Self Care – Page 4 – Amber Joy Young – Offering Care and Support

Karma Class For Interval House

6th December 2021Amber_Young

For the past 3 years, since I started Surya Daya, we’ve held a karma class for Interval House the week leading up to the holidays. I can’t imagine this year going by without holding that safe container to help support a very needed resource in our community – as well to offer you a peaceful practice of self care to nurture YOU during the holiday season.

I know this year continues to be a different year in so many ways, and I sense we all need a little extra support. The strength within our community has only grown, and the realization of how important it is to reach out when help is needed.

This year I’ll be offering 2 special classes for Interval House.

The first class is an in-person gentle yoga class planned for Monday, December 20th from 6:30 – 7:30 pm at the Old Town Hall, in Almonte. This special class will also draw on the energy of solstice to support us for this nurturing hour of intentional time on our mats.

I’ll be offering a second class this year as a gift in honour of Interval House which will arrive as a virtual recording. You’ll have access to the video through to January 5th. All registrants will receive an email with a link for the video on Friday, December 24th at 12:00pm, a practice you can access anytime between the 24th and January 5th, to help support you over the holidays, in the comfort of your own home. I hope you’ll join me as we’ll move through a nourishing restorative flow of movements and breathwork.

The cost to register is free, but I encourage you to take some time to reflect on the importance of Interval House in our community. In years past we have collected items for Interval House, but this year we’ll be holding this sacred space inviting you to hold the women and children, and all the supports and services at Interval House in your heart. These special classes will also give you the space to compassionately take some time in silence, to hold in your heart, all the people in your own circle of care that perhaps need a little extra support this year (that may include you).

If you’re able I encourage you to consider making a donation, suggested amount is $10. How can you do that? You can bring cash to the live class on December 20th, you can donate directly to Interval House, or you can send an e-transfer to info@suryadaya.ca with Interval House in the message. Once all donations are in we’ll get it to them to help support their work and the people they offer respite to.

Sadly, this year domestic violence numbers have increased and funding for these needed resources in our community have decreased. After rent is accounted for, 100% of all proceeds will go directly to Interval House. We hope you’ll carve out this time to receive the nourishment of our practice together, taking time to be still and connect with the peace within your heart.

To register for the Monday night in person class, December 20th, at the Old Town Hall in Almonte, click here (preregistration is required, and COVID protocols based on current regulations will be in place) .

To register to receive the link for the recorded class on Friday afternoon, December 24th, click here.

Remember, we’re all in this together,

With so much love, and gratitude,

Amber

Honouring The Men In Your Life – Yoga For A Cause

15th November 202124th November 2021Amber_Young

I started holding karma classes when I ran a yoga studio, many moons ago.

What is a karma class you may wonder, they are heart guided and soulful yoga and movement classes held for a cause.

The teacher donates their time and their teaching, and the cost of the class is by donation. After rent is accounted for, all the remaining proceeds raised go directly to the organization or the family in need. Karma classes are fueled by love, and a genuine desire to help, to do our part in service.

These classes are also a beautiful way to help make yoga more accessible for folks, as they are by donation. The suggested amount is $10, but no donation is too small.

Join me for an hour of soothing yoga on Monday, November 29th, from 6:30 – 7:30 pm, at the Old Town Hall – in support of Movember, honouring all the men in your life.

Covid protocols will be in place, and registration is necessary as in person spots are limited to ensure everyone feels safe and supported.

This felt like an important month to start offering karma classes again. November is a month you may notice more folks are growing their moustaches out, and you may already be familiar with Movember, or perhaps this is new for you. Movember is a global initiative to help increase awareness and support mens health – mentally and physically. As a fiercely protective mother of 2 very young boys, personally growing up with a father who struggled and continues to struggle, and surrounded by so many amazing men in my own life; this care and concern runs deep.

Men are dying on average 5 years earlier than women, and for largely preventable reasons. A growing number of men – around 10.8 million globally – are facing life with a prostate cancer diagnosis. Globally, testicular cancer is the most common cancer among young men. And across the world, one man dies by suicide every minute of every day, with males accounting for 69% of all suicides.

Movember addresses this crisis on a global scale by funding ground-breaking projects all over the world, engaging men where they are to understand what works best and accelerate change. Movember unites experts from around the world to collaborate on projects that will fundamentally change the way men in need are treated and supported. To ensure the impact is significant, far-reaching and long-lasting, Movember prioritizes funding for the three biggest health issues facing men: mental health and suicide prevention, prostate cancer and testicular cancer.

The inspiration of Movember, and holding classes like these, create a ripple effect with the intention to increase awareness, and for everybody to receive the support they need to thrive, no-one should get left behind.

Jay Young (my sweet husband, and 5-year Movember Fundraiser)

As a father of two young boys, this cause is close to my heart. I have raised funds with my boys as my motivation, who inspire me to consider the future of male health; my brothers and friends, who have suffered some of the challenges that Movember is working to address; and my father, who died prematurely from cancer.
Movember is the leading charity changing the face of men’s health and this Movember, as in Movembers past, I’m joining them. Join me to improve the mental and physical health of all young boys and men into the future. Together we can make a difference for men’s health – in prostate cancer, testicular cancer, mental health and suicide prevention. Help me stop men dying too young. Thank you for your support.

We hope you’ll come out and help us support this incredible organization and the work they’re doing.

