Newsletter: September Sigh
September was like a collective sigh as many of us were being asked to let some things go.
Feeling Fall newsletter is a little late because I have been traveling and feeling into the next season with less doing and more being. There’s something about the leaves dropping away from what use to give them life and changing color that beckons me to slow down and honor the rhythms of nature and my life. It is so intoxicating to keep moving and stay in the loop of go go go. Then where am I really ending up? Sometimes exhausted and out of tune with that vibrant life force that is the source of my creativity and inspiration.
Leaning into the rhythms of nature teaches us to slow down and reflect. The flower cannot stay in constant bloom and the moon must wax and wane. We too need a cycle of going inward and being still to remember that our worth is not something to be attained, but by remembering who we are. The gold of the autumn leaves falling away from the trees that held them, is a reminder for us to release and let go of what we don’t need anymore. This is where new life can begin as we patiently grow. When we have the courage to do this we harness the gold of our vulnerability and stand naked in our true beauty.
Having a dedicated yoga and meditation practice helps us return to our center and get still. This is the place of deep inquiry, We can ask what is changing within me and how can I honor this shift? I hope you can take some time to sit with what is falling away and feel into your precious center. I led a retreat in southern France last month that welcomed the shift in the season. It was an honor spending time with some wonderful yogis and this journey nourished me from the inside out. So much wisdom is downloaded when we step away from the doing and into the being. My takeaway from this retreat and into my life was “Simplify”. Simply be at peace with who I am and do the inner work to not let the voices of my gremlins take over. Sometimes we make life more difficult by holding on too tight and too long. Maybe there’s something you can drop away in your life that will bring more ease. When resistance to change ceases, openings begin and magic can happen. I will leave you with the words of my dear friend and student Susie who was with me in France:
"On my flight home reflecting on my trip. Having some beautiful memories of our retreat. I think the word that keeps coming to me is beauty in simplicity. Simply being on our mats. Simply being in a beautiful place. Simply coming together as a group. Simply learning lessons. Simply laughing and crying. Simply practicing. Simply chanting. Simply riding in the rain laughing out loud. Simply experiencing the kindness of strangers. Simply being fully human. Simply being worthy, being enough. Simply feeling accepted and loved. Simply being alive. Simply being in your sweet loving soulful presence was an honor and a privilege. Simply a beautiful experience. A deep heartfelt thank you my friend. Much love and gratitude."
A deep heartfelt thank you to all of you.
Mia