Feeling the flow

I have been thinking a lot about balance. In particular, the balance between going with the flow of the work and maintaining the discipline that keeps us grounded and focused. Both of these energies are required to maintain our effectiveness.

This has come up for me (again) after attending Advanced Shamanic Healing Practice, which I (probably) plan to teach this November. At the FSS, faculty attend each workshop three times as a student in order to teach it. While I have taught the online version multiple times, the in person version is newer to me. And as typically happens when we show up to do the work, the spirits work on us too! So I have circled back around to balance.

Last month I wrote about return. This, to me, is both discipline and flow. The discipline to show up when I might not want to, and the flow to pay attention to what I need and what is being asked of me. Sometimes that leads to rest. Sometimes it leads to depth and intensity. Sometimes it leads to quiet listening, asking for the next step.

Next week is the Spring Equinox. In our circle next week, we will do some work with this idea of balance. I am not sure exactly how yet--I'm still listening. But I have always found that feeling the flow of the seasons in my body has brought me deeper into the work. I hope you can take some time and notice what that is like for you.

Return

I have been thinking a lot about return. I'm sure I'm not alone in getting away from my practice sometimes. I have people ask me with some frequency how they can return to practice when they've been away from it for a period of time.

The answer is both simple and challenging: return. I have gotten many messages over the last several months from my spirits about the basics of our work. Return is often a "back to basics" moment. Begin to sing again. Begin to dance again. Begin to talk to your spirits. Begin to go out in nature without devices, without distraction, and just be.

When we work with compassionate spirits, they remain present for us, waiting for us to return to our practice. Our role in the relationship is to return.

Winter solstice

This sunrise was a few days after the solstice. On days I work a ski instructor, I am up before sunrise. This one was particularly beautiful.

And it's getting lighter! It happens so subtly that we don't notice it at first. But I always feel it in my body. I feel myself begin to come out of hibernation and start to plan for the coming spring. While I still feel the need to curl up in front of the fire with a hot chocolate, I notice my thoughts turning from the year that's past and towards the year that's coming.

The busy pace of our society turns our attention away from the seasons around us. Part of relationship with nature is noticing how the seasons impact our bodies, our energy, and our needs. I have learned that the darkest time of year is a time of both stillness and movement. The sun seems to reverse direction in the sky. How attentive our ancestors were to notice the day this happened! What can we do to give our attention to seasons? How can we honor the shifts?