stormzy one, which flowed surprisingly well together.
I have had a few days off and I learnt a big lesson on rest. If you have been keeping up with me, you will know recently I have been firmly on the struggle bus with my energy and anxiety, so it was a absolute gift to realise I had a couple of days PTO I needed to use, and so booked off two days to do absolutely nothing.
I don’t think I am alone, to find it hard to fully relax and will quite often feel like I need to fill up my time off with my never ending to-do list but I made the call to really just set the to-do list down, and go with the flow this week. The to-do list will always be there and will always be growing, but if you don’t take care of yourself, then you will never win.
The most impactful thing I have done for myself this week is cancelling all my alarms, and letting my body wake naturally and there was a lesson there. Monday, I slept until 12:30pm.. I felt so guilty, “what a waste of half a day!” Tuesday, I slept until 11am.. Much less guilt, “hmmm I think my body is telling me something”.. and this morning, I slept until 9am and I feeling f**king wonderful. My body is no longer aching, the tension in my neck? Gone. Sore throat? Gone. Sniffly nose? Mostly gone.
I have two days off a week; Saturdays and Wednesdays, and I usually set an alarm, so that I can get things done but I think moving forward, there has to be, at least a day where I switch it off and let my body dictate.
I often speak about rest being one of the most productive things you can do, and I practice that to an extent but I think we need to practice DEEP REST and really listening to our bodies needs. As humans, in a capitalist culture, our self worth is so deeply rooted in our productivity and we have to question, who is benefitting from that? Because last time I checked, I work my f**king ass off, yet I am reliant on my overdraft to feed my family.. The math ain’t mathing.
So rest, deeply rest. Close the to-do list in your notes app, switch off your alarm, do what you feel called to do some days, cook yourself good food, listen to music and soulful podcasts, gossip with your friends.. the work will always be there.. the hustle will always be there..
And listen, don’t get it twisted, when it is time to put in work, we can do that but let me tell you, your work is going to be exponentially better if you are nourished, rested and looked after.
There is something so powerful in finding a balance in the push forward and pull back; in understanding when it is appropriate to be gently pushing forward and knowing when to pull back. In recognising the difference between pushing and forcing. (Fact: I have been forcing myself forward for the last 2 months and I suffered so much for it.)
Practice: Sit still for a few minutes today and take notice of what comes up in your mind and body. Where does your mind go? Are you able to achieve stillness in it? If not, that may be a sign that you are going too hard in Hustle Mode. How does your body feel in stillness? Does it feel soft and calm or is there tension somewhere? Take note of the tension, it needs your attention!
We are 2 weeks out from Christmas and this time can be so hard, for so many of us, for so many reasons. Be kind to yourself. You do not have to say yes to all the things. Rest, recharge.. the world will keep going regardless!
Big Love,
M xoxo
Want to move with me?
Thursday 12th, 7am at Notting Hill
My early morning classes on Tuesday and Thursday are always a fiery start to the day, before the world has any influence. Tip yourself out of bed, don’t look at your phone, and come & connect to yourself before anybody/ thing else. Likely to have some vibey, deep beats to move to!Thursday 12th, 10am at Soho (Theme: Fred Again.. vs Stormzy)
Friday 13th, 9:30am at Notting Hill (Theme: Cleo Sol vs Little Simz vs Stormzy)
Friday 13th, 6:30pm at Notting Hill (Theme: Hip Hop Fri-Yay)
Sunday 15th, 11:45am at Soho (Sunday Sanctuary.. my signature class)
This is my baby. High energy, with a big emphasis on grounding the mind, body and soul. A big inhale/ exhale and reset.Monday 16th, 9:30am at Notting Hill (Theme: Fred Again.. Vs The Blessed Madonna)
Tuesday 17th, 7am at Notting Hill
Tuesday 17th, 10am at Soho (Theme: Fred Again.. Vs Rufus Du Sol)
Have a beautiful week.. if you enjoyed this newsletter, you would be doing me a solid by popping it on your stories, saying why it resonated and telling your friends to join us!
Big Love,
Melissa xoxo