You can't push the river...

Incredible humans,

The other day, I was doing a long, juicy yoga practice.

The way I usually practice yoga, is I let my body lead. I let it tell me what movement and what pose it needs next.

The other day, I kept finding myself in a shape, thinking, what pose am I going to do next? I would run through a bunch of options in my head, should I do this pose next? And then maybe into this one? But as I was brainstorming, none of them felt quite right. They all felt a little forced. So I just stayed in the pose I was in for longer.

I let the existing pose/movement complete itself. And what I found was insightful.

When the existing pose felt truly complete, the next pose was so obvious, I didn't even have to think of what it was. My body just completed, and moved forward. And the next pose was often NOT what I thought it might be, and yet it felt OH SO RIGHT. 

In reflecting on this experience, and paralleling it to life of course, I thought, would my body have known exactly what to do next when the existing pose was complete, if I hadn't thought about it in my uncertainty? If I hadn't spent a few moments wondering where I would go next, would I have been able to move smoothly to the next shape?

I don't know the answer for sure. But I'm going to guess no. I'm going to guess that this is exactly the process of creating, shifting, expanding. 

Step one. Wait. Stay in the current moment, fully. Let the current circumstance fully complete itself, without rushing it. 
Step two. While current moment is completing itself, ponder where you might like to go next, and simply notice how those thoughts land in your experience. Do you like them? Do they add stress? Do they feel heavy or hard or resistant? Do they feel free, easy, powerful, exciting?
Step three. Stay present. Be there with yourself as this current moment completes itself. As you finish breathing, processing, holding whatever is happening now. Don't leave it behind to attend to the new ideas or solutions.
Step four. Watch as the current circumstance closes, and the next door opens so big and bright that you don't even have to question if it's the right one. 
Step five. Walk through the new door with ease. Trust. 


I've heard a lot of, "don't rush" during this time of quarantine. And I think that's important. I think the world has been giving a twisted opportunity to SLOW the heck down. 

But I also think this process is more than just not rushing. It's about sitting in the uncertainty, without acting. It's about balancing that need to MOVE FORWARD, with the need to BE HERE. It's about truly honoring the space in which you are in, without giving up or resigning to the prospect of moving out of it.

I'm hesitant to say it's about patience, because it's not totally about making yourself wait. But it is about presence. And it's about the DYNAMIC of staying present, while looking forward, without secretly wishing you were more forward than you are. 


During this time, I am taking my time. 
I am resting.
I am connecting with nature, and my family.
I am reading. I am studying. 

And, I'm going to add: I'm working.

I'm maybe not working AS MUCH in the traditional sense of doing emails and teaching classes. But I'm working in the sense that I'm letting the work move through me. I'm chewing on it. I'm processing it. 

And the slowness is allowing me to stay with it more authentically. To stay with the parts that feel sticky or unclear, instead of trying to force a decision or something to DO on it. 

My hope for you is you are finding some clear moments, if not LOTS of them. Moments where you can really enjoy the sweetness of being with yourself with all that that comes with. 

And if you need support, you know where to find me. 

Sending you so much love,

Xo

Jessie