#92: Rhythms of Renewal: Restarting Routines Amidst a Winter Pause

It's time to get back into a routine. The body works in patterns and habits, so when it's spent some time being out of sorts because of schedule changes or downtime, as has been the case for me a lot recently with winter break and an obnoxious number of snow days, how do you return to the sense of normalcy or routine that keeps you thriving?

In this episode, I'll share with you...

1. How to know when you need to invite more routine into your life or back into your life
2. Why routines, patterns and habits actually create expansion and freedom in your life
3. How to balance routine with flow

After a restful break, it's time to rekindle routines and habits for a mindful journey through winter. In this episode I explore the delicate balance between structure and flow, navigating winter's pause while reigniting creativity and self-discovery. Learning to transition through life with ease is what cultivating health, harmony and happiness is all about. I share insights on cultivating wellness, fostering connection, and embracing the beauty of easing through seasonal transitions.


Resources:
Stop cycling between burnout and recovery - grab your Daily Rhythms Tracker to get started.

Register for our winter session of yoga + breathwork classes at our local studio.

Verilux® HappyLight® Luxe - Light Therapy Lamp*
*This is an affiliate link so if you end up purchasing , I receive a small compensation at no extra cost to you.

Other Resources:
How We Feel App (Android)
How We Feel App (iPhone)

Grab the full show notes and resources at www.cairnyogawellness.com/podcast92 and subscribe and listen wherever you catch your podcasts: 

🎧Apple Podcasts>>>> https://apple.co/2ydvvBw
🎧Google Podcast>>>>> https://bit.ly/3a4xCF2
🎧iHeartRadio>>>>> https://ihr.fm/2XCtEAT
🎧Spotify>>>>> https://spoti.fi/3ci253V
🎧 Amazon Music>>>>> https://amzn.to/3pAupHh
🎧 Pandora>>>>> https://bit.ly/hhhcathypandora

More Episodes Like This One:
#52: Intention-setting for Focus in Life, Energetic Rhythms Phase 1
#50: Stuck in Motion vs. Taking Action
#25: A Food Adventure with Blue Gate Farm

Want to support the show?
Donate through

We'd love to hear from you! Send us a text and let us know what inspired you from the show.

Join the Energetic Rhythms for Intentional Living community here.

Follow us:
Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest

Rate or review this podcast on Apple Podcasts

Episode Transcript

Cathy (00:00):
It's time to get back into a routine.

(00:02):
The body works in patterns andhabits.
So when it's spent some timebeing out of sorts because of
schedule changes or downtime ashas been the case for me a lot
recently with winter break andan obnoxious number of snow
days.
How do you return to a sense ofnormalcy or routine that keeps
you thriving?
And this episode I'll share withyou how to know when you need to

(00:25):
invite more routine into yourlife or back into your life.
Why routines patterns and habitsactually create more expansion
and freedom in your life and howto balance that routine with
flow.

(00:52):
Cathy Struecker.
I'm a state patrol wife, mama tothree lively kiddos, a yoga
teacher.
Certified NLP coach and anenergetic rhythms expert as an
energetic rhythms coach.
I help action taking women usetheir body's rhythms and the
moon cycle to optimizeproductivity and avoid burnout
without letting their desire toremain in control, alter their

(01:14):
focus.
And this podcast is all aboutdoing just that and perhaps a
bit more so that you can createyour own path.
So come along with me and maythis episode serve as a nudge to
discover tools that could helpyou on your path towards more
intentional living.
Enjoy the show.

(01:39):
Hey friends.
Welcome to episode 92.
As you can tell, I took a bit ofa break to be with my family and
to be truly present.
With my family over theholidays.
But as I'll tell you, in thisepisode, it's time to get back
into a routine.
Everyone talks about how the newyear is a time to start new
habits and to set resolutionsand to jump head first into

(02:02):
them.
But generally that momentum goesuntil about the third week in
January and then comes to anabrupt halt or.
Fizzles because let's face it.
Lifestyle changes are hard.
They take courage, disciplineand persistence.
And if you don't have someoneholding you accountable, they
can feel downright impossible.

