Wishing you a restful Christmas and a New Year filled with tenderness, courage and grace.
A love note from me to you......
So here we are, closing in on the end of 2023. A year that again, just like the last few, feels as if has been full of unexpected highs and lows.
The highs have brought the brightest of glimmers that have held my heart steady and made me giddy with moments of joy. And the lows….most I just did not see coming and whilst some of these events did not directly happen to me, the ripple effects and after shocks certainly have knocked me and members of my family sideways on more than one occasion.
Perhaps we should have learnt by know. To understand on a cellular level that we simply do not know what is around the corner or, what this complex and rich llfe has in-store for us.
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We can trick ourselves into believing that we know where we are heading and on what path we are treading but ultimately we must understand and be at peace with the fact that we simply do not know.
We can only try our best to live an Intentional Life. To be resilient, do good, be kind, love fiercely whilst staying true to ourselves and TRUST that all will be ok.
When I think of this past year, I repeatedly have the image of treading water. Serene and together on the surface but depseratelyy working my little legs as hard as they can beneath the surface to keep me afloat.
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And as the waves begin to settle (at least for now) and I learn to tread water, with growing ease, I am also learning to understand my limits and what is ok and not ok in relation to expectations from others and perhaps more radically, myself.
Rather than feel guilty about what I can and can not do ~ (and this is a huge emotion for me and along with imposter syndrome which I have written about before, has been a recurring theme throughout my life) ~ I am tentatively learning to lay some boundaries down so I may stay afloat.
I have the privilege of turning 50 this coming year and if the time is not now to take this life, to get down on my knees and get my hands dirty and mould this precious gift of life into something exquisite, rich, meaningfulI and honest, then when will it be?
So this year, though all the turbulence, I have began the process of slowly, with great tenderness and gentle curiosity, peeling back the layers of long, self held beliefs and patterns of behaviour which have shaped how I have made decisions and choices in the past. If you are anything like me, you maybe surprised (or maybe not) how many of these decisions have been built around the expectations other have of you and the word ‘should’. The jobs we should take, the path we should follow, ….
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I have no regrets as everything has bought me to this beautiful point in my life and I am so, so grateful for that, but it is time for me to prioritise more fully MY voice. I hope never in a way that disregards the feelings or needs of others but as I become more able to recognise what I can 'hold' whilst remaining centred and grounded, and avoiding overwhelm, I now truly, perhaps more than ever, understand what it fully means to put your own oxygen mask on first. Rather than it being a selfish act, I now see it so as you may reach out, fully resourced, steady and resilient, to those around you.
You truly can not be of service to others when you yourself are gasping for air and are utterly depleted my love.
When there is so much suffering around us globally as well as perhaps personally, it can be easy and justifiable to loose faith and feel as if everything around us is dark, heavy and beyond repair. Whilst we may not be able to make everything better, we can in our own small way make the fabric of what constitutes our life still feel worthwhile, and reveal the hidden gifts if we can only bare to get dirt under our nails whilst digging a little deeper…..
I truly believe that the healing balm for life, can be found in the rich multi textured details of Life Itself
It is how we choose to show up for ourselves, our family and friends.
It is how we choose to speak to ourselves and our loved ones.
It is the kind word and smiles we offer to a passer by, the random acts of kindness carried out with absolutely nothing to gain from it.
It is supporting in whatever way we can the charities close to our heart.
It is in paying exquisite attention to the details …..the sun on your skin, the feel of your morning shower, your first sip of tea/coffee. A hug from a loved one…..
It is acknowledging that whilst there is so much hurt in this world there is also joy and goodness and love and that ultimately there is far more love in and around us than any other force
This note maybe a little jumbled, a little all over the place but that is because simmering, under the surface there is hope and excitement for this coming year
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There is gratitude, SO much gratitude for all that has been and the beautiful glimmers that continue to reveal themselves.
We are here and whilst it's not always easy, we are here, and that is something, my love, worth putting our hands over hearts, connecting to our essence, our light and giving thanks for.
Thank you for sharing your practice, your time, your joys and your vulnerabilities with me this past year.
It is my greatest honour to be on this journey with you and I look forward with hope and gratitude for a full, rich 2024
With love,
Ray x
As a token of my gratitude for sharing your precious time, resources and practice with me, I would love to offer you this free 60 minute class from earlier this year.
It is a practice of coming home, one which allows you to be taken care of through the portal of movement, breathe and mudra.
Regardless of our circumstance, Christmas is a busy and often loaded time for many. It can be filled with both joy and huge expectation. Excitement and sadness. The practice below offers you an opportunity to drop back and lean into the gift of your practice. To move whilst fully leaning in to receive whatever it is you need from your practice in this particular moment .
A slow and mindfully curated practice which reminds us that
there is time for action and also a time for rest..Connecting to your body-mind and breathe is your birth right. It is your super power and the key to a healthy resilient immune system and nervous system.
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Rested, we move back out into the world fortified and restored, more able to hold space for both ourselves and those we hold close.
I hope you enjoy.
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With love x
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If you like to practice with a playlist, you may enjoy using this one
The period between Christmas and the new year provides us with the perfect back drop to reflect and distill all that has taken place over the past 12 months & importantly, provides fertile soil for planting seeds for how we wish the incoming year to feel.& look
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At the beginning of December I led a workshop themed around manifesting and the steps we need to take, as well as behaviours we may need to relinquish ,in order to move towards our dreams & visions
Shared here is the handout from this workshop containing Journal prompts for you to tend to in your own time. I hope the the prompts & reflections here, serve as a gentle nudge towards living a life that is alignment with your hearts & brings with it the prospect of both ease & joy.
Teach me how to trust my heart,
Teach me how to trust my mind,
Teach me how to trust my intuition,
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Teach me how to trust my inner knowing,
The senses of my body,
The blessings of my spirit.
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Teach me to trust these things
so that I may enter my Sacred Space
and love beyond my fear
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and thus Walk in Balance
with the passing of each glorious Sun.