Is March the start of the “real” new year for you? I've always felt more of a renewed sense of self, hope, intention and goal setting in the spring than I have in January, when it is more cold and dark and contemplative in the Northern Hemisphere, where I have always lived. But recently, I learned that the modern day Gregorian calendar that most of us follow now, isn't what we always followed and that in fact, the new year used to start on March 1. That calendar had 10 months, not 12, and its history is still reflected in some of the names of the months we know today: September to December, or the ninth through twelfth months of the Gregorian calendar, were originally positioned as the seventh through tenth months. Septem is Latin for “seven.” Octo, "eight"; Novem, "nine"; and Decem, "ten". Roman mythology says their second King, Numa, established the two new months called Ianarius and Februarius. Initially, these two additional months were first placed at the end of the year, but at some point became the first two months instead. 

 

But I'm not here to advocate for the burning up or questioning of calendars. (Although it's fascinating to think about how we got here, isn't it?!) What I am calling attention to is to ask yourself what the seasons feel like in your body, in your experience, where you live and how that relates to your sense of self, your goals and your way of moving in the world. When we live, eat, move and act in the ways that our bodies and our environment support, we feel more at peace. Consuming in-season foods from our local farmers tastes the best, and do our bodies the most good. 

 

What if we applied that radical approach to living to every aspect of our lives? Case-in-point: When my husband Richard and I travelled to Bermuda in February of 1996 to find my father's side of the family (and elope lol), everyone we met asked why on earth did we come to Bermuda in winter. What do you mean, winter, we asked? This is an island. It doesn't snow here, it might rain, but it's not going below 68 degrees, this is heaven compared to Canada right now. Y'all are crazy. 

 

But guess what? Bermuda observes something called winter hours. This means that businesses and I think even schools, have shorter hours due to less daylight. They open later, and close earlier, so that employees can get to-and-from work in daylight. This also meant that many typical tourist attractions were not open at all, or if they are, have limited hours. This tiny, chain of 24 square mile long islands, (an archipelago really), is less than a mile wide and is 350 miles off the coast of South Carolina in the middle of the Atlantic ocean. This island, this beautiful island winters down, smiles politely and says softly: 

See You All in the Spring.

I took this photo on February 19, 1996 at the renowned Horseshoe Bay Beach in Bermuda. There was literally NO ONE there but us. We ran into one other couple over the course of the entire day which hit 75 degrees. We enjoyed the surf and sand, and hot dogs and french fries from the beach cafe and I even kept the receipt which is saved in our wedding photo album. (Yes, I used to eat hot dogs, and oh boy, yes I still totally eat and love french fries on occasion.)

To continue the calendar theme, also on February 19, (of 2019) my first book, The End of Me was birthed into the world! While it's never made the NYT bestseller list, it has been reprinted several times, and continues to bring in moderate sales. The best part for me though is when I meet new people and they remember the moment pictured above, when I talked about it at Creative Mornings, Sacramento. It's harder than you might think to release your experiences and memories out into the world, and then and now I continue to be grateful for the amount of support and encouragement that this community, and beyond, sends my way.

On February 18, I was asked by the Greater Sacramento Urban League via Unseen Heroes, to do a Stretch Your Mind, Stretch Your Body Meditation Session at their Health and Wellness Event for Black History Month. It was truly my honor to help kick-off the exciting day of wellness-focused activities and celebration, with a grounding, breathing and body scanning exercise to help everyone get settled in and ready for the day. Afterwards, a few people came up to me and said: 
 

 

Don't forget how powerful the focus on your breath can be! This short article details a few of the most helpful breathing exercises you can practice in only minutes a day to help you feel and function more optimally. Trust me, every little bit counts. Thanks to new friend Malaika of House of AHH who took this photo/video of me leading the session, please check out the amazing work that she does in community.