This is a follow up post from the somatic practice video I shared the other day. If you didn't see it yet you can catch it here. If you scroll down, it's all the way at the bottom.
In the video I asked you to get curious about what happens inside of you in response to the words: “These are uncertain times full of challenge, division, and change.
After doing the practice myself I sat down with a journal and wrote some words and came up with some deeper questions. Now I'm sharing them here with you.
“These are uncertain times full of challenge, division, and change.”
Challenge encourages growth. Young trees are strengthened by heavy winds and rains. Over time, they develop the resilience needed to thrive with the sometimes harsh elements. We, as a collective, are being challenged to prepare for the realities of our environment. How we meet this challenge is our choice, with practice we can develop the resilience and create the structure we need to forge ahead.
*questions for the curious
Do you trust yourself in challenge?
If you look back can you remember a time when you met challenge and made it through?
How did it feel after you made it? How did it feel while you were navigating?
On to division. Individuation is important in the process of self actualization. We have to know who we are and who we aren’t. Just like children growing independent of their parents it’s important for us to individuate from the culture, beliefs and ideals we were raised in and learn to live from our own integrity and sovereignty. In healthy individuation, division will pendulate back to unity. The process of individuation helps us learn to relate to others with better boundaries and more compassion.
*questions for the curious
How has family, community, culture, spirituality &/or religion influenced the choices you’ve made in life?
How do these things influence how you move through the world? How do they shape your beliefs?
Change…
“All that you touch you change. All that you change changes you. The only lasting truth is change.” - Octavia Butler
Let’s face it, things aren’t working out so well in the world of soil, gravity and shit these days. Between climate crisis, economic struggles, racial division, religious extremism, gun and police violence, it is abundantly clear: Change is something we desperately need.
So if change is constant, inevitable and necessary, we probably should learn how to work with it right?
*questions for the curious
How do you typically navigate change?
Do you resist or embrace it?
Do you race through it?
What do you notice about your body during times of change, is there tightness or pain?
How’s your digestion?
What thoughts or feelings come with change?
The practice of inquiry helps to make space for what’s present, including what annoys you or makes you feel uncomfortable, without trying to change or fix anything. The goal is to just notice that you feel a certain way. If things start to border on overwhelm, or you want to lash out then you know it’s time to orient to your environment, and where your body meets your surroundings. This is how you expand your capacity to be with the inevitable discomfort and pain that comes with being alive.
This is also how you self regulate your nervous system. You can’t will your nervous system to regulate, but it will do it on its own when you provide the proper conditions for it to happen. It’s like riding a wave, you may feel activated before you settle.
It’s up to you to not fight the current and ride the activation all the way through. Let your body move, let sound happen, change direction or position. feel.focus.flow.
When we can entertain possibility and nuance in our imagination it becomes much easier to do it out in the wilds of the world.
I wanted to share this with you because this is an example of how I use the same practices I teach to move through the current times. It is possible to experience the magic of being a human living in this world. This is also a component of the circle Penpa Dolma and I are leading. We have been working together to create a fertile ground to help you master your flow and prepare for the inevitable challenge, division and change we collectively face.
Sacred is a 3 month deep dive to cultivate sovereignty and the ability to respond to uncertainty. It includes:
✨Monthly community counsel
✨ Weekly group practices
✨ Weekly co-working/accountability sessions
✨ Mentoring
✨ Depth & Shadow work
✨ Practice in Authentic Relating
✨ And more
If you like inquiry like this then take a peek at the link and consider joining our upcoming circle. We begin March 19th, payment tiers and plans are available. You can find out more at the link below:
Instagram Live
Penpa and I will be going live on instagram again tomorrow, Wednesday 3/1/23, to talk about why awareness of our nervous system is important. We go live at 11:30am HT / 1:30pm PT / 2:30pm MT / 3:30pm CT / 4:30pm ET
We'd love if you could join us live, but if you can't make it, I'll be sharing a link to the recording as it becomes available. I'll be back with more in the days and weeks to come. If you feel like sharing or have any questions please feel free to send me a message, I'd love to hear from you. Just send me a message using the box at the bottom of this page.
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