A few years ago, I stumbled upon my elementary school report card. Reading it was both endearing and telling. It’s one of those times when you see a picture or flashback to a memory from childhood that feels vulnerable. You want a time machine just to go back to hug your younger self.

Sometimes, we need to celebrate our own victories. Success deserves to be named and claimed. Those little high-fives boost our self-confidence and motivation, igniting our determination to stretch further and inspire those around us. It may seem counter-intuitive, but it is what we need to do most when life weighs us down.

For many years, my least favorite practice was alternative nostril breath. Anytime a teacher suggested it, I internally groaned. I found it awkward, fussy and hard to coordinate. It felt like work. Inevitably, my arm and shoulder would get tired and tight. Meanwhile my brain chanting. “Am I doing this right, am I doing this right?” Where was the relaxation I was promised?

Nature is a mentor for transformation. We watch as everything innately prepares for winter. In an unfiltered reality of seasons and life, the landscape reflects change. Surroundings are shifting. The trees shed their leaves, squirrels scurry for acorns and deer begin to roam.  In an energy of collecting and consolidating, we too are called to let go.