2020, the year we’ll be reckoning with for some time to come. Chewed up and spat out into unrecognizable forms, we’ve been forced to our edges in an effort to remember our shared reliance upon each other’s grace. We’ve seen resilience take on a new shape, making way for sustainability in our family rhythms and within our communities. It’s a year that proves we’re doing the work. A year that acts as proof of life, much like the rings of a tree.
For this community, 2020 was a year of “coming home”. We came home to the sacred in the mundane, to the purpose in our pauses, and to the wisdom within. It was a year that pushed the paradigm to redefine its cultural narrative to be in more support of the caregiver and to have forgiveness for systems that no longer support the larger picture. For me personally, this year was all about realizing the answers to my rolodex of questions was never going to be found outside the walls of my home, but within the safe space and certainty found only at the heart center.
Let’s take a look down memory lane…
Winter was the mark of a great paradigm shift, where we challenged the cultural narrative around productivity and purpose and with depth, explored what it meant to show up using the appropriate language to advocate for our needs as women and mothers. We showed new levels of vulnerability, honored one another’s milestone (big and small), and made space for the unspoken spaces of motherhood to be brought towards a greater awareness.
Winter Community Favorites:
❊ Changing The Status Quo of Motherhood Productivity
❊ Hear What I Mean, Not What I Say
❊ A Manifesto For The Unspoken Spaces of Motherhood
❊ Why Rights of Passage Matter
Spring challenged us to befriend discomfort and find a new understanding of zen while navigating the in between who we were and who we were becoming. Together, we turned stereotypical overwhelm on its head by listening more deeply to the needs of the time and creating rituals to reconnect to a steady undercurrent, even amongst the chaos. We also explored the urgency to transform while remembering to tend to our hearts and cultivate an inner landscape that we would be proud to reflect outward.
Spring Community Favorites:
❊ Fear & Discomfort, The Friendly-Foe of Motherhood
❊ Pushing The Cultural Narrative During Challenging Times
❊ As Within, So Without
❊ Tending To Our Hearts
Summer rooted us on a new path – a path that took us inward, reconnected us to our individualized guidance systems, and inspired personal practices that would allow us to fully show up to the present moment. As a community, we rallied behind each other’s daily rhythms and strategies for tuning in and added a layer of devotion to all that we do. The displayed intentionality and intuitive action was a beautiful demonstration of the balance between effort and grace.
Summer Community Favorites:
❊ Awaken The Wise Women Within
❊ Nena Compo on Intentional Self Care & Creating Space
❊ Eva-Maria Smith on Loving Awareness & Motherhood
❊ Anything Sacred is Worth Taking Care Of
Autumn invited us to slow down, observe the natural ebb and flow of change, and acted as a reminder that much of our transformation happens underneath the surface. We built a better understanding of why we practice “coming home” on a daily basis and offered up new perspectives on the often intangible aspects of our sacred service to motherhood. Together, we navigated to our sweet spot with loving tenderness.
Autumn Community Favorites:
❊ Passing Through Center
❊ Dillon Tisdel on Living A Personal Practice Part 1 & Part 2
❊ The In & Out Breath
❊ An Unseen Magic
As 2020 comes to a close with the arrival of the Winter Solstice, I would love to remind us all that the dual nature of all things is the perfect, most fitting remedy for challenging and uncertain times. With darkness there is always light. With death grips there is option to let go and with an ebb there is always a moment of flow.
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.
Sign Up for the Our Seva Community Newsletter!
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.