(02:22):
And if you have no sense ofroutine or pattern in your life,
Already, I'm sorry to break itto you, but that new habit or
resolution is bound to fail.
I know that may not be what youactually want to hear, but it's
the truth.
So if you don't have a dailyroutine or a habit that supports
you living the life that youwant to be living, what are the

(02:43):
ways you can begin to inviteone, maybe that is reaching out
to someone who can hold youaccountable, like a coach or a
friend or a mentor maybe that isjust starting to create a sense
of habits or routine into yourlife.
But for those of you whogenerally do have routines or
patterns that support you livingyour best life, but have fallen

(03:04):
out of them because it may havefelt like the forces of nature
have been conspiring against yousince about mid December with
the holidays and weather and noschool days.
This is a reminder that onenature really has been trying to
tell you something it's beentelling you that it's okay to
slow down and enjoy the trueattributes that winter brings.
Recovery from busy-ness andoutward production.

(03:27):
And I have to tell you, that'skind of what I've been doing and
what I still continue to want todo as winter continues on.
But it's also telling you thattoo.
This is your nudge to start toget back into those routines and
start to invite a subtle shiftin increased energy into your
life.
Now that subtle shift inincreased energy can be

(03:47):
noticeable by the amount ofdaylight that we actually have
in our lives.
You might already be noticingdepending on where you are, that
we are indeed seeing a littlebit more daylight each day,
which is a blessing, but we'renot out of the winter blues
timeframe yet.
And there are still those drearycold days, at least where I live

(04:09):
that tend to feel a little bitheavy.
So.
I'm just going to add thislittle side note in, but if you
haven't ordered yourself a happylight yet I'm going to drop a
link to the one that I use dailythis time of year in the show
notes, because in my experienceit really does indeed work to
improve mood and energy.
This time of year.
It definitely helps.

(04:29):
Um, So that could be somethingthat could also help you feel
that little spark of energy.
A little bit more this time ofyear.
Last year also, I learned fromour CSA farmer that our chickens
ag production would pick uparound Valentine's day because
that's generally when there's anoticeable increase in daylight.
So.
Just to let you know, that isjust around the corner.

(04:53):
So.
It's a little bit ofencouragement and I do have to
report that on February 14thlast year.
Our chickens laid more eggs thanthey had in months.
So there is hope, right.
And nature really does tell ussomething.
More light is coming.

(05:14):
In the meantime though, grabyourself a happy light and use
watching the sky as the sun setsin the evening as maybe a
mindfulness practice, just toremind you to be present and to
use this time of winter to turninward, I've got a whole nother
episode coming on that sometime.
So, uh, stay tuned for that.

(05:35):
All this to say that now is thetime to start gently inviting
those routines and habits backinto your life.
Just like daylight kind ofgradually increases and comes
into our life.
I've heard that we actuallystart getting, well, actually
this is from the otherperspective, I've heard that we,
we lose.
Um, after summer hits, after thesummer solstice, we lose around

(05:58):
like two minutes, a day ofdaylight, which is bonkers.
Right.
That's absolutely bonkers.
So if we reverse that and put itthis time of year, which I don't
know if that's true or not.
So you might not want to usethis as scientific truth, but
it's at least something toconsider that we might be
gaining around two minutes ofdaylight, um, a day, which is.

(06:19):
Pretty fantastic.
Just use that as a mindfulnesspractice.
Personally.
I enjoyed the downtime that Ihad with my family and kids, and
even some of the unexpected snowdays.
But eventually my body spokeback.
It's been telling me for a fewweeks that my creative
expression needs to be let backout there into the world.

(06:40):
How do I know this?
Because my neck and shoulderswere extremely tight and it
literally felt like energy wasstuck right.
In that area of my body.
Conveniently that is the areathat most closely aligns with
the fifth chakra or the energycenter right around your throat.

