© Nicole Bratt 2017
I've spent a lot of last past year letting go. Again. And creating space. Again. Renewal is always and constantly a process. It is non-linear, often iterative, adaptive, and seldom as simple as we'd like it to be. I could make, as many others have, a strong case that life is cyclical; an ebb and flow of opening and closing; of letting go and reaching out; recurring creation and destruction; of inhaling and exhaling. And with any and all forms of letting go, spaciousness, freedom, and the capacity for something new arises. For me, yoga and movement have been and continue to be a resource for being in mindful connection with and observation of this cycle within my own life.
As the past year turned over its proverbial new leaf, I found my musings and meditations have turned towards how yoga is, among many other things, an asset for cultivating resiliency in discomfort. Specifically, how we are being with and acting upon inevitable internal discomfort and what we choose to do when we are in it. I observe how well skilled I am at avoidance, distraction, and baiting myself away from what I don't want to see (let alone examine!). I acknowledge how oftentimes, it's less painful to simply face and name it; recognition is a powerful practice: it keeps us in integrity. In this coming year, my hope is that all of us can continue to practice the courage and steadfastness to dig deep. That we can turn toward the challenging feelings and sensations of being uncomfortable, however they are currently manifesting, in a safe, loving space, with curiosity and compassion. That we can then choose to act (or not) from a place of our own innate and unique strength, wisdom, and grace. This challenging space can be where much our most important, growth-allowing, transformative work lies. As with the cycles of letting go and creating space, this work, too, is iterative and life ensures that we never run out of opportunities to practice being with discomfort. Yoga and other mindfulness practices give us the opportunity to be with physical, mental, emotional, and energetic discomforts and awkwardness from the relative safety of our yoga mat, our meditation cushion, or the nature trail. The inherent gift being that we may then nurture and bolster these skills off the mat in our everyday lives, for the enhancement of our relationships (with self and others) and our communities.
With love & wild courage,
Nicole