Thursday, May 5, 2011

Wanna Let Your Soul Shine Baby?


"YES!"

These are the first words that came out of my mouth one morning last week at exactly 6:20am. After the initial release from my throat, I sprung right onto my feet. This was new, to say the least. It took a few minutes for the sleep-fog to leave my head but shortly thereafter that I remembered what I was saying, "yes" to. I was deep inside a powerful dream. This was the scene:

I'm walking through the brushes in Bali

Up ahead I see rice fields and the sun is rising up and moving toward me at the same time

I look down at my feet; curious about the way they move

Grateful for their capacity to connect me with the earth.


Then, all of the sudden I'm stopped in my tracks

My little toes touch ten BIG toes and then I see the 2 feet

These are clearly the feet of a man, an older man, worn yet wise

I look up to see more and I'm met with the sweetest face, bearded and smiling


I smile too.

We stay like that for a while, tossing smiles back and forth

Then I look down again

This time my eyes meet his hands, wrinkled and strong



He is holding three ladles

From large to small, they are stacked atop one another

All are made of wood

I hold them to my nose and they smell delicious

The smallest of the 3 is blue and its handle is curly,

Not straight like the others


He hands them to me and says,

"Wanna to let your SOUL SHINE baby?"


"YES!"



What I love most about this dream is that I was somehow able to answer the question in my physical reality. Two feet on the ground, groggy-headed and messy-haired, I got to say yes inside my conscious world. These made it feel all the more real.

In my experience, there have been plenty of times when I felt afraid to shine. I didn't always feel safe enough to be myself, to express myself fully and honestly. I often wondered what other people would think, how it would make them feel. In truth, this was really just my own ego, holding my "soul" back with false fears and self-restricting judgment. After all if my soul is shining, my ego is dying. Ego doesn't like that too much.

For me studying, practicing and sharing body-centered healing work has been like dusting off years, maybe even lifetimes of dirt that has build up around my heart. If my soul lives anywhere in my body, I suspect it’s abiding quietly inside my heart and now its ready to shine. It’s waited long enough.

I'm not really sure what this means and I'm not too concerned with figuring it out. I have a yearning to dip my metaphorical ladles into the well of life, to drink it all up. That's the one thing I can say for sure.

I also know that I want to continue to share this work, to share the healing power of touch, presence, non-judgmental listening and witnessing. I will continue to invite my community into these experiences and welcome those who say "yes" and I'll wait for those who say "no thanks."

We all walk along our own paths and this is beautiful. At times we meet toe-to-toe, other times we keep our heads down the whole way or the beauty of the sun’s ability to shine without apology distracts us. I love and appreciate the many paths available, the many ways to say "yes."

How do you let your self, your soul, and your heart shine? What inspires you to say "yes?" I'd love to hear about your dreams and the way you process your truths.


Much love,

Sarah

www.insightyogatherapy.com

3 comments:

  1. Beautiful, Sarah! I try to follow my intuition as much as possible, moment-to-moment. To be active when I have energy and to rest when I'm tired. To eat when I'm hungry and do a headstand (or whatever asana) when so inspired. Here's to shining hearts!

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  2. I love that Michelle! Thanks for sharing and reminding me of the importance of self-care, there is no shining without that. Much love xx

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