This is hard. No one is judging.
Hello out there!
How are you? Wait, how are you really? I don't know about you but that's been hard for me to answer lately. The truth is, I'm not totally sure. Sometimes I feel great, excited about my work and deeply connected to my communities. Other times, despite all that I am engaged with, I feel a little flat. The lack of new input, new environments and new landscapes have dulled my senses a bit. I'm aware of how much my outer landscapes serve to bring alive my inner experience and these days, I'm not exactly getting out there!
I'm also noticing that the zoom reunions, extra "hello, I'm thinking about you" texts and emails from folks I haven't heard from in a while are falling away. Yesterday, a friend shared this anonymous FB post with me (thanks Jaclyn!):
You’re not imagining it, nobody seems to wanna talk right now.
Messages are brief and replies late. Talk of catch ups in zoom are perpetually put on hold.
Group chats are no longer pinging all night long.
It’s not you.
It’s everyone.
We are spent.
We have nothing to say.
We are tired of saying “I miss you” and “I can’t wait for this to end”.
So we mostly say nothing, put our heads down and get through each day.
You’re not imagining it.
This is a state of being like no other we have ever known because we are all going through it together but so very far apart.
Hang in there my friend.
When the mood strikes, send out all those messages and don’t feel you have to apologize for being quiet.
This is hard.
No one is judging.
This post reminded me of how much we need connection and community and how difficult it can be to reach out when we just don't feel that we have much to share.
And yet, now, more than ever, we need those connections.
When you're not traveling, not exploring, not seeing those outer landscapes reflected inside, it's community and connection that can wake you up, light the spark and help you feel your own aliveness!
Research shows that fostering relationships and being a part of a community nourishes us in so many ways:
It makes us feel seen, cared for and loved
It lowers our stress levels by making us feel safer
It makes us feel stronger and builds our resilience
It increases our optimism, making us feel more hopeful
It grows our feelings of connectedness, making us feel less isolated and more grateful
So here are three gentle invitations for you today:
Reach out and connect! Send me or someone else an email or a text or an old fashioned letter. Tell us how you are really doing and ask for what you need. Some days we just need an ear and others, a piece of wisdom or some encouragement. I've been purposely reaching out to people I haven't connected with in a while and it has felt wonderful. Make a goal of going out of your way to connect with at least one person a week.
Ask yourself what brings you alive. Find a way to engage with that part of you. I'm aware of how nourished I am by an intimate relationship with the land and how cultivating that relationship makes me feel more enlivened - more fully me. And yet, I've not made much of an effort this winter to spend regular, mindful time nourishing that relationship. If the question, "what brings you alive" is one you'd like to explore through yoga therapy or another therapeutic modality, find your person! I have a few spots available if you'd like to work with me individually.
Join a group or community. If you're missing yoga and meditation, join Your Yoga: a Virtual Community. You can get started with a free one week trial. We are a lovely and loving group of people sharing yoga and stories and resources. If yoga isn't what's in your heart, is there something you’ve been wanting to learn or practice or put more energy into? If so, find a community to join around that topic. We are more likely to follow through on our own goals and interests when we have the support of others who are doing the same.
Just sit with these invitations for a moment...
What do you notice in your mind/body/brain?
If your body could talk, what would it tell you to do?
What could you offer yourself this week that would feel warm, supportive and connecting?
Yes, these times are hard. But is there a way to make them a little easier?
As always, if I can be a resource in any way, don’t hesitate to reach out. And if you just feel like having a virtual cup of coffee, please reply to this email. I would love to connect with you!
Sending so much love your way,
Rachel