Inside the Box

I never know where inspiration might come that will ignite the idea for my weekly blog. Having written consistently over the past 15 plus years, I have grown to simply trust that some spark will arise if I simply stay open to the possibility of what may come to me. I have also become good at latching onto conversations or comments that cross my path from week-to-week, feeling into the energy and everyday concerns that people, including myself, have.

This week's inspiration came from a conversation with a younger relative. He's 25-years old, single, a college graduate, and uninspired by his job. He's looking for something different but doesn't know what and he has an interest in travel. Not surprisingly, my words of support were to take off traveling...he has no major responsibilities to keep him planted in the same place. He has the opportunity in many directions to explore and venture into that void of the unknown, yet knowing if need be, he can head back to something more familiar. I harkened back to a time when I was finishing up as the head coach of a gymnastics club. I was at an impasse as to what to do next. I knew I'd keep teaching the casual aerobics/fitness class but quietly made a deal with myself that over the next 12 months I would say "yes" to anything that seemed interesting and reasonable.

I wound up working at a very popular pub in Melbourne, The Geebung Polo Club, learning how to cook. I loved the fast-paced, very social, and hectic work environment. It was lively and interactive. I was good at getting food out quickly in a short period of time and fine-tuning my cooking skills. I had even considered going to a culinary academy but shelved that idea as my main goal was to travel extensively. Had I not given myself permission to try something different, I may have stayed "inside the box" which is one of comfort and familiarity.

And that's the main thought of the week...to notice when things feel familiar and comfortable, and to notice if there's something sitting outside of the box that you're curious about. Something that may have been lurking in the shadows of your consciousness but for whatever reason has stayed hidden. Sometimes we believe the "no" voice roaming inside our heads. We believe in the limitations we set for ourselves and keep the heart-pulling endeavor tucked away. But what if anything were possible? What if you didn't have to worry about the "how" to do it, and just took one step toward it? 

I have also witnessed how these opportunities to take chances are finite as I've seen my Mother's world shrink. She has dementia and the possibility of exploring has diminished. I see this as another reason to explore and uncover what lights your fire, sooner, rather than later.

We've just passed the New Moon cycle, a perfect time for planting seeds of intention that we hope manifest in the future. This week in classes we've been working on staying open to the potential that sits before us. We begin the process by getting truly grounded, sending energetic roots of energy from our body into the earth. From that starting point, from connecting into a familiar and solid energy, we inhale into a field of infinitely expanded space. As we exhale, energy returns through our envisioned energetic roots to the "Mothership" once again connecting back to the familiar. As we continue connecting to the breath, each inhaling breath expanding into the unknown potential, each exhaling breath connecting to the familiar, we eventually point our hearts in the direction of something that we're curious about, yet is sitting in the shadows. As we breathe into it, we begin the process of linking what we wish to manifest from the unknown into the known. It's as though we are silently speaking our intention to the Universe, tilling the soil for future manifestation.

Happy exploring!