The quick VL update:
- We are camped in a Cactus Forest. See pretty pic below
- Rusty has made it over 1000 miles with her new transmission.
- I need your Help!! We need 4 more people to say YES to Portugal. Are you ready? Or, can you share with someone who you think might be interested in attending? See below.
- Following the travel journey? Scroll down: a story about courage and intuition
With love, Heather
Story Time
The travel day to mainland Mexico was loooooonnnngg. From the southeast side of Baja California Sur, it’s like you can almost see mainland Mexico. Yet, there are no direct flights from San Jose Del Cabo or La Paz. In my case, I had a layover in Mexico City on both ends.
If you have ever traveled into or from Mexico City, you might relate to the mentality of going into the travel day with the expectation that there will be travel delays. This was the case for me on both ends of the journey.
On the way over, I decided to use those 7 extra airport hours to continue with some planning for the Retreat that would be beginning in a few days. I had more anticipatory energy leading up to this Spring Retreat. In 2022, we had such a deep and profound experience together, I wanted this year to yield similar results for everyone.
It was an active practice to curve away from streams of thought around desiring this retreat to be this way or that. The inner work of consistently creating a mindset around trusting myself as a guide and believing that each women would receive what is meant for them to receive was a daily practice as the days neared. When I let go of expectations and BE myself and hold space for the others to be themselves, all the magic and transformation happens from that place.
The retreat happened and it was indeed powerful and fulfilling. These words from one of the participants sums it up well:
“Yes, there is yoga but the guidance and meditation is also very impactful. I came away from this retreat, my second, feeling renewed and refreshed, and have been putting the lessons learned during this one week into practice every day. An investment in myself, yes, but also an investment in all the people I interact with daily…I was nervous about doing this retreat for a second time. I was afraid I wouldn’t get as much out of it this year. I would have to say I actually gained more wisdom. I really mean it when I say that I feel like I’ve come back a little bit different. People have even noticed it in my bearing and countenance.”
In the days following the Retreat I take time to reflect and journal on the experience itself as well as go through the invitations and prompts that I invite participants to move through.
This process of inquiry spiraled into one simple affirmative statement: I AM SUPPORTED.
This is my current Mantra and Meditation Doorway.
Once we get clear it’s interesting how life presents opportunities to fully say yes to intentions/goals/mantras/ways of being.
This has been the case for me over and over again. Once I land on something I am intending for, opportunities for being in the practice of that said thing surround me.
So, here’s the part on courage. The condensed story: My mantra, I AM SUPPORTED, is an act of trust for me. The mentality that no matter what I AM FULLY SUPPORTED in ALL WAYS is me trusting in myself and life itself.
My inner knowing (intuition) began sending signals that a shift was needed in how I have been showing up weekly. Many parts of me began chiming in saying YES YES YES, it’s time for a shift.
Other parts of me were saying NO NO NO. You can’t not show up for your students!! You can’t follow this part of what your intuition is telling you? Why do you need this? What will happen if you stop teaching these weekly classes? What will your students think?
It was a rollercoaster ride of emotions for a few days. Lots of tears of not wanting to disappoint. Tears around feeling angry at the struggle just saying YES to me. Questioning why it’s difficult to say YES to myself and why it’s easier to say YES to everyone else.
The decision to take a pause from showing up as I have been weekly and saying YES to myself became an act of following through with the action steps behind my statement: I AM SUPPORTED.
If I believe that I am supported in ALL ways then saying yes to myself in this way would yield results that serve not only myself but also my students and community. I believe that somewhere inside of me, and the next step is acting on it.
It takes courage to #1 listen to our inner stirrings, our own inner healing intelligence and our intuition. And, maybe a little extra courage to #2 act on it!!
It is something that I want to get more proficient in and in order to do that I need to take action when that knot in my gut, throat, heart is pointing me in a direction. The more I say YES to me, the more I build that muscle. Living and making decisions from this place of an empowered inner knowing is possible, it’s about consistency.
I share this short story with you today with the hopes of encouraging you to get in touch with your own inner stirrings and callings. This is the first step to living in integrity.
I am here to hold this space for this, you know where to find me if you want encouragement and tools. Online (group and one-on-one) and in-person at our Immersive Retreats.
Thank you for reading!! Truly. I honor you for taking time to read and not just scroll. I see you and appreciate you. And, I love to hear from y’all. Does this resonate? What’s on your mind?
