Weekly reflections on finding clarity underneath it all:
Ask any yogi about mental clarity and you’ll hear them speak about the complexity of the mind like the surface of the water; naturally crystal clear with a heavy dose of ripples.
Over the years, I’ve witnessed the impact my personal practice has on my perception of the ripples and how my mental state has the ability to radiate outward with greater influence, much like rippling water. I’ve come to understand that I have the power to influence how turbulent the waters become and that intentionality, grace, surrender, and devotion are nature’s recipe for a less distorted reality. When things are manipulated (rushed or forced), the tidal winds pick up and the ripples become an unyielding force to be reckoned with. The interplay of my inner landscape with the word around me has never been so beautifully illustrated.
You see, motherhood has gifted me with a guru. She lives at my feet in the form of a rambunctious and incredibly transparent 2 year old. If I’m ever questioning the current state of my water’s surface, I look to my daughter for the purest reflection. With time, motherhood has expanded my awareness deeper towards the nectar hidden just below the water’s surface, where stillness and clarity are a vast difference from the commotion just above. When the two of us are feeling disconnected, lost or overwhelmed, it’s my daughter’s “pick me up, Mama” that is a clear cry for intimacy and reconnection. Her “come here” is the cue that I’m moving too quickly, and her “Mama, wake up”, is a shocking call for pure presence when it’s needed most. Without much effort, she pinpoints exactly what’s needed at any given moment, casually redirecting us towards calmer waters. Today, my personal practice resides in the witnessing, softening and surrendering to her (and my) intuitive guidance.
As mothers and caregivers, we have the greatest responsibility to show up with some resemblance of “put togetherness”, offering exemplary action and inspiration for those around us. The ripple effect of our actions can lead us towards smooth sailing or adversely, choppy waters. It’s important for us to tune in to when a redirection of flow is needed and we are challenged to take the next best intuitive step down the path of least resistance. It’s in our practice that we start to see our surroundings with less distortions and the best part…we’ve been given permission to explore what it means to live just beyond the ripples.
With Love & Gratitude,
Cassie
This week’s journal prompt: How has your current daily rhythm been distorted by the effects of manipulation (forcing or rushing) and how can you bring forth a new sense of stillness with effortless surrender to what is? How can your children be mirrors to an alternate reality where things flow with more ease?
Resources for your practice: As Within, So Without on the Our Seva blog, Brooke French’s perspective on Purposeful Play, & the Body Scan Technique every mama should have in her tool belt.
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Each week, expect a bite-sized personal reflection with accompanying journal prompt. My hope is that by sharing these reflections and prompts, you’ll be inspired into purposeful action and we’ll both be reassured that we are not alone in this process of unraveling.
Once a month, expect a curation of resources intended to inspire a deeper personal practice. There will be Q&A interviews to showcase how other women in this community navigate transformation, articles and podcasts that have made a lasting impression and practical mindfulness exercises to bring about sustainable change. If you’re a fan of mantra…there will be some of that too.