Ch- ch -ch- Changes
Back to school always signals a CHANGE of life for me. I tend to take most of the summer off and rest and recharge. I play, I travel, I sleep in, I work on my coaching content and see a few clients however most of my summer is unstructured FREEDOM.
Then I am reminded of the song by David Bowie: Changes:
“Ch- ch c-Changes - Turn and face the strange.”
Then Labour Day weekend hits and I know what’s around the corner. CHANGE.
And every year I have to remind myself that CHANGE is ok. In fact, CHANGE is part of life. And it is not change that causes us suffering, it is our resistance to CHANGE.
Some of you know that, for 32 years, I worked in the school system as an SLP… so Change in Sept. is in my bones. Covid changed my “back to school experience” and I have not had a typical back to school since 2019. After Covid, I moved from Ontario, retired from the school board and thought my life was taking a different direction focused on coaching, mentoring, consulting, writing and speaking then….
I was practicing yoga and people that I didn’t even know would come up to me and say:
“I hear you are a Speech-Language Pathologist.”
My reply was always the same
“I no longer practice, am not registered to practice and not planning on
returning to that work.”
However, anytime the Universe sends me repeated messages through beautiful humans, I listen with curiosity.
After 4 requests to resume work here in my local community for a profession that I was told was “deeply needed”, I listened and trusted.
In April I transferred my registration to practice from Ontario to BC, launched a private practice (www.seatoskyslp.com) and within 2 days was contacted my the local school board asking if I would consider working for them in the fall. We met, we arranged terms that allowed me to feel relaxed while continuing to offer the various services that come through my business and I said YES (because I always say yes if it is not a clear no and if my Nervous System is relaxed in the YES).
So… with tons of excitement,
I am heading BACK TO SCHOOL on Tuesday.
I will work part time, serving 2 (not 120 like my previous role in Ontario) local schools (I can walk to both) and mentoring some lovely humans along the way. I feel so much gratitude to be immersed in this magical community that has received me as a friend, neighbour, yoga teacher, author, speaker, coach/mentor/consultant and now, SLP.
I am embracing this change. I look forward to meeting incredible people and making a difference in the lives of those I serve. In addition, my SLP private practice is growing and I continue to coach/mentor some (already) conscious women who are ready to elevate their lives to bring loving consciousness in all of their relationships while healing the wounds that have prevented them from fully opening up to life.
Last week I had the privilege of offering a half day retreat for teachers at Whistler Secondary School (the most beautiful school I have yet to enter, see photo above). We pulsed through theory, science and relational practices to prepare the body, nervous system, mind and heart for the upcoming changes. It was a pleasure serving them and creating collaborative, deep connections among the staff while touching the parts in them that long to awaken to their life and light. THEY are the CHANGEMAKERS.
I look forward to continuing to serve schools and organizations with Conscious Communication Leadership Consulting, launching an in person and local Yoga Teacher Training this fall AND hosting a Yoga/Ayurveda retreat at a beautiful off grid facility at GAMBIER ISLAND, BC in October (all details are on my website).
Life is interesting. I moved from Ontario with few plans for my career. My intention was to do radical self nurture and healing and allow life’s plans to unfold with curiosity and an open mind and heart. That resulted in changes that I could not have anticipated and a fullness to life rooted in change that is abundant, fulfilling and filled with gratitude.
Change is here. Change is now. Our work is to allow ourselves to flow with the current of change and notice where we may be resisting often demonstrated through clenching in our mind, breath and fists. The work is to notice and then open our palms to receive with Grace and trust everything is happening for the evolution of our soul and with divine timing and perfection.
As you navigate whatever change is coming your way, I welcome you to ask yourself:
Where am I resisting change?
Where can I trust change?
and then….
Breathe and Everything Changes (Chapter title of my book)…. EVERYTHING…
your physiology (down to the last trillion of cells), your organs, your perspective, your heart, your connections….
There is a wisdom to life ready to pulse through you when you allow it…can you allow it?
