Hey there Healer Soul,
Last week I said YES to a 3 day healing retreat for myself and I am really feeling the consequences of leaning into this opportunity for holding and expansion.
When I woke up this morning the only word that came to mind was Ugggghhhhhhh!
My ego wishes I could sound more enlightened and tell you all about my morning gratitude practice and my deeply spiritual meditation that led into yoga, but I'd be full of shit if I said that today so I'm trusting that there's nothing more spiritual than the truth and sharing that with you instead.
So many of us are being called to say YES to expansion right now, aren't we?
Maybe it's expanding our work in new directions beyond the status quo of what's been familiar and comfortable. For me, this looked like closing my psychotherapy practice even though I loved it and it was abundant and satisfying in so many ways.
Maybe it's expanding our relationships by being honest about what's working and what's no longer a fit. For me, this is getting clear about what I'm ready for in my next romantic relationship and opening my heart to receive it.
Maybe it's expanding our health by following the call to move more or eat more of this or less of that. For me, this is reintegrating dance into my daily routine and allowing my body to move freely as it wants to.
However expansion is showing up for you, I'm honoring that it may also be joined by consequences and today I want to share some of what I'm noticing in my own process as I'm imagining we are riding these waves together.
Consequences of saying yes...
1) Discomfort: Ouch! Stretching is uncomfortable. As I reach for the next level of myself, I use muscles I haven't exercised in a while. It sucks in the moment and when I breathe into it I notice an opening and the discomfort shifts to curiosity and anticipation and readiness for what is next. The process isn't quite as concise as I make it sound here...it's messy and can take a little while depending on how resistant I am being to the natural expansion that is inviting me in, but this is the cliff notes version :)
2) Fear: Danger! Expanding feels scary to parts of me who learned it's their job to play small and hide to keep us safe. I can try to talk them out of it all day long but those cognitive strategies don't touch lifetimes of not feeling able to safely be the full essence of who I am. In these moments it's just breathing and allowing them to feel scared as my body comes back online (and body work is doing wonders to release these stories from my cellular and energetic memory!)
3) Freedom: Pleasure! Expanding is the ultimate permission to be freely myself and as I hold space for the discomfort and fear, I always reach a sense of freedom that is waiting for me on the other side and it's so worth it.
Are you willing to say yes to your expansion and hold space for the discomfort and fear to welcome the freedom?
Pleasure and ease are waiting for you. You just have to show up and say YES.
If you'd like support as you move through these messy spaces, I'm here to hold it with you.
Click here to see if my upcoming Healers Retreat in San Diego is resonant for you.
Who says healing can't be luxurious? Here's a picture of our beautiful location...
Gently down the ugggghhh days stream,