Without a strong foundation we cannot move forward
We often talk about 'doing the work'. And I think it's quite aptly named. Because being with yourself, resourcing yourself to meet your shadows and find those demons (we all 'work' so hard to bury) - takes work, dedication and more importantly, courage. Either way it's work, it just depends which work you'd rather do, the work to move forward or stay stuck?
Without dealing with these shadows, we are unable to move forward and instead live in a loop, until we find resolution. It's our bodies way of telling us we need to deal with it. Ever had a friend who repeated the same patterns over and over? Or kept being in relationships with the same type of people, time and time again? Each shadow is here to teach us something, to give us understanding of ourselves and allow us to grow. If we don't deal with it consciously, it continues to show up unconsciously in our lives until we do.
But the notion of doing the work, can be met with a lot of fear. I know it can, because I've had it and still do, as my shadows surface and I'm asked to meet them. There was a moment during my breathwork training when I had the fear. The fear to fully allow the process, to allow my emotions buried deep, to surface and be released. My pain, guilt, anger, shame. But I trusted my teacher and surrendered to the process. I can honestly say, I've never felt lighter. Because let's face it, that shit gets heavy when you carry it around with you all the time.
Even if you had the perfect childhood and a care-free life so far, there's going to be stuff you need to deal with and work through. The ‘stuff’ whatever it is, feels differently to all of us. Regardless of what it is, we all store the felt experience in our body, in our foundations, in our roots.
Fear is the shadow side of our root chakra, the chakra responsible for our connection to our body, our sense of security, our right to be here. It is also the energetic centre in the body that we build upon to move through the chakra system. Without a strong foundation we cannot move forward and rise up.
For the longest time, I feared moving wading through my shadows because part of me didn't want to step into my courage and my freedom. I wanted to hold myself back, keep small, in the safety I knew. But now I see that wasn't easier, just misguided. Only you have the power to reclaim your right to be here. Is it time?
“If you’re an alive body, no one can tell you how to experience the world. And no one can tell you what truth is, because you experience it for yourself. The body does not lie.”
What I'm listening to this month...
Mark Groves Podcast
40. Anahata Ananda - The Journey Home to Truth
1hr 21min
Everyday Ayurveda & Yoga at Hale Pule
43min
Collective Insights
Clint Ober - The Science of Grounding: How Earthing Improves Sleep and Reduces Inflammation
1hr 1min
this month’s affirmations…
I'M HERE AND I DESERVE TO BE
Have you ever thought you shouldn't be here? Something bad happened or you did something you thought was wrong and you questioned your existence. I have. A long time ago, I'd drive along a road lined with trees and consider driving into one of those trees almost every day for about 6 months. I was going through a very turbulent time when I'd lost most of my friends, my livelihood and my home. I lost the ground from underneath my feet and felt like the world hated me. I'm one of those people who think it's takes courage to end a life, and you may agree or disagree, I'm not here to debate each perspective. But that's mine. Having been someone in that darkness and survived, and living a life I could only have dreamed of, I'm here to tell you that you deserve to be here, you do matter and the best is yet to come. Keep going my dear.
Last thoughts…
ARE YOU GROUNDED?
I watched The Earthing Movie - the remarkable science of grounding and it's changed how I see nature. Our nature, and the nature of Mother Earth. I was already a pretty big fan but this documentary showed me how disconnected we've become from the planet. To our roots and the ability to ground ourselves. Since the invention of rubber, we've quite literally put a boundary between us and the healing benefits of the earth. When we ground ourselves to the earth, connecting through our bare feet we take on the electromagnetic energy of the earth, stabilising our physiology and improving our health. From reducing inflammation, stress, pain in the body, to increasing energy, blood flow and our ability to sleep.