Hello Fellow Body-Mind-Hearts –

How do we withstand the ongoing pressure that is life right now (and truth be told, most of the time)? We seek under-standing…we inquire into the ground of this moment. What is supporting my body…which in turn is holding my psyche and my heart?

How do we shift  from “I can’t stand this a moment longer!” to “I have understanding and support.”. One key, I believe, is to discover where we are standing in any given moment. Literally…where are my feet, my sit bones, my body in contact with the earth? How do I contact the support that is HERE, moment to moment, and allow my body to register it?  How does that give me strength and capacity to stand with the challenges of life instead of being overwhelmed?

Much of my inquiry over the past few decades has been about the wisdom of the body. A learning to listen and attune to its subtle and not so subtle sensations and signals in order to gain more capacity for this embodiment journey that is being human. It has also been an unlearning of body as an object to be manipulated, pressured and dismissed. The language we use often reflects our physical experience. These phrases about understanding, and withstanding, and standing up for, and not being able to stand something have their roots in the physical capacity to feel our strength as well as the support of the earth and it’s gravity web of life. 

The actual act of noticing the ground upon which we stand (or sit, or recline) and allowing that support into our awareness is powerful. It can help our nervous system down shift a little and our body soften slightly in the knowledge that we are, in actuality, supported…we truly have ground upon which to stand. When we can feel supported through our bones, we can sense into a capacity to with-stand the circumstances at hand. We are not alone in our meeting of life, we are held in the embrace of gravity to the sustenance of the earth. 

This is a practice that is ongoing as the ground is always shifting, yet still constant. I do this many times a day to help me remember my place in this embedded web of life and earth. It doesn’t take away the burdens and challenges but it does help me feel a sense of not having to stand under the pressure alone. It allows me to register the understanding that is inherent in my relationship with the ground and therefore support me in my understanding and withstanding of life around me.

I invite you to explore this with me and let me know what you discover.

May we feel our body held in the embrace of gravity to the body of mother earth and know we are supported 
May we allow the minerals of our bones to resonate, in recognition and belonging, with the minerals of the earth 
May we find under-standing, in that which stands under us and with those around us
May we stand in our truth and offer our kind presence to all we encounter who are also seeking ground

Practice Prompts:

• Take a few minutes to stand and feel your feet on the ground…notice the pressure and the contact. Where is this support arriving in you? Notice your feet, ankles, knees, thighs, hips, gut, solar plexus, heart, throat, head and eyes. Sway side to side gently like an elephant. Allow this to be fluid and organic. Notice the places where support is felt and perhaps others that are stiff or fixated and not open to the support of the ground. Notice with kindness and generosity.
• Take some time each day to wake up your feet…gentle massage or squeezing, rolling on a firm ball, rocking through the ankles. See how this can deepen the perceiving of your feet into the ground as you stand and walk.
• As you stand or walk practice gazing from your feet. Allow your eyes to look at the world around you from the place where you are sensing the ground. See if this changes the way you view and receive the world around you.
• Join me for the next Continuum Inquiry Playshop and we will explore the legs and the feet as roots for the heart and our deeper understanding of the world.
• Although I am not currently accepting new clients, you are welcome to schedule a free 20 minute Introductory Consultation to learn more about what I offer. From there, you can decide to be put on a wait list for a future opening or receive a referral to a colleague.

Upcoming Live Streaming Practice Opportunities:

• Monday 10-11:30am PT All Levels Yoga via online streaming through Seattle Yoga Arts
• Sunday 10-11:30am PT All Levels Yoga via online streaming through Two Dog Yoga Studio
• Yoga Nidra Practice, Sunday, Feb 21, 5:30-7pm PT, via online streaming through Two Dog Yoga
• Full Moon Mandala Practice, Tuesday, Feb 25, 7-8:30pm PT via online streaming through Seattle Yoga Arts
• Continuum Moving Inquiry Playshop, Monday, Mar 8, 6:30-8:30pm PT via online streaming through Body of Insight

Inspirational Wisdom:

Mahonia

Spiny leaves lacerate,

wounding tender flesh

in all seasons.

And then, during our darkest days,

yellow blooms radiate

like sunshine

bringing cheer to weary souls;

and nectar

for that dazzling winged creature –

the hummingbird –

itself a paradox,

being tiny and intrepid.

We are reeling from a year

of struggle, strife, and anguish

and yet Nature beckons us to believe

we can carry both the brutal

and the beautiful.

∼ Gabriella Möller, 2020