Hello Beautiful SoulBodies –
Last weekend I attended a service in honor of the life and death of a partner of a friend and colleague. I had met this man twice and each time was touched by his smile and presence but knew him mostly through my friend. She calls him her ‘sweetheart’ and his death at such a young age has been a blow to her and so many people in the circles he played in. When my friend spoke she shared three messages that her sweetie had sent to her in the days after his passing. Thank you…Good Job…I Love you. These words were personal for her but also meant as reminders for us all.
Thank you…let the people around you know that you appreciate them and what they bring to your life. Be specific with your gratitude and offer it regularly.
Good Job…acknowledge their efforts, gifts and the challenges they are moving through. Support their unique journey through this messy and wild humanness…see them and tell them you see them.
I Love You…tell them you love them. More than that, tell them what you love about them, show them how you love them with words, deeds, gestures and presence. Don’t keep your love hidden.
Recently I had the great good fortune of attending a family gathering…3 generations aged 2-73! I am now a member of the older generation…what a privilege and a wild perspective. This act of re-member-ing our tribe was quite an act of persistence and presence as the three generations are scattered across nine time zones and multiple countries. I had resisted going as the travel seemed too much for my nervous system and I am so used to being separated that I didn’t think I would miss much. But as the time grew closer and more and more folks committed to going I started to listen to the deep rumble inside that said, ‘what if…you miss it and never have another chance, what if…you regret it afterwards, what if…there is an opportunity here?’.
And there was an opportunity there…to practice Thank you…Good Job…I Love You. I got to do that in the moment, as we shared food, laughter, tears, fears, grief and more. But also for the past and the ways I can witness and love them even when they are annoying me! I got to ask for one-to-one time with nibings and be the auntie I long to be…that offers supportive hugs, a willing ear and child care as a way of offering my love and acknowledgement.
I encourage you to make these offerings to those you love whether they be blood family or chosen family. Take the time to express what you see/feel/witness when you are around them. Text them a little note. Actually call them and let them hear your voice. Send them a handwritten snail mail note. I invite you to make this a practice and see what happens inside you and between you and in the ways you move through the world.
May we offer our appreciation for those around us regularly and generously
May we cheer and support those around us in their ongoing efforts to navigate life
May we tell those around us we love them and why so they can be held by our words
May we bring wild blessings and fierce love to all we encounter
Practice Prompts:
- Explore the practice of thanking those around you daily…the ones close to your heart and also the ones you cross paths with randomly…your friends, colleagues, the checkout person. See what happens in your being.
- Practice offering your acknowledgment to those around you. What do you see in their struggles, their willingness, their triumphs? Tell them how they inspire you.
- See if you can make the words, ‘I love you’, something more than a rote sign off or response. Take some time to consider ‘what’ you love about this person and share that in words or other ways. Practice being specific.
- I offer one to one sessions, in-person in Bend, Oregon, and virtually all over the world. These sessions are centered on supporting you find nervous system capacity and resiliency through various practices including but not limited to Somatic Experiencing, embodied movement and sensory perceiving. Please email me or schedule a free 20 minute Exploratory Session.
Live Streaming Practice Opportunities:
- Yoga for Resilience, Mondays, 9:30-11am PT, livestream through Body of Insight
- All Levels Yoga, Sundays… Jul 21, Aug 18, 9:30-11am PT, livestream through Two Dog Yoga
- On Demand Yoga Practices…All Levels… through Two Dog Yoga
Inspirational Wisdom:
Biometric
And if they tried
to match the whirl
of my fingerprint,
they’d learn my true
identity is galaxy,
close cousin to the fern,
and sister to the nautilus.
They’d learn I’m most definitely
guilty of Fibonacci.
I leave evidence
everywhere—tiny
invisible swirls,
reminders that I,
too, am hurricane,
eddy, whirlpool,
and sunflower head.
I have been marked
like the pinecone,
spiraling out from the center,
and there’s nothing
I won’t touch.