It is towards the end of the year and it has been quite a while since I have written a newsletter or a post. Though I have sat down many times to do so, it appears that the words I want to form are not there, or are not ready to form themselves. Yesterday, as I sat in the back of a car on the way home from a beautiful long, yet too short, weekend, it came to me.
It is almost 2014, and I have no idea where the year 2013 has gone, I am sure many of us feel similar. I was thinking about how I did not write out about the holidays and wish everyone a merry season, and I did not express my gratitude for everyone I have met over the past year. I think of you all very often. The way you have impacted my life, I am so thankful.
The last year for me has been like a power vinyasa class with techno / rage music blasting through the room. AKA in my book, a nightmare, though occassionally appropriate. In this whirlwind of minutes, seconds, months, and weeks I have also been walking in slow motion through all the movements seeing the reprocussions of actions amplified. It seems to me that we are all searching for balance, to become a better version of ourselves, heal what is wounded, and love life. For us to feel these things, this desire to change shift and alter, it is first important for us to recognize what is the root cause of these feelings; what is lacking in our lives that causes us to feel like we need to improve. Deficiency and excess go hand in hand with each other.
The most common example is when we have a relationship that ends it is more often than not that we choose that time to start going to the gym, setting goals, beginning a new project, etc. Because suddenly there is a deficiency of love, an excess of space and to bring it to balance we need to put something there, whether physically or energetically.
This balance of energy happens in so many different ways and areas of life. The physical, emotional/mental, and spiritual all mix together to brings us to a whole. Examples are as follows, of course they are not always the case, though I do run across them quite often in sessions.
Low back pain, lack in the area of support.
Tight hips, a stubborness of moving forward and not grabbing too much to life.
The loss of a loved one, an excess of sadness.
Atkins diet, lack of fruit grains and vegetables, an excess of acidity.
Raw food diet, a lack of grounding to the world as we know it.
Addiction, a lack of fulfillment elsewhere.
Crash diet to a binge.
A weak left hip, pain in the right side of the back.
Extreme controlling behavior feels a lack of control in their own lives.
This list could go on for day, months, and years, and all it does is show us, feed us the information as to how we are seeeking to be balanced. It does not need to be used in an abusive way, rather a way that is explorative and acknowledging to what is going on and where there is a excess or a deficiency. When an issue arises we ask ourselves "what is the opposing force for that specific issue?". Physically speaking, we look at the opposite side of the body for the compensation. The left hip can rarely muster enough strength to overpower for the a weak left knee. But the right hip has the ability to gather the strength it needs to take over for the left knee. Equally, if we are not feeling enough love in our relationship, it is us that needs to gather our strength and learn to love ourselves more instead of putting it on the other person.
Sometimes these things are fixable, and sometimes they just take time and awareness, so that we can approach it with responsibility. If we feel a sudden desire to change our diet and swing into a serious cleanse, it will not magically reverse all of the years that we ate like shit. It becomes a process of recognition, appreciation and respect for the process. If we truly do not respect the process or see that it is one then we will not be able to achieve it long term. The root problem needs addressing.
As we approach the beginning of a new year it seems like a good time to make some changes. After all we have all the information from the past year to teach us what can change and shift. We are full of knowledge. So let us reflect what we want to change and what might be causing our desire to change, and then let us talk about it with others on a new level. Rather than just saying I want to lose weight or I want a new job, put it out there with more detail and honesty about what it is really happening so that you can see the real issue. "I want to lose weight because I am uncomofortable, and I am uncomfortable because I have not taken the time to appreciate myself, and I put too much energy into other people, and not enough into myself." Or "I want a new job because I do not feel valued, my boss does little to recognize my skills and I deserve recognition, I recognize myself."
We are all in this together. To support, coach, listen, reflect those we come across. And in times like these, where there is chaos and overwhelm with busy lives, it is when we need this honesty the most.
Have a Happy New Year! Love!
Adriane
