Each day is unpredictable. Time is twisting. Some days I feel fired up and inspired by my desires and projects. Before I know, I am slammed with grief, both universal and personal. Sensitive to the strong emotions flying around, I struggle to focus, or to do more than sleep and go for walks. I can feel myself being pulled in so many directions.
I’m reminding myself a lot lately that this pandemic is really hard for humans, but perhaps quite a blessing for Earth. Our human world relates catastrophe to how it effects us. The world is so much more. This is not to downplay the hardship, but to open up my perspective beyond politics and my screaming activist heart. Humans are undergoing a major lesson and a major shift in consciousness, that will last far beyond the health crisis.
May this be a time that all souls learn lessons and go forward to create something new, rather than go back to the old ways. The old constructs are falling, and we can rise to nature what we are wanting next. We are being forced to look inward and ask what we are really doing with our lives. This introspection can feel traumatic, especially if we have been able to distract ourselves with life’s routines, habits, and what we took for granted.
My friend reminded me that even though I care and feel so much, that what I am doing here is far beyond politics. That healing isn’t about understanding meaning, or figuring anything out. Western culture is so caught in knowing, and ironically that focus can keep us blind to the lessons. Healing is about bringing light and balance to the parts of us in need. It is about expanding our beliefs of what is possible. We can be a light even if we are surrounded by darkness. We can be compassionate without making their pain our own.
Orienting myself this way has really helped me get more excited about my own path, and less worried about what it should all look like. There is no way to know. The entire world is flying by the seat of their pants, and in that, we find solidarity.
The magnetic field of our heart, that is in constant conversation with the center of our being.
Our lungs and heart center being affected says something about where the spiritual aspects of this virus exist, and which parts of us our vulnerable. It is essentially this energy center of the body that is begging for care. Move your arms, and stretch your chest open in all dimensions so be able to hold more than just the fear and anxiety of our own vulnerability. Thump your fist over your chest to awaken this center of breath and compassion.
How ironic that in a great wake up call to come together, we are being told to isolate. How does it feel to distance ourselves by force rather than the usual way of our privileged independence? We are already sick from lack of tactile intimacy, and now we are even more afraid of physical connection. Disease feeds on paranoia and fear. Relaxation boosts the immune system. How safe do you feel when you exchange a loving embrace?
Who is actually going to be ok and who is just going to have a burnt ego?
This grand wake up call exposes the fragility of our financial systems and the massive holes in our government’s readiness (and willingness) to care for our people. Is this what it takes to not ignore the incredible gap between those who are eligible for government protections and services and who is not? as though eligibility means anything…
This cosmic wake up call highlights our priorities and self versus other, mine versus theirs, fault versus responsibility. Heaven forbid the rich world fall victim to such a tragedy, and heaven forbid our protectors do not actually have our best interests at heart. Why are we so concerned with the stock market as though it is a truthful representations of what people’s lives are like?
As things shut down, how are we choosing to slow down and consume less? For the wealthy and stable, this is a luxurious chance to simplify. For many it is a scramble in the face of their disenfranchisement. For all it begs the question of what we are doing here for ourselves and for each other.
What does immunity actually mean?
Who feels like they have choice and who is dependent? Who hands over their life to fear and institutional power? Who do we put our trust in? How do we collectively rise rather than crumble in the contractive force of fear and chaos? Are we willing to be both soft and strong as we commit to justice and balance?
The illumination of the heart expands with love and compassion. May this corona of light be what sets the world on fire.
Imagine you loved yourself So fiercely that you were dangerous To all the darkness clawing at you To believe you were not worthy? How different would your every moment be?
How would you feed yourself life? Would pleasure become a deep dive Into soul purpose rather than shameful indulgence To escape the reality of delusions We create with scarcity and fear?
How would you bathe yourself Acknowledging your skin coming in contact With your very of skin, Removing the debris that may have collected From days and years and lifetimes Of living on this Earth-plane?
What if every cell of you knew It was completely supported and Accepted in its very existence? How would you say yes and say no To the events that come your way As opportunities and lessons To fall more deeply in alignment with Your very own journey of now?
Would time be less threatening and more magical? Even if you were speeding along, Speed did not mean rush and Hurry did not mean worry, For you knew Love had your back.
I believe your gaze would be soft And your intuition sharp, You would think less and feel far more Than you ever imagined possible. Yes, you would have the courage to be vulnerable Because you knew it was meant for you.
The Heart is the seat of the Soul. Both surrounded by all other aspects of you, and infused into all other aspects of you. Guided by the white light of the Universe and supported by the energy of this Earth.
There are so many reasons, especially from our earliest days, why we are unable to fully love ourselves. We enter this world completely vulnerable and helpless, and also so psychically awake. Without boundaries, we take on guilt and shame for things happening in our environment, and from this we subconsciously form our self-image. We create a hard shell for survival. If we continue to hide in it later in life, it is ultimately self-defeating. We are blocked from a mysterious, full life of intimacy and sensation. How do we juggle receptivity and assertiveness, connection and isolation, familiar and unknown?
Asking for support not only takes courage, it requires emotional honesty. Furthermore, managing your own impulses and responding to others’ emotional needs is a complex task. “We all have empathy, but we often don’t have enough courage to display it,” (Maya Angelou) for it is not only difficult to show up for someone who is struggling, but because it opens us up to our own pain. Yet, we do not need to relate to be able to support one another. I wish that we are kind to each other, and that we witness ourselves in new ways, for we are all still learning how to be humans on this Earth.
