I’m back from Bali and….WOW.
The way spirituality is woven into regular daily life.
The beauty of incense wafting and offerings everywhere.
The glorious food – Gado Gado (this is a simple dish with steamed potato, carrot, green beans, sprouts and spinach served with the most divine peanut sauce ever), the fish and the fresh fruit – dragonfruit is my new favorite.
The voices that rise from the jungle in song each evening as people pray and give thanks.
And how can I forget the lizard, I mean DRAGON, I saw scurry across my path one morning. I swear it was 4 feet long at least!
Bali is so magical and it welcomed all parts of me home to myself. I gave myself the space and time – and the retreat provided the sacred container to share in sisterhood and dive way deeper than I anticipated into my subconscious and my habits, my divine self and source, my ancestry, my devotion, and my business. I am a powerful woman.
(I know you are powerful, too. Do you?)
I felt called to share a little about embodiment today, because I think most people think I’m all about THE BODY. And I AM! Physicality. Movement. Activity. Exercise. Breath. Yoga. Dance. Franklin Method.
As a colleague of mine says, ‘Movement is my love language.’
Yet there are other facets to who I am, really to each of us, that make us fully human and fully divine. Wholeness.
To me, movement is more than just physical practice.
It means we feel movement in our LIFE – we know how to get unstuck, how to improve our relationships, to love on ourselves more, and how to course correct to steer our lives in a direction we desire. Movement, change, provides fulfillment and purpose.
I most often reflect on this using the lens of the 5 koshas, or the 5 sheaths, layers that make us ‘us’. The physical body is the most tangible, gross material layer – what we can see and touch. We also have an energy body, a mental/emotional body, a discerning and intuitive Higher Self, and our connection to soul and spirit – our own divine existence.
All of these layers influence and interact with each other. For example, have you ever been stressed about something for days, and you end up with either the runs or constipation because of it? Or experience physical pain that happens to arrive along with bad news, or disappear with good news? Or have you ever felt so connected to yourself and nature/spirit/God that everything in your life and body seems to work better?
Yoga philosophy knows these parts of us interact always, and many teachers claim that the subtle effects the gross more than the inverse. Which means that our embodied practice needs to not only address the physical needs we have for safety, air, water, food, and shelter – but in order for us to truly feel whole and well, we must pay attention to our most subtle emotional and spiritual needs, too.
I had a consult today with a woman interested in my 4 month immersion program, and she found it so helpful to know this framework is what I most often turn to when it comes time for talking or coaching during a session. Using this model means that all parts of her are welcome, and likely, all parts of her will benefit from our practice together.
Yes, much of what I teach and how we work together is through embodied practice, yet there’s a strong component of me holding space for you to learn to coach yourself into your own becoming. Whew – that was a mouthful. Meaning, I support you in doing your own best work. Not for the faint of heart, but if you want a courageous, adventurous, fulfilled life in this one body you’ve been given…you gotta do the work. What you crave to experience, how you want life to feel, to seek and find what fulfills you, and how to finally take action in meaningful ways is all possible for YOU.
Knowing stuff is great.
Embodying and putting it into action is where we find magic.
Community, connectedness and the support of a teacher – magnify your results.
I hope this helps you understand what I do a bit better – and to start brainstorming what you’d focus on in a practice together if you choose me as your teacher now, or down the road. I believe in your capacity to learn, grow and thrive.
For the rest of 2018, I’ll be booking only monthly sessions with new or returning clients.
If you’re interested in a deep dive with the 4 month immersion, we begin again in February 2019 and I’m scheduling consults now to build our next intimate cohort. reach out to me if you want to discuss what’s posil for you.
To your wholeness,
Cheri
