Get Lost to Find Yourself
Dear Soul Dive,
Have you ever gone on a retreat or taken a trip to “find yourself ?” Maybe signed up for a class or event that would encourage you out of your comfort zone and into a space of discovery? I, like most, am not one for getting uncomfortable on purpose. I don’t gravitate to adventure sports, tend to avoid politically polarizing topics and I’m a hard pass on camping. If you’re looking for the Goldilocks of creature comforts well you’ve met your match right here with me.
When I do find myself on the cusp of something new all the resistance shows up to the point where I start looking for a reason not to go do the thing I got excited about in the first place. Sound familiar? Growth is hard. It represents a form of death where we leave an old part of us behind to step into the new. And the kicker is this, we don’t know what we’re stepping into because we haven’t yet learned the thing we are destined to learn at the event we signed up for that we are resisting to attend. Woof. The vicious cycle of growth persists.
I spent the better part of my fall season getting wildly uncomfortable. I attended 2 retreats, both with intimate groups of all women. The fear and anxiety leading up to both of these experiences was extreme. Hello resistance, nice to see you again. Now sit down at the table and be quiet.
Saying yes brought exponential growth to my mind, body and soul. Actually connecting with like minded women - who continue to support me even as we left the beautiful countryside of Austin, Texas and native mountain region of Santa Fe, New Mexico - was one of the greatest gifts of all.
We can’t grow if we don’t allow for some discomfort. I haven’t yet processed all of the learnings, experiences, nuggets of wisdom and feelings of inspired joy that came through. But as the downloads start to digest, one thing is clear: it’s essential to invest in yourself and invite in the discomfort. When complacency is simply too expensive, we absolutely have to embrace the fear, surrender, and get lost to go find ourselves.
As we continue to build experiences to push you past your habitual comforts, allow me to remind you about Carl’s upcoming Block Party workshop this Sunday morning. The subject of props sparks all kinds of feelings, from the fear off ‘I’m cheating at yoga if I use props’ to ‘I will use all the things for all the postures’ to confusion about what goes where, when and why.
Here’s what Carl has to say about his upcoming Block Party experience!
The Block Party is gonna be LYT! We'll creatively use a block throughout the workshop. These powerful props are extremely effective at amplifying energy, inviting feedback into our body and strengthening our core. We focus on hip mobility and overall core stability by using blocks to help shift and adapt familiar poses, bringing energy and awareness into the body in a whole new way.
Inviting novelty into our practice is the perfect opportunity to become more present and more playful on the mat. I'm a huge advocate of inviting a spirit of playfulness and joy into our yoga practice. Movement is meant to be fun!
Join me on your mat for the Block Party and enjoy yourself in the challenge.
We all look forward to seeing you in the studio this week!
Big Love,
