Breathe in.
Breathe out.
Begin.
Or don’t.
There is always a choice. Sometimes the best choice is to slow down. Sometimes we just can’t hold the pressure of any more external input or efforts. In a conversation with a friend recently, we discussed the trap of the wellness world – that it is common and often perpetuated that healing is this never-ending stream of hard, active, dark work. However, a critical step in the journey is the pause – the quiet stillness that allows us to observe and take stock of the present. For this is where space exists. The goal is to exist on the spectrum of life’s sensations and to get to explore them all. That includes rest. That includes slowness. That is presence.
As we stand in the season of lofty goals and unsustainable resolutions, let us first pause, create space, and take stock of the present moment. Maybe that is the resolution – to truly see what exists right in front of us now. Let ourselves recognize when we exist in flow and joy. Let us become familiar with what the root of our ebbs and moments of despondence are. When we can exist in the present moment with consistency and curiosity, the choices in front of us will gradually become clear. We have a choice in how we respond. To share our feelings or not. To stay in the job or relationship or look for another future. To ask for help or suffer in silence. There is a choice to do more than survive. There is a choice to live intentionally, to heal boldly, and thrive abundantly. Joy is part of the journey. Loving is part of the journey. Laughing loudly is part of the journey. To exist in a world where we can crack wide open and let our deepest most painful parts out and then in the pause, transition with breath and love and come out the other end in full belly laughter IS the point.
When we create enough space in our hearts, our minds, our bodies, the choices become clear. It is then that two possible courses of action appear: the pain of change or the pain of staying the same. A real red pill vs. blue pill conundrum if you will.
I believe that when we choose not to explore the opportunities for change in front of us, the universe will find new ways to show us what is possible. We can keep ignoring the signs but before long, the body gets loud, the world gets loud – life piles up around us or crumbles at our feet either way, shoving the choice in front of our face. If we choose to continue to ignore the support, the signs, the reactions (physical and emotional), eventually they will feel silenced, we will learn to numb, and become chronically attached to a routine that keeps everything in its place to steer clear of challenge and change.
So, if we can learn to build space around the signals, the pressure, the ques – if we can breathe, rest, and truly allow ourselves the stillness to listen, and to observe ourselves then we regain control. Only then the pressure shifts and the choices are yours to make. You are the one who decides that a change needs to happen. You are the one who has to say, “I don’t know but I’ll try,” “I’ll ask,” “I’ll reach out.” You choose when you start living – fully. You choose and explore what tools and resources support your journey to a brighter, more authentic you. It is through reaching out that community is created – your environment for thriving. And it is in this way that the ebb and flow of living, healing, and thriving begins. May we pause, listen and then make a choice.
Jasmine Linane-Booey of Kazuko Wellness is a Somatic Energy Guide. She holds certificates in Reiki (Paris and Spokane), over 10 years experience as a certified yoga and meditation guide (Goa, India), a certification as a Somatic Energy Practitioner (Spokane), and is a trained Psilocybin guide and wellness coach. Contact: hello@kazukowellness.com or visit www.kazukowellness.com.