I’m writing to you today from Cortona, Italy. If you’re a fan of Under the Tuscan Sun, then you’re familiar with Cortona. An hour train ride south of Florence, Cortona sits high on a hill overlooking the Tuscan countryside with a birds-eye view of Lake Trasimeno. I considered staying in Florence, or Como, or going south to Lecce or further north to Milan. Switzerland at Christmas would be fun too. Or Slovenia, I’ve not been there. Or I could visit all of those places! But something made me say yes to Cortona. …and I said yes for seven weeks. This will be the longest time I’ve stayed in any one place since embarking on my travel life almost 16 months ago.
I’d settled into a natural routine where I would move around for four to six weeks then find a base for a month. So after being on the go for three and a half months, everything in me was telling me to stop. To stop for a while. To stop for a rest. To stop and realign (physically, mentally and spiritually). And because I wasn’t fully abiding the nudges I was getting, the Universe orchestrated two falls within 20 minutes of each other. Twice I suddenly found myself on my hands and knees (hard on my knees) on the cobblestone ground.
As I said, this wasn’t the first attempt to get my attention.
I’d fallen the same way six weeks earlier, hitting my shoulder and head against a wall on the way down. My body felt out of alignment after that fall, but I chose to let myself heal rather than seek help (and I was staying at a spa hotel!!) Plus, I pushed through jet-lag (x4) and two colds because I didn’t want to miss out on anything.
Now I HAD to slow down. I now had no choice but to get some kind of help, so I booked a massage, the first in at least four years. Let me tell you, after 16 months of dragging 30 kgs of luggage around, sleeping in countless beds with different pillows, it was the BEST massage I’ve ever had. I booked another one for a few days later.
So while Florence and other towns of interest are just a short train ride away, I’m cocooning. And as it turns out (of course), this is the perfect place to do it.
There’s not much to do in Cortona. There’s one street of shops, the buses are few, and I’ve seen more rainy days than over my entire 16 months combined. All of which are supporting my need to stay put (for now).
I’m resting and enjoying the expansive view from my window of the Tuscan countryside (the main reason I selected this accommodation). There’s nothing like watching the sun and clouds paint ever-changing masterpieces on the landscape as you sit, in what feels like a royal box, and admire the unfolding, moment after moment, heavenly brushstroke after heavenly brushstroke. It can’t help but make you stop and pause.
I’m resting and going for slow strolls down steep and narrow laneways once tread upon by Etruscans in a time my mind can’t begin to fathom.
I’m resting while gradually getting to know the local shop owners. They’re patient as I practice my Italian and help me learn a few new words (mainly food-related).
I’m resting as I read books on Kindle and sip cappuccinos in a beautiful cafe housed in a renaissance palace decked out for the holidays, while Frank Sinatra and Ella Fitzgerald serenade me.
Mostly, I’m resting in the unknown and the unfolding.
Because that’s what rest really asks of us, if we let it work its magic. If we trust that within the stopping, within the pausing, within the resting, within the healing, there’s revealing.
Are you feeling the need for rest right now?
If so, I encourage you to listen to the wisdom of your body. It speaks in whispers at first and gets louder the more you ignore it. It’s one way your Soul and The Universe speak to you.
A voluntary stop is much easier (and less painful) than an involuntary stop. Give yourself permission to get the rest you need, especially as we approach and are immersed into this busy time of year.
There’s wisdom in the space that rest allows if you allow the rest to reveal its wisdom.
Rest can be a time of up-levelling. It allows space for inspiration to find you and quiet so you can reconnect with and hear the wisdom of your heart.
It’s your time, and it’s your turn. Love yourself through it all.
Looking for a special gift this holiday season?
May I suggest my Love Notes From Your Soul book? It’s filled with 53 inspirational messages your Soul wants you to know — one for every week of the year, plus one for good luck.
Accompanying each Note you’ll find a full colour photograph of a window or door taken by me during my travels. Why windows and doors? Because your eyes are the windows to your Soul, and your heart is the doorway.
Allow each message and photo to open your heart and help you reconnect with the truth of who you are.
This book is perfect as a daily boost, a weekly focus, or a quick pick-me-up whenever you need a little reminder of your perfection.
Treat your loved ones (and yourself) with a gift that keeps on giving.
Trackbacks/Pingbacks