Health Legacy
We all leave one. What will yours be?
With your permission, I would like to go a little off the beaten path in this reflection. We have entered into my favorite season of the year, Autumn. The hot summer days have passed and there is a crispness in the air that always excites me. Traditionally, Autumn is a time of harvest and we celebrate and give thanks to the Earth over and over throughout the coming months. A less common way of viewing this time of year, however, is what makes it so special to me. Fall is considered the last season of the year in many ancient cultures. The end of the growing season. The Earth is bearing the last of it’s harvest and preparing to hibernate during the winter months. It is preparing for a death, of sorts, and so can we. Not a true death, of course, but it is a time to deeply withdraw into oneself in order to reflect and prepare, as the trees do. They appear dead, but in fact they are storing up sacred life in preparation for future growth.
It’s the perfect time to take stock of what we have done and what has grown in us over the last year. In this way, I prefer to live my life in unity with the Earth’s natural cycles and in doing so I find myself honoring death in these Autumn months. This is, in fact, at the very root of the Halloween, or Saimhan, traditions; to recognize the sacred nature of death and therefore life. It is a time to honor ancestors and consider all that has been left to us.
With the idea of relatives and ancestors on my mind, I cannot help but think about what it means to leave a Legacy. Legacy is defined as the passing on of something to future generations, both the physical and intangible. We have inherited legacies from our parents and grandparents and many generations past. We may find ourselves grateful for some aspects of our heritage. A tradition of love and respect for instance. A legacy of hard work and integrity. Of chasing after our dreams and achieving success.
But consider the legacies that do not bring us quite so much enrichment, particularly in the form that contributes to poor health of body, mind, or spirit. How many of us have been taught that it’s our ‘job’ to care for everyone around us and put ourselves last? Always to strive and achieve and do more and keep pushing, even at the expense of our mental or physical health? To find comfort in food or drink or to prioritize convenience and indulgence? Or to sacrifice sleep for more ‘doing’? Autumn gives us an opportunity to reflect on the Legacies we have inherited and to choose what to pass on to the next generation.
I encourage you to take time to think about what sort of Legacy you are creating surrounding health and lifestyle habits. What are you passing down to your children and future generations? Knowingly or unknowingly, we are all creating patterns that not only affect our own lives, but the lives of all those around us. What an amazing and powerful thing! We have the ability to choose our Legacy. And, just as importantly, we have the ability to change the Health Legacy that was left to us. Now is also the time to break generational cycles that do not serve us. To create a new Legacy. To teach, by example, the importance of boundaries and self care. Perhaps healthy habits surrounding food or self worth and positive body image. Instilling a sense of daily gratitude which brings so much joy into the simple daily things.
I urge you to take a few minutes, sit down with a cup of tea and a journal, light a candle and consider what Legacy you want to leave behind for the future of your bloodline. You have the ability to radically shift the future of health and wellness for all those around you, and those to come. It all starts with intention.
Journal Prompts to consider:
~What positive, enriching legacies have been passed down to me?
~What legacies would I prefer to leave behind?
~What health related legacy am I currently creating in my life?
~What Legacy do I want to be remembered for?