Exploring the countless in-between places that are needing attention and care. My friend was inspired to highlight the lines of energy that came from this practice.
How can I be kind to myself today? Emotional maturity asks I find balance Between my petulant inner child and stern adult. Vulnerability and Strength are not strangers, Nor opposites, but equals.
When wounds open, red heart-juice gushes in To say, “I matter. I am supported.” Those scabs you continue to pick Keep your world small. When you love yourself, Your world continues to expand.
The “outside” may be demanding a lot, But it is only a test of how much I love myself. You can’t keep neglecting yourself. Life is always expecting more of us, May you not be intimidated to give more.
You have been giving and giving, Heart so big and it is time To turn it back to your own precious self. This selfishness is not about pleasure or greed, But about loving up on yourself again and again, For the sake of no one else.
Receive more than you need without throttling it. Let it lead toward your highest good, For you are worthy of abundance. You are Abundance. Spirit does not judge you for living in your light.
This is the place where I feel completely supported and free to be my full and vibrant self.
I was at a restorative yoga sound bath last night, and my teacher invited us to have an intention for our practice, as teachers often do. What came to me sounds normal and yogi-like, but for myself, I was caught off-guard: COMPASSION. I’ve been practicing yoga for years and the concept of compassion has always been like, “Duh, that’s why I’m here.” But I suppose the truth is that I was never ACTUALLY experiencing the practice of compassion beyond an intellectual concept. I would always ask for patience, gentleness, or presence to be my intentions. So when I curled into child’s pose last night, I was like, “Ok lets see how this goes!” And it went well! My body experienced discomfort and my mind was quite active, especially regarding the discomfort, but my mind also said, “Hey you are feeling things and there is a reason for it.” This doesn’t mean I knew why…and wanting to know the reason is a function of the ego. So I tried to let that go and just say it was ok to be whatever.
So I woke up this morning with the same intention of compassion and lets just say I’m liking it. I mean, usually I operate in such a way that I hold nervous, rising energy in me when I do EVERYTHING, such as assembling my breakfast, walking into my bedroom to put on chapstick, making sure I push my pee out as fast as I can so I can get on with my life! But today! The constant reminder, “all of that stuff is ok,” has actually made for a smooth ride where my gut doesn’t feel like it is rising into my chest, and I can feel my feet on the ground. My back doesn’t hurt as much as usual. My creativity has been flowing and I have been grounded enough to write this blog! I even pooped three times before 10AM and if you know me, you know that this is monumental! And I’m talking ACTUAL BMs…not those fake-outs that leave you more annoyed than relieved. (Sidetone: the large intestine is emotionally linked to forgiveness, letting go….can anyone guess what I’m working on? Eh?) If you weren’t prepared to hear about bodily functions, pardon me. I just thought I would offer some tangible examples of how this is going for me.
All these years of trying to calm my anxious tendencies and be ok with where I am in my life has taught me a lot. Mainly, how much I need to work on patience. Having a lot of ideas and energy and not know how to direct them can cause problems. It can make you more anxious and feel like you are letting yourself down for not being where you want to be. I move fast, but my life moves slowly. (I’ve been told MANY times how quickly I pee but that I made decisions like molasses.) Patience is key to allowing yourself to develop organically and in alignment with what you are truly wanting. It isn’t the way of today’s world. To be patient is to be bold. But, I’m finding that practicing patience doesn’t necessarily make me grounded or at peace. It brings a lot of awareness to my tendencies, but having that awareness usually just makes me hit myself on the head with a stick and say, “BE MORE PATIENT. CALM THE F DOWN.” And then judgement and guilt arise, which even if it isn’t crippling guilt, still perpetuates shame and dissatisfaction with myself. “I’m still operating in a way that aggravates me and I haven’t reached my goal yet,” are the thoughts, even if I don’t know what my goal is. Patience is important whether you know you goal or not.
But, COMPASSION has reminded me that it is ok to be impatient. It is ok to be anxious. For me, anxiety is an every-present sense that “something is just not right.” I have a predisposition to feel (even if I don’t think it) something is off. And then that makes me feel like I am off. I’m the problem. So when I practice compassion, I am reminded that whatever is there, is ok for now. You see, GIULT brings shame and keeps you locked in discomfort. ACCEPTANCE makes you feel safe, which allows you to let your guard down and actually let yourself expand into something else. COMPASSION has been the practice that actually helps me find calm and peace. I sense this is because I am inviting myself to just be, in order to transform into something else. I’m not punishing myself for my habits and I’m not forcing myself to be something else. How can you have patience for where you are without having compassion for where you are? And for the record, acceptance doesn’t mean you identify with what you accept. It means you acknowledge it as a valid experience for the time being. This is soothing and allows energy to shift and expand into something else…something you are wanting. Something that feels more you. Not immediately, let’s be real. It may take time and a lot of patience, but with compassion, you create a context for patience to exist. And to tie forgiveness back into all this, I wonder about the relationship between it and compassion. What I currently say is that forgiveness a post-experience state rather than an in-the-moment state. Forgiveness helps us let go of what has happened, while compassion helps us be with what is currently and continuously arising. Regardless of whether you attribute your tendencies to illness, trauma, your natal chart, your constitution, or your environment, I suggest compassion. No matter the origin, these are experiences you are having.
So there we go…a little Sunday-morning musing. I wish you all a beautiful week, and that you allow yourself the patience, acceptance, forgiveness and compassion to take a BIG cosmic dump, making space for new life enter you. My guess is that everything gets a lot more funny when you can laugh at al the stupid shit you do. Have fun.
Katrina Freitag 