An Invitation To Tune Out & Tune In:
Around this time last year, I felt the weight of the impending season of “New Year, New You” with a belly full of flurry and anxious thoughts. I was being fed the cultural narrative that a mother’s productivity was the measurement of her value and was propelled down a rushing current of someone else’s idea of progress. My internal guidance system, my most honest voice of reason, was dampened by the abundance of noise and I was in a bit of a panic navigating a transformative season without steadiness in my steps. I felt the panic radiate out into the collective where it was met with echoing fears of stillness and threats of momentum slowing down. Little did we know that 2020 would be a year beyond explanation, a year of breakdown, and a year that would offer an alternative, slower pulse for those of us ready to heed the call.
In the Northern Hemisphere, we are entering a natural season of hibernation, where the darkness consumes the light in a purposeful cocooning and withdrawal of the senses. It’s a beautiful forced retreat from the bustle of it all, conveniently placed at the sandis, the junctures of what is and what will be. It’s nature’s way of hunkering down to prepare its heart and mind for deep transformation. It’s a time of surrender and devotion to a process that works underneath the surface, making way for grand gestures come spring.
This year I’m choosing to flow with the rhythms of nature and not against them. I’ll be experimenting with a new end-of-year ritual in hopes of intimately reconnecting to the governing undercurrent of my own intuition. I’ll be “winterizing”, wrapping myself up in protective layers, readying myself for the next adventure that will undoubtedly surface with the great thaw. For me, this will look like muting voices, conscious consumption, and following charm wherever it leads me. It will be a detoxing and a reminder of my autonomous, self-paced progress and my purpose in the present moment. I’ll keep it simple, leaving my phone on the shelf more times than not and carving out dedicated times to listen deeply to the voice within that speaks without dilution. I’ll do this with courage and a solid personal resolve.
I invite you to join me on this alternative path and take the first month of the new year to fine tune yourself to the cosmic orchestra that best serves you. Together we can create a new narrative where women and mothers find their sovereignty through stillness and purposeful reflection rituals. We have the choice to detach ourselves from the egos manifesto of more…faster….hurry and instead, opt for intuitive action, grace, and the full surrender to sustainability in our practices. Let us not forget Oscar Wilde’s words, “wisdom comes with winters”.
With Love & Gratitude,
Cassie
This week’s journal prompt: What would it feel like to withdraw the senses in order to find a new sense of stillness within? What does your intuitive inner voice say about stillness?
Resources for your practice: Megan Gilger’s personal reflection on Winter’s Arrival, Laura Poole’s incredible reading list, and “The Seeker of Inner Retreat” personal reflection 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.