Hey,
Friends.
Welcome back.
Before we begin,
I just want to welcome you into this space,
And the best way I know how to do that is to settle in.
So take a big inhale through your nose and exhale slowly out.
We'll do that one more time.
In through your nose and out.
This is day three of our wintering series,
And today we're honoring something so many of us were never taught to trust,
The in-between.
It's that space where you're not who you were,
But you're not yet who you're becoming.
Where things feel foggy,
Tender,
Unclear,
And if that's where you are right now,
I just want to name this gently,
That you are not lost,
Failing,
Or behind,
But in fact,
You're at a threshold.
And thresholds can feel uncomfortable because our nervous systems often interpret that uncomfortability for not knowing,
And that can be unsafe.
So we want to rush through.
We want to make the next big decision to get us through to the next part of our journey.
We want to fix or force clarity.
And dear one,
That makes us so beautifully human.
If you're anything like me,
My nervous system learned really early on that certainty or control even equals safety.
And so today,
I'd like to practice a different kind of safety.
The safety of being present without rushing yourself to the next thing.
Because the in-between isn't empty.
See,
In nature,
The in-between is where everything important happens.
Seeds don't bloom the moment they're planted.
They go into darkness first.
Roots grow where no one can see,
And winter holds life under the surface.
Quiet,
Hidden,
And yet so real.
So if you're in a season that feels like nothing is happening,
I want you to consider this.
What if something is happening,
Just not in a way that maybe you can measure on the outside?
Okay,
So let's move into our practice today.
If it feels comfortable,
Place one hand on your chest.
Maybe it's your belly with your other hand,
Or you just let your hands lay where they fall naturally.
And if it's safe to do so,
Lower your gaze or close your eyes,
Bringing your awareness inwards.
We're going to breathe in our nose for four,
Three,
Two,
One,
And take a little extra time to exhale for five,
Four,
Three,
Two,
One.
This time a little longer on the inhale.
It's five,
Four,
Three,
Two,
One.
Hold it.
Let your body sit with that air and out for six,
Five,
Four,
Three,
Two,
One.
And as you continue these longer breaths in and out,
I want you to bring to mind one area of your life that feels stuck or in that in-between.
Maybe it's your work,
You're waiting for a promotion,
Or you're not in the job that you want to be in.
Maybe it's a relationship,
You're single,
And yet you so desire partnership.
Maybe it's your identity,
Decision that you can't seem to force,
Or a chapter that's ending without a clear next one.
Just bring one area to mind,
And notice what your body does when you think about it.
Do your shoulders tighten,
Your jaw get really tense,
Your heart feels a little heavy,
Or maybe it's a flutter or a tingling in your fingers and toes.
Just notice we're not here to change anything,
Fix anything.
Our body is our biggest gift.
So as we take our next big deep breath in,
I want you to softly say,
Either in your mind's eye or out loud,
I am safe here.
Inhale,
And exhale.
And again,
I am safe here.
On this next inhale,
We're going to change to,
I don't have to know yet.
I don't have to know yet.
And just keep that repeated.
I am safe here.
I don't have to know yet.
And let it land,
Seep over every inch of your body like a golden energy that just fills you from the inside out,
Because the most regulated and aligned thing that you can do is when we just let it land.
So as we end our practice together,
I want to offer a gentle question.
What if the clarity you seek wasn't something you chase,
But it was something that just arrives when the time is right?
You're welcome to journal on this later,
Let your mind answer quietly,
But may this question allow you to reflect on what would it feel like to be safe here?
Not avoiding or disassociating,
Damn scrolling,
But real spaciousness,
Room to show up exactly as we are in the moment that we are in with the capabilities that we have around us.
Permission to unfold.
So as we end our time,
We're going to take one big deep breath in for six,
Five,
Four,
Three,
Two,
Hold it.
And a reminder that you are safe here and you don't have to know yet.
And out for four,
Three,
Two.
I'm so proud of you for showing up for yourself today.
And may each of these days give you the permission that you may be seeking to rest,
To be in this in between and let yourself feel what needs to be felt because you are not behind or failing or in need of fixing.
We are all just becoming tomorrow.
We are going to practice.
Let it be unfinished,
Releasing this constant pressure.
So many of us fail to be complete,
Perfect,
Or prove our strength.
Thank you for bringing your mind,
Your body,
And your soul today.
And until tomorrow,
Be gentle.
