Working with Discomfort
I am en route home after 5 days in the big city of Chicago. Those of you who know me, know that I am not a city girl. I can *tolerate* short stints in the city and even enjoy and appreciate them, but I'm really much more at ease and comfortable in the mountains, even amongst the varying elements that comes with mountain life.
The city is harsh for my nervous system…The immense amount of people, the busyness, the constant movement of cars and activities, the pollution and sound stimulation. It is definitely not where I feel most at ease. Yet, over the years with family living there I have learned to embrace my time, although there is always a natural pull around working with my own discomforts.
This recent experience offered a deep and embodied opportunity for inner growth.
The combination of being there for a special event (my dad's 80th birthday) and the flurry of activities around that, the oppressive heat and humidity, a moody teenager, varying family dynamics and needs around agenda, eating foods that my sensitive body does not love, wild 6-year-old loud boys... AND learning in midst of it all that our country is on the brink of war…it definitely created another wave of adaptability in my nervous system.
I had to sink into, in the crevices of the busy schedule, the moments of embodied resource, leaning into my own breath and body and heart, and truly riding the wave and whatever way that I could in the moment.
So this week's reminder is about that…That life is not comfortable right now for so many. We are living in unprecedented times that without a doubt will live imprinted in each of us in so many ways.
This is a moment for really clarifying what it is that each of us need at this juncture to keep moving forward.
What helps calm our nervous systems?
How do we feel most grounded?
What quality of relationships do we want and need?
What do we need to bring into our lives to help support our continual evolution in midst of the upheavals all around us?
Some things at the top of my list currently are:
MOVEMENT/EXERCISE
MEDITATION/BREATH/PRESENT MOMENT AWARENESS
GRATITUDE PRACTICE
FUN/PLAY/PLEASURE (LIVE MUSIC IS MY GO-TO)
COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS THAT ARE SAFE/WELCOMING/AUTHENTIC/VULNERABLE/JOY-FILLED
DRINKING NOURISHING AND GROUNDING TEAS (great for travel too!)
STAYING VISIBLE AND CONNECTED IN SERVICE AND SUPPORT OF THE WHOLE
TAPPING INTO MY CREATIVE PULSE
QUIET TIME WITH MYSELF
REST
One thing I know for certain, in midst of so much uncertainty, is that we have to keep living our lives
We must keep creating the opportunities to rest and reconnect, to nourish and heal, to soften and open our hearts, and to be in conscious and aligned community.
You are welcome here.
Tensions and anxieties are without a doubt high right now. May this offering to you today be just a moment of exhale, a moment to drop into yourselves, a moment to remember that you are not alone.
Sending unwavering love, care, respect, and faith near and far. I am always out here for support and/or connection.
Take good care of yourselves and be kind to each other.