I’ve been to a few daylong retreats this year. There are so many positive things I took away from them: connection with other women, inspiration from a variety of teachers and healers, and time to reflect and envision.
But since my work is teaching women how to create change in life through the body, there was something very clear that stood out to me: Both of these formats involved sitting most of the day and being spoken to by teachers. Now, these teachers were very inspirational, encouraging us to go out there, do what we’ve been dreaming of, and be the change we wish to see. But how to actually make that happen on a tangible, physical level wasn’t part of it. (I understand we can only do so much in a day, so this isn’t a criticism. It’s more a reflection on next steps.)
In our modern, Western world we put our minds on a pedestal. We think if we hear, see or learn enough, that inspiration alone will bring about change. I guess it’s possible, but it’s usually not enough. We need to understand how to create capacity in our system to take action on and hold the change we want.
By the end of these retreats, my body ached from sitting and my brain felt on overload. I felt inspired, but I didn’t necessarily feel like something in my system had changed to make it happen.
The opposite of trauma is movement. When we feel held back by something stuck in our system, we can’t just think our way out of it because the state of our mind is a reflection of the state of our body and nervous system. Being told “You can do it!” will likely lead to frustration when our system is trying to hold on to the familiar, “safer” way.
To create sustainable change, we need to incorporate practices – like Ayurveda and Somatics – that help our system digest and move the very real pranic (life force) blockages and create more capacity. This often needs to happen in small, titrated ways so we don’t feel overwhelmed by too much change at once. Once that resolution happens, we’ll be able to take action on what we want and, most importantly, be able to hold it.
Getting back into our bodies – and not just digesting through our mind – is how we literally embody what we want to create in the world.
You CAN do it, but your body needs to be part of the equation.
Much love,
Courtney
P.S. I just created a new resource for you! FLOW: Menstrual Cycle Healing Guide will help you move through the hormonal, nervous system and emotional rhythms of your cycle, and how to attend to yourself with each phase. You can find it here.