As change is happening (and you cannot stop it), take care of YOU. Remember that you have to fill your cup up first… and fill it to overflow so that you can give from the overflow and keep the full cup for yourself.
Here are some self regulation tips to support you as you navigate whatever change you are being gifted this fall:
Meditation: practice min. 10 minutes daily. As I shared with the Whistler Secondary team last week: If you happen to be a teacher, bring this practice into your classroom daily for the transitions of your day (even if just a breath.. remember “breathe and everything changes.”). Your students will benefit with greater self regulation as they increase their access to their prefrontal cortex, create relaxation in their nervous systems and research demonstrates greater classroom collaboration with daily meditation. Plus, doing it in your classroom gives you extra practice daily.
Several times a day, incorporate an Embodied practice (my website has a free download for you). Breathe, tune in to your body, feel how life is expressing itself through your body in each minute that you stop to notice without any judgement. Simply notice and ask yourself what does my body need in this moment. Sometimes it’s a sound like a sign, a shake, a wiggle in your toes, a deeper breath, or other somatic (body) practices. (I’ll do a post another day just about somatic practices)
Exercise – 20 minutes minimum because the only way I know to move through life is with a strong body and a soft heart. Your body is a vessel that you get to rent for this lifetime…. keep it clean, healthy and strong to take you through the challenges of life. Plus exercise provides you with the neurotransmitters that make you feel better about life/change.
Commit to your nighttime routines that allow you to have a deeper rest…sleep is essential for the functioning of your mind, hormones, and as part of your self regulation practice. Some people enjoy having a sleep tracker… I, personally, simply monitor how I feel in the morning and throughout the day to ensure that I am getting enough sleep.
Schedule time to do the things you LOVE to do that nurture you and cultivate a sense of playfulness because we are here for the “delight of it” not for the “stress of it.”
Nourish yourself with good food. Part of maintaining self regulation requires that you have regular nourishing food and water. Prepare so that you don’t add stress in the mornings or reach for less healthy options because it’s “easier” which simply means you are NOT prepared. Prep your food the night before and ensure that you have healthy options available. This only takes a few minutes in the evening, saves a lot of stress in the morning and allows your body to receive the fuel it needs to be regulated.
Ask for help. We are very nicely conditioned to have to “do it all.” What if you began to ask for help and be able to step out of your way and allow help in…I am a single mom now and it is often easier for me to do it all. However, I’ve had a chat with my son about what chores need to be done so that I maintain my balance as I return to work outside of the home and my work is to allow him to succeed without needing to micromanage the time and way that he does his chores. In addition, my kids have all committed to sharing the load of cooking Sunday dinners ( a tradition in our home)… I’ve got that now in writing…. no turning back from that commitment…Although the “mom” in me wants to do the Sunday meals, I am giving them the freedom to plan and prep the meals and I get to sit back and RECEIVE (truly my deepest purpose this summer and fall).
Go outside EVERY DAY. Do not wait for the right time, until you feel like it, the perfect temperature or climate conditions. Spend time outside very day. It might mean that you have to park further from the building that you are driving to, walk at lunch, go for a hike, bike ride etc. Vitamin D is essential to your wellbeing. When you find yourself outside, pause and feel the air, the raindrops, the sun kissing your skin and take a few deep breaths.
If you feel any resistance to any of the above, notice the resistance and take a few breaths. Choose 2-3 of the items to lean into through your transitions. Becuase, although CHANGE is inevitable, suffering is not required. Your Nervous system has the capacity to receive change however, from a NS perspective,
Nothing CHANGES until something CHANGES.
I pray that whatever changes you are navigating this fall, that your transition is smooth. May we all be patient, kind and accepting as we move through CHANGE.
With much love and gratitude,
Diana xo
Diana Lockett, M.Sc., is a Re-Alignment Coach, Transformational Speaker, Conscious Communication Consultant, Spiritual mentor, a Yogini, author (The Call to Freedom: Heal your Pain, Awaken your Loving Presence) and an Adventurer. You can connect with her at www.dianalockett.com