(07:00):
Also known as the vocal centerand the center for expression.
My body was telling me that itwas done with a lack of routine
done with the lack of scheduledone with nurturing everyone
else's needs and desires, exceptmy own.
And I'm a creative being.
As we all are just in case youdidn't realize that even if you

(07:21):
don't feel like you have acreative bone inside of you.
You might just have become anexpert at covering up.
So yes, we're all creative.
But even though my creativitycan be expressed while playing
with my kids or being with myfamily.
It's just not the same as when Iget to express in this way, in
the way that comes from writingand speaking from my heart to
people who aren't under the ageof 10 and living in my own home.

(07:44):
Has your body ever screamedsomething like this to you
before?
And did you listen?
The body works in patterns andhabits.
So when it spent some time beingout of sorts because of schedule
changes or downtime, there comesa time when you need to
recognize that the lack ofschedule or routine may be
causing your body to fight backand maybe keeping you feeling

(08:06):
stuck.
It's about remembering orreminding your body what it
needs to do to thrive.
This is true, not only in thedaily activities you do, but
also when it comes to theoptimal breathing technique and
spiritual connection, when youare disconnected from the rhythm
of your life, rather thanfeeling it and experiencing it
with your body, instead of justyour mind or overthinking self.

(08:29):
Your breath gravitates towardswhat you've learned to be
easiest, which is often shallowbreathing.
And that shallow breathingultimately leads to more
anxiety, worry or stress.
Which leads to ignoring theconnection.
With the highest or spiritualself to simply go through the
motions of the demands that lifeplaces on you.

(08:51):
But when you step in to taketaking ownership of your
thoughts and actions, You beginthe process of remembering who
you are.
Remembering who's underneath thelayers of armor that you've
built up over the years as awarrior.
And begin laying down thatarmor.
You begin to uncover the innerchild who's innocence,

(09:14):
tenderness, curiosity, andcreativity is begging to come
out and play.
And sometimes that meansstepping back into routine so
that there can be intentionalitywith it.
Routines help you thrive becauseno conscious thought is needed.
You expend less energy on nonessential things because you

(09:35):
know what to expect.
That's not to say that you allowwhatever you're doing to just
become mindless.
Placing intention behind orknowing your intention for the
routines and patterns you keepcertainly elevates the
connection with them.
But having baseline routinescreates non-negotiables in your
life.

(09:55):
You don't necessarily have tothink about them and they're
things that aren't going away.
It's kind of like brushing yourteeth.
They lower the pressure andnoise in your world.
That keeps you disconnected.
And by doing so your mind canbegin to tune inward toward
deepening, whatever it is youare doing.
Or do it with more focus andless distraction.

(10:18):
It's why I taught one singleyoga sequence for years because
it removed the external noiseand allowed for the creation.
Of inner focus and calm.
Now I've since understood thatalong with routine and structure
needs to come, the ability toinvite the feminine flow and
softness into routine, includinga yoga practice, but more on

(10:40):
that in a moment.
The body finds calm withroutine.
Just consider how you feel whenyou're in a room with let's just
say three kids and they're allmoving about doing their own
thing.
While you're trying to relax andread a book or watch a movie.
Just bring that to mind for amoment.
Imagine all these littleenergies, just walking around.

(11:03):
Doing their own thing.
Maybe asking you questions,whatever it may be.
Imagine how you feel.
When that's happening.
Okay.
There's a little bit of chaosgoing around.
Going on around you.
That compared to when you'resitting in a room with no one

(11:24):
else or perhaps maybe one.
Other person who is as equallyengaged in a book or movie with
you.
The energy.
The feeling is so muchdifferent.
Right.
The chaos.
Creates chaos inside of you.

(11:46):
But it's learning to calm in thechaos.
When surrounded by chaos, thebody feels that energy.
But when routine and a patternis in place, the body can more
easily feel safe.
And calm.
And that takes practice.
With limits, the nervous systemknows what to expect, so it can

(12:09):
operate from a ventral vagalstate, which basically means
it's operating from a place ofoptimal engagement.
It's within this window oftolerance where even if a
stressful situation arises, itcan flow and adapt without
becoming completely overwhelmed.
And that's why we do things likebreath, work, yoga, mindfulness,
meditation.

