When did you last have the chance to indulge yourself? To gather within yourself for at least 5 minutes or more … what a luxury to have the opportunity to reconnect with YOU … you perhaps ask yourself on a regular basis … WHO AM I? Having forgotten about who you are maybe because you are so busy looking after those around you, or so busy with our 80mph lives that even 5 minutes is just not enough. It’s like your body is stuck on the wheel of EAT, WORK, SLEEP, REPEAT … where is the rest … the time to pause .. to take time out for you?
Laying down everything and starting to build in some self care is essential … looking at all the aspects of our lives … what impacts us the most … many months ago in 2019 (gosh it seems like COVID has been here for a few years – time seems to really drag!) I gathered with other like-minded women … I found a small tribe that wanted to embrace, crack open themselves … release, let go … all words we hear bantered about but do not have the quality time to commit to (we need to find the balance to make the time) when we share the load with our partners, family members, friends then we have the opportunity to connect with ourselves.
… I’m conscious that all members of my household are in need of some of this …
I spoke about “keeping it simple” which has been my motto for a few years and to “just be” in the moment … whatever comes whatever needs to happen, to let that channel through you … to let the emotions bubble and if needs be … escape … erupt … whether that be through sound, movement, music, colours whatever floats your boat …
For me music and movement have always been my go to … but again we hold back … however sometimes you just can’t contain what is happening … and a piece of music may trigger a huge release … when we gathered: for me it was the tribe collectively singing and I felt inspired to join in … and to move … to finally let go of the shitstorm we had been in for the last 6+ months … (apologies for the offensive words) but ohh my goodness to finally be able to honour myself and let this go to start to find the balance in me again … if I don’t fill my own cup how on earth do I serve my family, my clients and ultimately myself?
On a (recent) trip in 2019 … a few synchronicities occurred and again if you know me well I am a great believer in things happening for a good reason … the first was an article on the 7-7 energy
JULY 7: 7-7 ENERGY
“The energy of 7-7 reminds us to pay attention to our intuition and follow our inner guidance. Our deep insight has messages that we need to hear. 7-7 tells us that luck and fortune can change at a moments notice and things can turn around for the better. 7-7 tells us that we are on the right path and to trust in our guidance and abilities along the way. 7-7 highlights uncertainty and where we have self doubt. This is a call to trust ourselves more and to see what we bring to the world. It can also be showing us where abandonment issues are rising so we may heal them. 7-7 represents karma and where we feel the hands of fate at play in mysterious ways in our lives.This energy can bring deeper understanding between worlds such as the spirit world, or between different parts of our lives. 7-7 can bring secrets or the unknown into the light which can have a huge transformational influence on our world.” ~Ara
Then we stumbled on this amazing exhibition … featuring the seven stone sculptures of I Sette Savi (The Seven Sages) produced in 1961 by Fausto Melotti. The sequence centres around the variation of a single theme and brings us to reflect on the composure and sacred appearance of those that who dedicate their lives to the search for knowledge.
All seems to be supporting itself … our search and endeavour to fight for what we believe in, ensuring the truth be heard. To trust in ourselves and each other; to deepen the understanding between different parts of our lives.
Ohhh and would you like to guess what date we travelled on?
Yes you’ve guessed it the 7th July … 7-7 … talk about synchronicity … you just couldn’t have written this one … it also resonated with me because for months we had been searching for knowledge, fighting for the truth and trying to stay unified.
Anyway back to the gathering … the focus being on movement, music, sound … at The Om Studio … a truly delicious offering that complemented each other beautifully. My soul was nourished, cleansed, my body spat out with a force the negatives that it had been storing, a little like those storage units filled with belongings that you just don’t have the heart or energy to go through and set out … this was the day that I finally let go of the baggage … the movement aspect with the lovely Lootie was amazing … connecting through the breath … I’ll hear you all say well that’s an easy one for you … yes it can be … there were challenges … my body did eventually start to relinquish and let go … to just be! I kept it simple and played through my feet, through my tailbone and my pelvis … I let my heart connect to the music and there were pieces of music that completely broke open my shell and I was finally able to cry … to cry and be gently held by the gorgeous Debbie … thank you … I know you read me well … that hug was like someone holding me and saying it’s ok … you can do this … step up and acknowledge that it’s an experience you never thought you’d embrace …as I came down to the relaxation I finally found a comfortable position and was drawn to the mandala created by the gorgeous Heidi … the words in the centre kept calling to me ….
“Love is at the centre of our being, it connects one heart to another, it thrives on acceptance and appreciation, love is our greatest gift.”
As I relaxed and just reconnected … my breath had lengthened and my body had released …
The words around the outer edge also resonated … smiles, tears, loving, laughter, gratitude, kindness, thankfulness, respect, understanding (the last we as a family are still getting our head around) and I’m going to add one more in FORGIVENESS … this may take a long, long time … but I can hope that it will be there for all concerned …
After a cuppa and some restorative chocolate … I relaxed into the sound bath offered by Elizabeth … for those of you who have experienced a Sound Bath you just know – for those of you who haven’t I implore you when we eventually can gather either indoors or out (woodlands are magical) go and experience a Sound Bath … it is immense and takes you to a deeper level.
I started to write this after a pretty awful 6 months little did I know how bad 2019 would be with the sudden death of my lovely dad, the rollercoaster of a journey that would turn out to be and then watching the events for 2020 start to spiral out of China on New Year’s Eve as we watched it starting to snowball out across the world. Little did we think that 2020 would be so challenging (emotionally, physically, mentally & spiritually). I’ve watched my beautiful business shrink to more or less nothing and then start to gently re-grow with such a different emphasis … I came across a message from someone a few years ago when I was in the middle of passionately moaning about how I needed more clients …. I was told I wanted it too much and that was why they weren’t coming … during lockdown I wasn’t busy and run off my feet (made a huge change on how & where I saw my business) … I had a few key clients who sought me out for classes, doula support and postpartum mummy & baby classes … we managed (financially – although for some of you you would be spiralling to the depths of gloom and despair – but this has made me step back a say to myself – HAVE PATIENCE!).
It was a steep learning curve moving things online but I loved and still do love it … although you can’t beat face to face and holding that space for your lovely mummies to be and mummies and babies.
I have also found the time to reconnect to me … I have gone back to another of my passions – taking photographs … I started another instagram page … if you are interested you can find it here: https://www.instagram.com/the_ripple_mama_photography/
I’ve had a lot of fun as my wish was to challenge myself to explore using the manual mode rather than the camera doing everything for me. It was like anything new at the beginning and still is sometimes … a bit hit and miss but then with practice, practice, practice I suddenly got it and the click of the shutter catches an imagine I feel happy with that perhaps speaks from the heart or tells a story … who knows … these photos and the challenge were for my own personal journey … a reflection that I actually like keeping it simple and that I like being in the now … I don’t want drama as one family friend will say when we chat – “how’s the Morrow-Goodman rollercoaster?”
Let’s not tempt fate but let’s just say it’s bumbling along at a gentle pace …
Stay positive lovelies and if you’ve read to here well done … stay safe and look after one another ..
I cannot wait to find some normalcy – whatever form that takes …
hugs Cx