Weekly reflection on self-preservation and balance:
When I’m not listening deeply, I’m overindulgent.
When I’m uncomfortable or fearful, I’m distracted.
When I’m seeking answers not coming from within, I’m longing.
When I forget to breathe, I’m gasping.
The in breath, not matching up with the out breath.
As women and mothers, we are called to sync up to our innate rhythms, receding and flowing with nature’s bellows. At any given moment, we are navigating the ever changing realities of motherhood’s busy seasons, the pull of passion projects and the brass tax logistics of just doing the thing. Modern living, constantly challenging the intuitive rhythm of nature’s balance and with each distraction, overindulgence, or gasp for air, the flow of prana gets cut at the knees.
When we listen deeply, we influence.
When we befriend discomfort, we reveal layers worth revealing.
When we cease the longing, we map ourselves back to the present moment.
No longer gasping… the in breath matching up with the out breath.
In Ayurveda, the most basic principle learned is that of our power to navigate back to our sweet spot, redirecting our attention to the needs of the time and finding an inner resolution perfectly compatible with nature’s design. From this place of balanced bellows, we take intuitive action that is not only nourishing in the moment, but aids towards sustained stability and heightened immunity.
As a collective, we currently find ourselves in a complex paradigm that calls for a lot of redirecting and pivoting. We are being called to take notice and practice listening more deeply, more intuitively. We are being invited to surrender to a new stream of breath, gracefully quieting the noise of the self and the surrounding hustle and bustle of the season. Perhaps it’s as simple as longer pauses, lengthier nighttime rituals, mindful eating, or the simple awareness that something needs our attention. Let us practice deep exhales followed by the filling of our cups. This season begs for our patience and it begs for us to find that place where we are harmoniously breathing, in…and out.
In…1…2…3…4
Out…1…3…3…4
With Love & Gratitude,
Cassie
This week’s journal prompt: What does it feel like to bring awareness to a more balanced breath and how does my relationship to the present moment change when there is a balancing of the bellows?
Resources for your practice: The Mother’s Mind Cleanse Book by The Broad Place and Eva-Maria Smith talks about embodying full presence as mothers on the Our Seva Blog.
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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.