(12:31):
Walking.
Because it allows the energy toflow outward to get out of us
writing.
Speaking using creativity, itallows the energy to flow so
that you can find.
This place of calm this place ofcenterdness within you.
Just like we function best whenour outward actions fall within

(12:53):
a pattern or routine, our brainis actually wired to create
pattern and routine within thebody.
This is partially why we feel socomfortable when we have that
structure within our days.
The body naturally gravitatestowards routines and patterns
because it seeks to find themost efficient way to do
anything.

(13:13):
Even if that way isn'tcontributing to you experiencing
life as your best self.
Consider a time when you mayhave injured yourself.
Remember how your body adjustedaccordingly so that that injured
part could be nurtured orprotected.
Your body does that because itwants you to keep functioning in
the most efficient way possible.

(13:35):
Even if it means without using apart of the body.
Which in turn has the potentialto create the pattern of
overcompensating or engagingother muscles that create a
different discomfort in thebody.
Right.
It takes finding the balance inboth the routine or habit and
allowing for the flow andadaptability to happen.

(13:59):
The mind seeks routine andhabit.
In order to thrive.
And when that routine and habitis missing, it can feel like you
are floating aimlessly throughthe wind with no particular
direction.
But when there is too muchrigidity, too much structure and
no room to adapt or flow, it canfeel like you're stuck in a box

(14:20):
and can't move forward.
So, how do you invite routine?
With flow.
You focus on the rhythm you wantby setting an intention.
Then put the structure in placeby listening to your inner
guidance to create a plan.
You own your thoughts andactions by committing to
yourself to following the planand you witness what happens and

(14:43):
how you need to adapt as thenatural events in life happen.
And when something tries to pullyou out of routine, you start
that process all over again.
It's actually my flow processand it's the way to cultivate
greater health, harmony andhappiness.
In your life.
But it requires both routine.

(15:03):
And adaptability.
Habits and routines lower thepressure and noise in life.
So we can thrive instead of justget by.
They take the decisions out oflife that create pressure and
tension and keep us stuck,unfocused and feeling blah, or
like chaos has taken over.

(15:24):
When you create the right habitsand routines, that foster
connection with yourself.
You free yourself up to enjoythe other connections in your
life.
More.
And that's what greater healthharmony and happiness is all
about in my mind.
It's not pushing others awaywith rigidity and over
busy-ness, but instead.
And join the intentional.

(15:46):
Essential work to be done andcreating fulfilling experiences
through connection with self andothers in life.
So if your routine has goneaway, for whatever reason,
Whether it's just been for abrief season or one that's been
lingering for quite some time.
This is your nudge.
It's your nudge to begin to findyour rhythm.

(16:08):
Once again.
And if you need help doing that,I'm an email away.
I'd love to hear from you.
If you found this episodehelpful or think that someone
else might I'd be so grateful ifyou shared the episode or the
show with someone else.
Cultivating greater health,harmony, and happiness is not
something that can be done in asilo.

(16:29):
And it takes the support of acommunity and the vulnerability
to share and ask for supportwhen you need it.
And full transparency.
I'm not always great at doingthis.
In fact, I'm pretty rotten atit.
But it's one of my intentionsthis year to get better at it.
And that means I want to growthis community of health,
harmony and happiness followersso that no one does have to go

(16:52):
it alone or feel alone in theprocess of uncovering what
health harmony and happinesslooks like to them.
So please, I encourage you toinvite even just one other
person to come along for theride.
As we set out to start a healthharmony happiness movement that
changes lives for generations tocome.

(17:13):
I'm Cathy Struecker and you'vebeen listening to health,
harmony and happiness withCathy.
Cheers to cultivating a globalimpact through health, harmony,
and happiness.