What are we practicing?
My intention for each of us is more ease & joy as we grow & deepen in our commitments amid uncertainty & loss. So, I’ve been wondering how you’re taking care of yourself — as we continue to move into a new month. As we carry with us —our intentions, hopes, losses, and all that is evolving over the years past. In our 2021 reflections, we may be finding aspects to be grateful for and perhaps we sit with continued exhaustion of the strain of the past. Maybe we still need that nap.
Whatever you are sitting with right now, carrying forward, and hoping to leave behind, I invite you into a moment of stillness and noticing. What do you hope to build into your regular interactions? More compassion, patience, something else?
If you’re like me, I’ve grown up wanting to get things done right now, such darn urgency, even though I know the mental and physical effects of being and responding this way, even as I know the ties to white supremacy culture/white dominant culture which I am continuing to unravel.
Back to practice. I’ve recently been in conversations about practice and returning to practice.
What we are practicing and what are we not practicing?
Bringing our attention (and gentleness) to our habitual practices (some helpful, others not i.e. mean self-talk)
How our environment/workplace/team impact/invite/limit our attempts and intentions.
What is actually important in how we hope to show up in our body, speech, and mindset — with self and others?
Choosing a simple practice to try out (a centering practice or a laughing practice or just a practice to pause more)
Having our practices inform what’s important for us…
What is a practice?
Simply put — something we can engage in on a daily basis, or with whatever frequency, where we can drop in, build awareness of what and how we do things, ground down, and connect with ourselves in a little more fuller, deeper way. In a way connected and moving us towards what matters - how we want to show up, be, and engage.
I am curious… what if you can imagine… the possibility of moving towards something — slowly over time… to release some of the urgency. To invite in connections and space for the building of practices in a way that feels supportive over the coming 6 months, year, 10 years, as you/we build towards our shared and personal hopes. | here’s to turning this dream into our daily practices…
More on the Transformative Power of Practices from Strozzi.
xo | may we go slow to go fast |