Reflecting on 3 elements

This is a very special time of the year; a time for reflection and a time to re-locate ourselves in the timeline of our lives.

A time perhaps to re-envision things, to recharge, and to change if we feel that change is in fact necessary. But I don’t mean external change like getting a haircut, moving homes, switching jobs, ending a relationship, or traveling (although these could also happen). I mean the inner shifts that happen when we get to sit with ourselves. There is a special kind of freedom that comes about when we get to sit with things and get to explore our SELF in our inner vertical journey; when we get to question and jiggle around our own feelings, thoughts, notions, and preconceptions about life. When we get to BE WITH what is and not run away into the next distraction.

I find it more and more important to focus on the genuine, the gentle, and the subtle. Not to strive to take huge gigantic steps or massive changes from one day to the next, but to feel expansive in your soul, to have a glimmer in your eye in the morning, to listen to nature and know that you belong in this beautiful magical natural world with so many other wonderful and heartfelt creatures.

As I step into the New Year, I am reflecting on the concepts of change, freedom, and wildness, which are all aspects that I associate with new beginnings.

CHANGE

Change is the uttermost natural aspect of our human nature, and of nature itself.

It’s essential to support ourselves to cultivate openness and space for inner change to take place. Self-evolution is all about how well we are able to shift and adapt to change inside and outside ourselves; how well we are able to constantly engage in the process of re-programming, re-defining, and re-writing our story. But we have a tendency to resist change, and we hold on tightly to our beliefs, ideas, and notions because we don’t want anyone to mess around with all that our ego has put so much effort into building. We fear that things will fall apart if we let go and give in to change and allow for things to turn upside down.

I’m here to tell you to support change and not resist it because every time we resist something, a block is created and we become stagnated, unable to move and flow happily through life. The weather changes from warm to cold to warm again, and what do we do? We adapt to it. We dress accordingly, and we let the weather shape us. The same happens with life: every moment is new and we are constantly taking in experiences and people that shape and change us.

In relationships our roles constantly change too: sometimes we are the ones who are more in power, and all of a sudden the next moment we feel weak, stepped over, and a victim. It doesn’t really matter, because we just have to let things and events flow in and out of us as we watch it all happen to get the lesson out of it. It requires bravery and courage to be humble and let life move us; to bow down our heads and say “let it be”.

Our experiences shape us. Your body is a field of living information and intelligence. Whether you are hearing, feeling, seeing, tasting, or smelling, your experiences in each moment mold who you are. Your thoughts and words are literally made into flesh. When you feel stressed, you release chemical codes for stress and every cell in your body receives the message. When you feel joyful, your body produces natural pleasure chemicals called endorphins. When you are peaceful and relaxed, you release chemicals similar to prescription tranquilizers. Your body is an expression of your experiences, so become aware and choose what you want to surround yourself with because your impressions of the world will dictate your entire biology.

FREEDOM:

VISHOKA: a state that is free from sorrow and suffering.

The real freedom we can have is to be free from the ups and downs of the mind. When you stay open to possibilities, even when faced with obstacles, you may find that your energy renews itself endlessly. Love means to renew oneself, and to find it over and over again. It’s a great feeling when we know that we can reprogram ourselves, that we can always start new, and that there’s always time for reflection and space for newness.

Self-evolution takes place when you become brave enough to go fearlessly into every little corner of your being, and ask.. what is this all about? What is this view on this particular subject all about? What is this emotion all about? How do I feel about him/her/that? Do I want to keep feeling this way about this particular situation? How can I make an internal shift so that this stops affecting me in a negative way? How can I protect my energy? How can I let other people’s opinions not affect me? How can I stay strong and grounded, and at the same time cultivate humbleness and vulnerability? How can I feel more connected with myself and others?

Become consistent with self-inquiry. I encourage you to constantly check in with yourself to update your mindset and re-sync your mind to your heart. Keep a journal and write; write whatever is in your mind and in your heart. Be brave, vulnerable, and open for your views about certain things to change.

Whenever I notice my mind getting too overwhelmed by the future, too constricted by the past, jammed with thoughts, to-do lists, and never-ending goals… I switch to creating more space.

Freedom arises from the knowledge that we can always go back to a space of stillness, silence, steadiness, and spaciousness. To be free is to be able to notice the empty spaces and rest in them in order to view life from a lighter and more graceful place. As my teacher, Monica Jaggi says, “Observe the roaring silence at the core of your being.”

WILDNESS:

Being wild has nothing to do with being able to go to the rainforest or to Africa. Wildness is really about taking a ride to the wild places inside you.

The need to keep everything under control is a sign that we are living in fear, and when we live in fear, we miss the excitement of real living. I think there is nothing more freeing than to create space inside for everything to shift and move around in the wildness of our human nature.

Be brave and open; explore your ability to feel wild and connected to nature even if you’re at home and not going anywhere for the Holidays. See how you can connect with nature everywhere because no matter where you are, the sky is always there, the trees are always there, and the patches of green around your city are also always there. It’s just a matter of opening your eyes to them. It’s just a matter of being WILLING to see it all.

Let’s not get trapped in the chaos of our heads; in questioning, analyzing, and trying to calculate and figure everything out. Simply go back into your body, open yourself, lay down on the grass, feel the sun on your face, and OPEN yourself up.

Let’s reconnect with our inner and outer wildness. Let’s reconnect with nature, and let’s adapt to it. Look up at the sky today, and feel it. Find refuge there, and ultimately find refuge in yourself: in your own ability to change and morph.

Create time for reflection and surrender to the rhythm of change— to the movement and shifts that happen inside. Press the restart button this New Year and be willing to see newness in every moment.

We’ll keep you elevated, groovy, and grounded at the Asana Groove Studio in Madrid. Check our schedule here to book.

Yours Truly,

Fernanda