Recently I had a beautiful and deep conversation with my sister that led me to this question:
“What are you walking around in fear of?”
Yes, that went deep very fast. I knew I could not start my yoga classes this past weekend with such a question. It does not feel trauma informed to start off with such a deep question.
So, I invite you to take it lightly at this moment. And then take a deep breath. You can choose to let the question go or you can choose to take a moment to really inquire.
If you choose to inquire, make sure you feel very grounded and resourced. And if it’s something you’d like to explore with someone, you always have me in your corner.
Sometimes we walk around carrying a fear that is so woven into the fabric of the way that we respond to the world that we don’t even know how it’s holding us back. And this is okay. I say it’s okay because I don’t want anyone to feel as if you should know what you’re afraid of and should know how to “correct” that.
We have to, first, become aware of the fear!
Being able to acknowledge and recognize the fear can sometimes take years, months, days. There is no timeline for these seismic shifts in our abilities to witness aspects of ourselves.
There IS one requirement:
You must be kind to yourself.
You must be kind to yourself because otherwise the fear, judgments, shame, and blame will only continue to run the show. You must be kind to the fear, for it is a part of you. And you have the ability to change your relationship with that(those) fear(s).
You must be kind to all parts of yourself. And this is where the phrase came about for my classes:
“To walk within myself fearlessly.”
Notice what your body is feeling right now after reading this statement. Is there an emotion arising? Is there a felt sensation? Is there a thought? Observe through that lens of kindness and non-judging awareness.
This is to walk the path inwards with courage. To acknowledge every sensation, emotion, thought, feeling, with a kind attention. This is to walk within yourself fearlessly. Meaning the journey inwards.
But, perhaps you took the phrase to be more of an outward expression. And truly it is both. This phrase is both for the journey inwards and for how you walk within yourself as an expression in the world.
And this is where I felt a couple of journaling props come through.
Journaling Prompts:
What are you walking around in fear of?
How might this fear, or these fears, be holding you back, and in what areas of your life?
What does it mean to ‘walk within yourself’?
What would it mean to walk within yourself fearlessly?
What would it feel like to walk within yourself fearlessly?
What does it mean to be courageous?
This journey inwards leads us to knowing ourselves with more clarity. We can recognize our Truest Nature and most authentic expression of our uniqueness within the wholeness of all of life. We can then begin to celebrate our Light and share it. No longer shutting it out or hiding it. No longer making it dimmer or smaller for anyone else.
To choose yourself. To advocate for yourself. To love yourself. To take care of yourself. To embrace yourself. This is to walk within yourself with courage. Fearless. Walking with kindness. Walking with honor and reverence.
Walking, and waking up to your Authentic Self. Waking up your heart.
And the thing is, when we do this within ourselves, we offer the same for everyone else and everything else.
This is the turning point. This is where the inward journey becomes the outward expression of your Light. Your creativity, your voice, your manifestations, your work, your play, relationships, connections, and more.
Say this now:
“I walk within myself fearlessly.”
How did that feel? Repeat it again and again if need. Let your face express this. If you want, let your body take a posture or shape that shows/represents walking within yourself with fearlessness. With knowing yourself. Walking with your waking heart.
Use the phrase, say it out loud or only within your heart and gut. Take the posture, or even just the facial expression. Use them as resources.
Let these practices become a way to support you in “strength based transitions” as my dear friend and Yogini practitioner said in class Saturday morning! You bet I jumped on those words! She is so good! Thank you Margaret.
And while she was requesting to know how to make strength based transitions from cobra pose back to downward facing dog, I also took her words to inspire this theme of this class that I had already created.
{*Look how the Universe syncs us up, connects us all, and provides incredible openings for even deeper awareness within communities!! Ahh!! I love it! Shameless plug: watch for a new intimate community offer for women coming this fall!}
Her request as well as requested feet, the “gut”, sacrum, and neck, where all inspired synchronicities for this theme!! I couldn’t get over it!…
I had prepared the class for grounding(so we would be resources for the journey), core work(for strength), twists, lunges, handstands, and seated forward folds to integrate first chakra and third chakra together. For grounding and courage. For stability to walk within with fearlessness! Wow. Thank you Source! We truly were practicing walking within ourselves!
Bringing the energies down the body for grounding and manifesting our truth in this world, at this time, that we CAN walk fearlessly within ourselves; both as outward expression and an inward journey!
I’m going to apply this class, it’s exercises, the prompts and it’s essence to the aspect within my life of how I talk about my work and promote it. Where will you apply it in your life? Let me know.
Please share this message with a friend, loved one, a colleague, or neighbor who you think could be inspired by it! Building community.
All my love,
Shawna Emerick
Breathe and Believe.