Dear Beautiful Wise Women,
I left you all just over an hour ago and soon I will be volunteering at my 6th grade daughter’s school as she and her classmates embark on a “Run for the Cure” walk and run, which feels a bit more significant this year. 💞
Each week, I will be carving out time shorty after our gathering to reflect and share the essence of what was revealed, noticed, held, healed and moved. Some weeks there will be an outpouring of my own words and sometimes just an honourable re-sharing of the words of the teachers who have come into our circle. Spirit guides the process and I fully and humbly trust.
I will be adding Cathy’s words of wisdom regarding the Crone shortly, so stay tuned for that update (thank-you Cathy)!
Oh ladies, I am not sure I can find words that will do justice to the gratitude I am feeling at this moment. I am in complete and utter awe of how gorgeous our circle of women is. I am once again, tickled (thank you Michelle M for that sweet and perfect word) at how spirit called together this particular group of women at the exact right time!
I am feeling the truth of the work we are doing and I am feeling it right down into my core. I strongly sense that we will dive deep into the rebalancing of feminine and masculine over the next 7 weeks together and I cannot wait to hear your wisdom and witness your beautiful unfoldments.
You each shared so honestly, so courageously and so truthfully. We all benefit from the words each of you offer.
And, thank you, each of you, for holding such presence for each other! For millennia, women like us have gathered to support and hold each other. Sadly, this tradition was lost as patriarchy took over. In recent times, it seems that women have spent more time posturing and competing with one another than supporting each other. This is changing and it is circles like ours that is impacting this change! We are holding each other, we are witnessing each other and that is the beginning of something very important.
We are not alone.
The Belly of Compassion meditation
Oh wise women, thank-you for taking the invitation and so bravely diving deep into the pit of your bellies! I could feel us working together to release lifetimes of holding. My belly thanks you. I know I could not have done that work on my own!
“Bring your attention into the sensation in the body. Just feel what sits here. Feel this body you were born into. Allow awareness to come to the level of sensation in the body.
Gradually allow your attention to drop into the abdomen. And begin to soften to the sensations in the belly. Softening the belly to receive the breath. Softening the belly to receive life. Softening to any resistance. no holding. No grasping in soft belly. Letting go of the hardness in the belly. Practicing “merciful belly”.
Moment to moment softening the belly. Moment to moment making room for your life.
Don’t try to grasp or trap the breath, to shape or control it. Just let it be.
Surrender to the breath, softening the belly from moment to moment.
In soft belly is the release of the posturing of a lifetime. All the grief hidden hard in the belly. Have mercy. Letting the hardness float in the belly.
Levels and levels of softening. Levels and levels of letting go. Levels and levels of letting be.
The belly fatigued with its holding, with its mercilessness to itself. Have mercy. Just for this moment at least, soften to this ancient clinging. In a new mercy. In a new willingness to heal. Have mercy on this mercilessness.
Each in breath, belly rising. Each out breath, belly falling. Rising and falling, let your breath breathe itself. Letting go of control, trust the breath to breathe all by itself.
Each breath breathing itself in soft belly. In soft belly we have room for it all. Even room for our pain. Room to get born, room even to die in soft belly, in merciful belly.
Levels and levels of softening. Levels and levels of letting go.”
Fellow wise woman, Nadine, who missed today’s circle but will be gathering with us next week loaned me the following book back in May and I only now began to read it (Nadine, I have bought my own copy and will return yours to you next week). ;) As seems to happen, books will sit on my shelf for a little while and tell me when it is time to read them. This was certainly the case with this book. When I began reading it last week I felt as if I was going to burst. Every single word spoke to me and ignited a rising up of energy. I am especially drawn to Rebecca Campbell’s inclusion of the masculine in her work. Here are the passages I shared today, thank-you Rebecca Campbell!
With the balancing energies of the equinox in full force, I felt it timely that we practice the balancing movements of Five Element Qigong. These series are designed to bring the energies of the Five Elements and their associated energies and emotions into harmony and balance. The focus is on balancing the energies, rather than getting rid of the “negative” emotion. Remember, every emotion just wants to be seen and honoured.
Metal: Lungs and Large Intestine. Exhale Grief and Sorrow. Inhale Compassion and Empathy.
Water: Kidney and Bladder. Exhale Fear. Inhale Courage and Wisdom.
Wood: Liver and Gall Bladder. Exhale Anger. Inhale Strength.
Fire: Heart and Triple Warmer. Exhale Anxiety and Overwhelm. Inhale Joy and Peace.
Earth: Spleen and Stomach. Exhale Worry. Inhale Trust.
Fellow Wise Women, may you courageously venture into your week. Celebrate the joyous occasions, celebrate your body and your every breath. It was a very powerful practice today and I wish you continued integration throughout your week.
With so much respect and love,
Patti
