Why is it that so many of us feel that WE the individual self need to DO it all, to MAKE THINGS HAPPEN?
To push forward with force, to manipulate, to MAKE IT SO?
Often times I do this kind of pushing without realizing it, and certainly there have been times in my life where I have felt more “pushy” and controlling than other times. I have been experiencing an awesome and deep thawing down of this mentality over the last several years, a purging of this idea that hustling is the way to achieve our hopes and dreams, because truly, at my core, I know it IS NOT.
If I look back on my life I can see how the times when things really worked out, l mean truly worked out, was when I was in a place of allowing, surrendering, releasing control, having faith, spending more time in deep prayer and solid steady contemplation/reflection, and when I then took action on intuitive images, thoughts, ideas — and LISTENED to the feedback, my life felt Radiant, Full, Alive, and “Right”.
If I were to relate this idea to the healing work I do through myofascial release and yoga, I would say that this topic is quite optimally “ALIGNED” with these modalities/practices.
The path of Yoga is a path of aligning / attuning our individual soul, within the vessel of our body, with the Soul of the Universe, that is what the root (yuj) of the word yoga literally means: to unite. So, yoga — the aim of this practice (not solely yoga postures: asana, but the practice in it’s entirety) is aiming to ALIGN us with a consciousness that sees the big picture, that understands all the moving pieces, that can see far and wide — what we cannot see.
Therefore, it takes practice — lots of time in quiet reflection — attuning our instrument so finely that over time, and steady consistent practice, we can hear that subtle whisper of a voice telling us what is in alignment and what is not; what is OUR individual controlling, willful, wanting voice and what is the voice from beyond that can see the WHOLE and is guiding us gently to the next most optimal choice/action.
On a similar note, myofascial release is a hands on technique that guides our connective tissue out of constriction and breaks up adhesions in the viscoelastic medium (fascia). Myofascial release is intuitive and “body directed”, meaning the place where there is pain can be a doorway into finding the actual cause of that pain elsewhere in the body. Because the fascial system is continuous throughout the body – there is no beginning or end. It is one continuous sheath… so, when one area is released, other areas of imbalance are revealed… guiding one to the next area needing attention.
This process is similar to what I mentioned about yoga above – through contemplation/meditation we can align with what is presenting itself NOW and take action informed by our connection to a Universal Energy…. In the fascial system – we look for the starting point – where is the imbalance, go there first — and through that we find out what is needing attention next.
It is a kind of unfolding in both practices…. An aligning that leads to the next aligning that leads to the next… and so on. The take away?… listen and intuit rather than control and manipulate, create space for insights rather than push for strategies and methods…. ALIGN rather than hustle.
I would love to hear your thoughts on anything from this post, feel welcome to write something in the comment section: share what resonated, what did not? Where are you feeling aligned? Where are you feeling the need to hustle? I would love to hear from you if you feel so inspired to do so…
Until next time!
In Radiance and with a whole Lot of Love, Jahara xo