Life Practice and Body Wisdom
What could be more powerful than choosing to live life in alignment with your purpose? I have had a vision, a calling in my life, for as long as I can remember. If I could name the time when it first appeared, it would be shortly after my earliest childhood trauma. I am quite certain that this inner life vision was an adaptive coping mechanism... an inner safe place that I created for myself; my first memory of the wisdom of the body.
I created a place for healing, a place of safety and support, a place where I couldn't be hurt or violated, a place where I was not alone, a place of community.
When I was a child, my family was very active in a Christian faith community and much of the compassionate service that is associated with Jesus Christ, directly impacted my sense of self. My earliest memories of what I call life practices included prayer, study of spiritual text, service to others, maintaining a clean and orderly home space, fellowship with others and practicing forgiveness. Throughout my life this vision has ebbed and flowed, becoming more and less clear depending on the circumstances that I found myself in.
Today, I find myself walking into a new realm of life practice, where I am choosing to live and work in attunement with my calling; now more than ever before. Breathing Room KC is the expression of this ethic; the messenger is the message. Throughout my career, working in schools, non-profit organizations, collaborating with a broad diversity of social sectors, I have frequently found myself living out of alignment with my body wisdom. What does this look?
Power Struggles
Friction
Gossip
Feeling Misunderstood
Burn out
Following orders that violate my values/ beliefs/ ethics
Making decisions based on fear
Creating Breathing Room KC is a step into the full expression of my personal power and purpose. All of the work that I do, for the rest of my life, will be in full attunement to my purpose.
I practice what I preach. I sit in silence. I listen first to understand and then to be understood. I yield when appropriate and I lead by example. I live in concert with nature and with my fellow humans. I fearlessly speak truth to power. I walk into all experiences ready to receive a new lesson. I am both student and teacher. I eat food that is healthy and nutritious for my mind, body, spirit. And when I choose to eat treats and such, I do it without shame or guilt. I get enough sleep. I accept opportunities to collaborate that are aligned with my purpose, without over-extending myself or my business. I bring my best self into all that I do. I hunt the good and the blind-spots. I am a force for change in our world. I illuminate pathways to body wisdom and societal healing. I actively work to dismantle white supremacy and the deep roots of trauma that effect each of us in our society. I name my own white privilege and seek to use it to benefit, support and empower people of color. I practice humility as I work to use my power in this world.
Daily life practices are essential. One of my favorites is a calendar reflection meditation. I use a large desktop calendar. Each month I approach the practice a bit differently.
One word or phrase to focus my mind
A question to direct my reflection, relevant to a current struggle or opportunity
An affirmation
A quote
A doodle
A gratitude
