The Invitation to Fall in Love
Sitting on my yoga mat this morning had me feeling exuberant at 6:00 am. Not about my yoga practice, per se. But rather, about my devotion to a decision I had made. Not too long ago I realized that my yoga and exercise routine had become void of inspiration.
During the last few weeks I’ve taken a “slow down” attitude to every area of my life. Not an easy thing for a reforming perfectionista to do!!
In that space of bringing my over-zealous momentum to a screeching halt I decided to stop doing my usual “Yoga with Adriene” routines. Instead I would just come to sit with my coffee on my mat every morning, and see what felt good to me.
I remembered that years ago, this was where I started my day.
In those days I cherished my cross-legged forward bends.They grounded me in my breath and body. I use to sit on my mat first thing every morning.
With a little cushion under my bum, I’d spend 15 minutes folding forward, slowly breathing my way into it–until I got my forehead to the mat. I had gotten away from this practice and my morning yoga routine had not felt fulfilling in a long time.
I confess, it had become more focused on doing than being.
In honor of my “slow down” mantra this seemed like the perfect time to begin a new exploratory discipline for the winter.
I had settled on to my mat and was feeling inspired to move into my forward fold when suddenly an old familiar friend shouted out at me.
My right hip was throwing a temper tantrum. I’ve known for some time that she wanted my attention. I knew there was some “stuff” in there. But I was shocked at how deep and intense the pain was!
Me to my hip: “No freaking way am I going to let you derail my new devotion. We’re going to continue.”
Several breaths out. Several breaths in. Oh, that’s a little better 🙂
My hip to me: Did you not just hear me? Let’s just hang out here for a little bit and chat.”
I decided to listen. Not to any voices or guides, but to the messages from my body. I decided to just hang out and have a conversation with my body. When is the last time you did that? When is the last time you asked your body what it wanted and sat still long enough to feel into the answer?
Or do you follow a cookie-cutter protocol from someone that has never lived a day in your skin? Do you relinquish your ability to connect your soul with your body’s wisdom?
As I leaned forward towards my yoga mat I felt a wave of peace and gratitude move through me.
All these years my body has endured the traumas I put it through. The list is LONG!
But in that moment, as peace and gratitude washed over me the conversation with my hip and began to change…
Me to my hip: “Thank you for supporting me all these years. Thank you for moving me forward in life. Thank you for holding me upright, for being so strong, no matter what. Through all the falls, (I can be a real klutz) you’ve always held it together. I love you.“
And on my next breath Gracon asked… “How many people do you think really spend any time loving or thanking their bodies.”
I was frozen in the question.
As I continued to breathe into the pain and offer deep gratitude to my body I tried to remember if I had ever heard anyone verbalize out loud that they loved their body for all it had done for them.
I couldn’t remember a time.
Had I ever heard anyone acknowledge the wisdom and fine tuning it takes for our bodies to just breathe and sleep at night.
It occurred to me what little respect we have for our bodies.
We just keep pushing everything to the limit without listening at all and then when it tries to get our attention we do everything we can to silence its voice of love and wisdom.
We wouldn’t get away with treating our friends this way.
We demand that it perform on cue… no matter what. We pump it full of junk food, alcohol, sugar, cigarettes, marijuana, Ayahuasca, and God knows what else…so we can “feel better”. We over exert and overload so we can “look better”.
And the list goes on and on in my mind.
Where did we learn to treat our bodies with such little respect?
Even our holistic therapies…
Shouldn’t they be bringing us closer to loving our bodies and working in synergy with our “whole” self?
I wonder who is at fault here?
Is it our cultural programming? Is it the doctors? The AMA? The pharmaceutical companies?
Is it me, asking the wrong questions? How have we come to have no inclination to care for our bodies and treat them with love and respect?
Are we so disconnected from ourselves?
For nearly 25 years, since the second of my 3 back surgeries, I have taken the time to talk to my body. I’ve observed that when I’m willing to sit down and talk to my body it always has something wise to tell me.
Why isn’t this our first line approach–to commune with brilliance of our divinely ordered bodies?
Are we afraid of the answer? Are we afraid of what our bodies will say when we talk the time to listen, really listen?
We pretend to fight for the power to choose what we do with our bodies, yet, collectively hand our power over to something outside ourselves, when we don’t respect and honor our ability to commune with and trust our own inner healing voice.
Have we become so programmed by fear of what could be wrong that we just want someone else to take responsibility for it all?
Is it just easier to give it over to someone else than it is to honor, cherish, and trust ourselves? Let me do anything I can to avoid listening to what my body might be trying to tell me? What it wants to protect me from? Or the message of my soul?
After 20 minutes of breathing and chatting with my body–the conversation ended with this message from my hip…
”Thank you, I love you. Thank you for listening to me. Thank you for sitting with me. Thank you for breathing new life into me.
I have been carrying a heavy weight for many years. It has been my honor to hold you up but there are things that you don’t need anymore, heavy burdens that you can let go of. They are weighing us down.
You know what they are. You’re ready now. They’ve been eating away at you, at me. Eating away at the very fabric and structure of life… your joy!
We’re ready. Let’s do it. Let’s be free. Let’s move forward. You are safe. You are strong. I am here, I am here, I am here.”
Is it possible—is there room for you to accept the invitation for love?
The next time your body grabs your attention with a temper tantrum, (an ache, a pain, a cold, or a panic attack), could you move into a loving and respectful conversation with it, (before, during, or after a medical intervention) to ask it what it really wants you to know?
With Gratitude and love,
P.S. Whenever you’re ready… here are 3 ways I can help you create vibrant health and elevate your income and impact out in the world.1. If your one thing is to heal health imbalances – and be coached by me one-on-one apply to join me in the Body Freedom Blueprint – Click Here.2. If your one thing is to uncover the core cause of your symptoms and imbalances apply for Live Without LImits Group Program Click Here.3. If your one thing is to grow your Activate Your Personal Power and Purpose. Click Here.
Have some questions? I’m happy to answer them.email: Martha@marthablessing.comI’ll personally respond