Sacred Thread Update: Early March New Moon 2022

March 2, 2022/Elizabeth Rainey/

Hello Fellow Body-Mind-Hearts –

“While the outside world rushes to move on, the experience of the pandemic has yet to fully leave my body. Parts of my body, my mind, my spirit are still trapped in the limbo of pandemic despair, pandemic depression, pandemic numbness, pandemic survival. I will NOT be pressured to move at the breakneck speed of capitalism that wants to forget everything. I will remind myself as often as I can to move at the pace of my own healing, and be attuned to my own slow and tender needs.” ~Yumi Sakugawa, Artist

I have spoken to so many folks lately who are actively starting to re-engage with the world in new, yet familiar ways and who are confused, elated and exhausted by the effort. This time of transition may last quite awhile and needs to be tended and honored as we will all navigate it differently. Our bodies, minds and hearts have been deeply impacted by the experience of the past few years of pandemic living, not to mention whatever else was happening in our lives. Our nervous system reflects these impacts in the way we may feel stuck in one state or a little less fluid in a our ability to move between states of activation and calm and overwhelm.

Recently, I had the great good fortune of spending some time with longtime good friends who hadn’t been with in five years! I cried several times over the course of our long weekend together. My tears were of relief in finally being in their presence again with the ease that comes with dropping into a familiar and connected space. And my tears were also of grief at all that has happened and how tender, precious and precarious it all feels. What struck me more than my tears was my daily crank factor and need to withdraw away from my loved ones! Each day I would reach a saturation point which is not a new experience for me when being active and engaged with others for a prolonged time. But it seemed I reached my limit more quickly and it surprised me because I wasn’t ready to stop being there. But my nervous system was telling me to slow down, sip and not gulp, take a break and come back when I was more available. And I was able to own my overwhelm and retreat to a nap or a break outside or simply a few moments of grouching and vocal release to the appreciation and humor of my friends.

Each of us will need to find our way in the pulse of moving out and retreating back in, of being with folks and being alone, scheduling activities and finding quiet time. And part of this is learning to listen to the language of your body to know when to slow down and when to speed up. Neither is inherently good or bad simply what we are capable of in the moment. Know that I support, urge, invite and encourage you to listen deeply, honor your own rhythm and do what you can to learn more and more about your own way of dancing this wild dance of life.

Guiding Lights…
One of the things I am committed to is finding and listening to voices that are different from mine but speak to the work and offerings I wish to make in the world. In the past few years I have come to notice how easy it is to only have my experience and similar voice reflected back to me. Yet, there are so many wise folks whom I can learn from who may look and experience life differently from me. I have been really loving Prentis Hemphill’s Podcast, Finding Our Way, as part of this deepening of my learning. Prentis is a somatic coach, a therapist, an activist and much more. The folks they interview are so wise and their presence and conversation full of wisdom we all need to hear. Finding Our Way is a conversation between Prentis and activists, artists and leaders to discuss how to realize the world we want through our own healing and transformation. This isn’t a podcast about answers. It is an exploration into ourselves, and the skills we need to create and embody the world we want. Throughout the first season, they dove into topics like embodiment, boundaries, harm, and creativity. It will be a space to share struggles, mistakes, and distill some lessons learned from our journeys up to this point.

May we listen to the quiet and loud voice of ur body reminding us of when is needed now

May we honor our own rhythms and the knowing that each person has their unique pacing

May we offer kindness and compassion to those suffering around us in differing ways

May we acknowledge the challenging circumstances of life and still endeavor to bring beauty and kindness forward

Practice Prompts:

Take some time to pause and listen into your body’s reaction when considering an activity or endeavor that is new (even if it is familiar from years gone by). Does it shrink and collapse or thrum and sparkle at the idea. Use this as a guide for your choices. If it seems that your body is not forthcoming with any sensations or wisdom don’t give up. Keep inquiring and being curious about it. Every emotion has a corresponding ‘feeling’ even if we may not be entirely conscious of it.
Consider the rhythm of your day, your week, your month when you are scheduling activities. Make sure you don’t loose the anchors of your regular people/places/activities that ground, steady and sport you.
Give yourself time to be in nature in whatever way it is available to you. Let the trees, bodies of water, rocks, animals teach you about being present and resilient in different ways and with different kinds of rhythms.
Schedule a free 20 minute Exploratory Session to learn more about what I offer in my private sessions and how I might be able to help you learn the language of your body and ways to follow it’s wisdom.

Upcoming Live Streaming Practice Opportunities:

Inspirational Wisdom:

Tell Me the Tales of Your Travels

Tell me a story
Tell me your story

Tell me how you got here
The roads that led to this moment
Take me to the crossroads
Show me the paths you chose

Walk me along your treasured tracks
The tough mountains you have crossed
Show me the signposts that pointed the way
And the dead ends that left you almost defeated

And along the way, show me your summer picnic places
where happy memories still sit in the sun smiling
Share with me your secret places
where you sheltered when you were lost and adrift
Tell me, of the people you loved and have left their sweet mark
and the ones whose harshness hollowed out your heart

Recount to me all your stories
So I can know
what it was that made you.
Why some things soften your face
and others catch your breath and your eyes say no

Tell me the story
Tell me your story

~ Jane O’Shea

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with Elizabeth Rainey

Reclaim your Resiliency