Happy Sunday, a day of the week that I adore, no matter what.
My cousin came home with this picture of us in the late nineties. A period I have not thought of for a long time. It reminds me that there have been many different phases in this life already and I'm pretty sure I'm not done. Its like having many incarnations in just one life between our very first breath and our very last.
I have never been afraid of forging new paths in life, in fact I take solace in knowing that it's possible. I bet if you collected photos you have from different times and different places, you would see that there was also a different set of priorities, points of view and perspectives of who you felt you were in the world.
We all have characteristics we believe are synonymous with our lives. I bet even those of you who feel that you have always been the same, given the opportunity to view moments of time gone, you'd see differently.
Have you ever been in conversation with someone who said “that’s who I am, and I’m never going to change.“ I bet they already have, many times. That is nature and so are we. We can just get so caught up in the current situation that we forget the distance that we have traveled to get here. Not only that but self identities can be so strong that we can't imagine there is anything other.
When we add our fears, aversions and attachments to an outcome, the sense of being present takes on a whole new meaning. It simply isn't presence. An agenda or taking our life stories too seriously steals the capacity to be present. It steals the freedom to let go, to be at one with what is, to trust or to feel at peace.
Every stage of our life, every mask we wear, past or present, smile to them all for being part of your tapestry. They show up as teachers directly or indirectly in this dance of impermanence that is a gift.
Wherever you are, never fear change, or feel stuck. You can always rewrite your life, big or small and that is enough to ignite appreciation for exactly where you are.
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IRELAND RETREAT.. 2020
If a week of practice in self compassion amidst the limestone and emerald hills, while being supported and nourished deeply appeals to you,
journey with me to Ireland's west coast in Spring or Summer of 2020.
If a week of restorative yoga, meditation, writing, reading, exploring nutrition and sacred sites near the vast Atlantic appeals to you,
definitely journey with me in Spring or Summer of 2020.
The Haelan retreat is SOLD OUT, Sept 1-7, 2019. Email me for the wait list. gisele@tbds.org
The retreats are capped at twelve people so don't wait too long.