I was born and raised in Upstate New York, but I've called North Carolina home for twenty-seven summers. Eleven months out of the year, N.C. is a great place to work and raise a family. But come August. . . I'm miserable. There's no other way to put it.

The air here becomes oppressively still, wet, and heavy. My garden gets rangy. My hair frizzes. My skin oozes oil. "I don't mind the heat," I tell anyone who will listen. "But I hate this gosh-darn humidity!"

This week, I noticed Halloween items popping up in stores. Apparently, I'm not the only one eager to be rid of August. I bought some pumpkin-scented plugins and Halloween hand soaps and wished for September. Or October!

Then I remembered tapas. No, not the tiny dishes upscale restaurants are so fond of overcharging us for, but one of the five Niyamas (observances) in the yogic tradition. In Sanskrit, tapas is a verb meaning "to burn." As in, "feel the burn," when you've been holding chair pose for ten breaths.

More specifically, tapas refers to cultivating self-discipline by staying in something that is uncomfortable but necessary for our growth. When we squirm out of hard things before we've learned what we need to, we miss the opportunity to become stronger, more resilient. Often, we also end up right back where we left off. Repeat that cycle often enough, and we can get stuck.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not turning off my air conditioner this month. But I don't want to spend the next fifty days (as I'm writing this, that's how long we have until the first official day of fall) wishing for time to go faster. That's a recipe for watching life pass me by. Instead, my tapas is using the heat as a reminder that I am in this season for a reason. There's something for me to learn here that will carry me forward into what's next.

Whether you're sweating your way through August in North Carolina, New York, or Alaska, I invite you to feel the burn with me. Where's the tapas for you right now? Is it in sticking with a daily writing habit? Maintaining a consistent yoga practice? Having that difficult conversation?

Feel the burn, my friend. Feel it. Make it your friend. It's here to teach you something if you'll let it.

Namaste,

Christa

Embodying the Artist's Way

Don't miss out on my upcoming course Embodying the Artist's Way, a 12-week journey toward a more authentic, joyful, and creative way of living. Community. Yoga and meditation. Creative expression. What could be more amazing? We kick off the course on August 24, so don't miss out!

Invite a friend to join you, and I'll give you both $25 off when you register. Contact me for the code using the contact form below.