Reader,

I don't know about you, but today was a looong day, and it was not the Monday I had planned.

I was going to work a full day, do a two hour live course, finish my chores, put away laundry, go to the gym, catch up with a friend, do the dishes, relax into a full moon meditation, reflect on 2024, plan for 2025, create a vision board, write my newsletter, and somehow get to bed by 9pm.

Yet at 6:30pm, I caught myself in the glow of my laptop screen, still working and typing away.

I hadn't done my 2024 reflection or 2025 planning.

I hadn't gone to the gym, done the dishes, caught up with a friend.

I had been staring at my computer for most of the 12 hours prior instead (although I did get some steps in at my desk's walking pad, so that's a plus.)

I was tired and anxious and almost more tired and anxious thinking about going to the gym and I was even more tired and anxious thinking about the time it would take me to get to the gym and back and shower and pick up the pieces when I got home to resume the 99 other things on my list before bedtime.

Normally, I'm all about staying consistent and showing up and working out on days that are busy or overwhelming. Yet in this moment I felt a tidal wave of stress and anxiety crash over me. I wasn't sure if forcing myself to the gym to put my body through something else that may cause more stress was the right thing to do.

I asked myself -- "If I went to the gym right now, would I be doing it to check a box or to compensate for any feelings that may come up of not doing enough if I were to skip it? Would I be doing it for the right reasons? Would it serve my body and my needs at this moment? Or would it only worsen the feelings I was experiencing?"

I'm a big supporter of using exercise to get out of your head and into your body, and to help ease the anxiety-laden chatter that takes over sometimes. But I'm also a fan of processing, feeling, and sitting in emotions, of turning in, listening, and letting go.

Tonight, I decided I needed the latter.

Instead of forcing myself through a workout, I decided to tune into my body and what it really needed to ease all the things I was feeling. I knew that a long meditation and some mindfulness practices would be the thing to ease the anxiety and the overwhelm that I was experiencing. And I knew that feeling and processing and turning inward now would help me show up better tonight and in the days to come.

You want to know what happened next?

I started the meditation and the intro spoke directly to me.

Ground into this meditation to ease your stress and anxiety under the light of the full moon.

Boom. Just like it was meant for me.

When I tuned in, when I peeled back the layers, when I evaluated what I should do for the right reasons, when I analyzed what would serve me best, and when I took action in that direction, it aligned.

It wasn't a workout, and I didn't check that box today, but I listened to my body and I feel lighter and happier and more myself.

It was exactly what I needed.

The next time you make a decision about what to prioritize when it comes to your health and wellness, I would ask you...

What does your body need, Reader?

See you next week,

💕Morgan

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