Get this. Something cool happened.
Last week’s practice was about working your edge around the expression of love. It felt good to be practicing in this way. It felt good to write a practice for you all about it. But something unexpected happened.
Many of you did this practice…with me.
Oh the letters! The texts. The phone calls. So moved.
I admit, post brother’s wedding, I was spent. Exhausted. Nothing left. And sharing this practice unintentionally created a ripple that buoyed me through the whole week.
Thank YOU.
This week’s practice builds on last week’s. The energetic quality of expressing gratitude and love is that of moving outward, sharing with others. This week, I invite you to feel and notice the way love and care are coming at you. Notice the ways in which, large and small, you’re receiving. The energetic quality of this practice is movement form outside, inward.
The Practice: Throughout the day, pay attention to how you are cared for, held, supported and receiving. Notice structures of support and gestures of love and generosity.
This may be people’s full expression to you. It may be someone holding the door open or bringing you your coffee.
It may be the systems and structures that support you, like the roof over your head, the solid frame of your bicycle as you ride down the street. You’re held, you’re supported, you’re taken care of.
You could even get super wild with this and notice the ways in which you’re receiving what traditionally feels like cost. For example, when you open your phone bill- feel the privilege of having such a service, such access to connection with others.
Say Thank You. Out loud or in your head. To the people, the places, the structures, the objects that support you.
Last night as I was taking the keys out of my ignition, my car beeped because my lights were still on. Rushes of gratitude. Having had to jump start a few cars in my days, I’m so grateful for this feature. Thanks, I said to my car. Yep, I mean it. Try it, see what happens.
Here are some reflective questions that may help to deepen your work with this:
- What am I noticing about the ways that I am receiving or am taken care of, that I was blind to before?
- Where do I tend to harden around the experience of receptivity, or allowing myself to feel contributed to or taken care of?
- What helps me to soften, allow, receive and trust?
- What or whom do I feel more connected to when directing my attention in this way?
May love and gratitude wash all over you. May you feel connected and supported and taken care of by others. There’s so much sweetness in letting it in.
Love
Chela