Our class will be held on Monday, November 29th, from 6:30 – 7:30 pm. Amber and Jay Young will be leading this class together. We’ll have some time for a brief discussion to start our class, as Amber slowly guides you into an accessible gentle yoga class suitable for beginners and experienced yoga practitioners, and we’ll end with an extended relaxation. This class is for everyone, remember we’re all in this together.

To reserve your spot you can click here or send me an email at amber@suryadaya.ca. Details and Covid protocols will be emailed to you after you register.

Jay is growing his annual Movember mustache. Please check out his link below, or come out on the 29th. This class is by donation,and no donation is to small – perhaps your donation is simply coming out and dedicating your practice to someone in your life who needs a little extra support.

Jay’s Movember link

You can learn more about Movember here

Mark your calendars for the following upcoming monthly karma classes at the Old Town Hall in Almonte, led by Amber:

Monday, December 20th, 6:30 – 7:30 for Interval House

Monday, January 27th, 6:30 – 7:30 pm for The Lanark County Food Bank

Inclusivity In A Confusing Time

6th October 20215th October 2021Amber_Young

“I am here to keep becoming truer, more beautiful versions of myself again and again forever. To be alive is to be in a perpetual state of revolution. Whether I Like it or not, pain is the fuel of revolution. Everything I need to become the woman (human) I’m meant to be next is inside my feelings now. Life is alchemy, and emotions are the fire that turns me to gold. I will continue to become only if I resist extinguishing myself a million times a day. If I can sit in the fire of my own feelings, I will keep becoming.”
Glennon Doyle

Becoming a more truer version of ourselves, perhaps that is the biggest learning of this pandemic. I have never questioned my values, my relationships, my integrity, my responsibilities, and the people and things that I love and care about, so much as during the past year.

My whole life has pivoted, in ways that were necessary both professionally and personally.

I listened to a video the other day, with Simon Sinek, which seemed to encapsulate exactly what I was feeling. We can’t go back to the way things were, that is the nature of change. Many people talk about when things go back to normal, when things are stable again – but you know the truth is, life isn’t stable. And I wonder what the heck is normal? In the history of my life, I don’t think I could ever describe my life as “normal”, nor would I truthfully want to.

We are constantly changing, and resisting that change only limits our growth. Can we be creative in how we move with the flow of life, especially when the waters are a little extra choppy. I urge you to look at how you respond in times of crisis in your own life, be honest with yourself here.

Then I urge you to look at the ways you keep yourself resourced? On a daily basis. How do you fill yourself back up?

People are feeling a lot of different emotions, and if you’re anything like me you are feeling not only your own often intense waves, but also the ripple effects of those around you. My anchors keep reminding me to be a little extra gentle right now, and I want to remind you to do the same.

One of the saddest things I am attuning to these days is all of the division. What makes your decisions more right than anybody else? For you, absolutely, but for them? For them, the only person that knows their whole story and understands their reasoning – is them. So please, maybe ask more questions, and be a little extra gentle right now.

As I make decisions in my own life with the ways I am in service, I am really sitting with it all. I feel we should all have the space to speak our truth, and to not face judgement for that truth – is that not how we grow stronger in ourselves, and as a community? As humans it is my hopes we would have empathy for one another, especially during times of crises.

I was vaccinated so I could see my mom who lives in a different city from me, probably for the last time. I was told I would not have been able to have touched her had I not made that choice, and potentially not even be able to be with her – I knew that was how I could best reach her. I have an autoimmune disorder which added to this picture, and made all these decisions a little more complex, none of this has been easy.

To the best of my ability I sit with all sides of this story we’re moving through globally, I certainly don’t have clarity and am not afraid to admit I don’t know what the best thing to do is, I am confused – I sense like many.

I often sit long and quietly with all of this.

I have had conversations around holding in person classes again, and I started to cry as I imagined myself on one side of the fence, and people I have held safe space for over the years, people dear to my heart – on the other side of the fence because they made a different choice in alignment with who they are and what they need.

I have decided to continue with my online classes as we move through the fall and winter, a safe neutral space where people can just be held.

I don’t want to exclude anyone, or add to the division, especially holding classes responsibly with the intention to help us all to heal and to find our way again. For me, I need to sit with this all a little longer, so I can move with integrity, honouring the deep respect I feel in my soul for all of you, and staying anchored with compassion regardless of what and who shows up.

These decisions are complicated, especially when we’re faced with hurt hearts because people, it seems these days, often don’t even want to take the time to really listen to your story. Many are also scared to be honest and talk about being confused or decisions made – for fear of rejection.

We all have our stories, and can we try to hear eachother, especially when it’s not comfortable – it’s when we need it most.

Sending you so much love on your journey,

With a gentle heart

Amber

If you’d like to join me online for a class you can register by clicking on the days you’d like to join, and you can purchase class passes here.

I will continue to hold some outdoor forest classes, private sessions, and move with fluidity through these changing times – the changing times of an entire life lived. I will eventually return to in person classes, but I need more time to sit with this all.

Supporting you with some soul nourishment and self-reflection, Jessica and I created our soul wisdom cards, made with love from our hearts to yours. Find out more here.

A Time Of Balance Between Shadow and Light

22nd September 202114th October 2021Amber_Young

As we move into the fall equinox, welcoming Autumn, we are once again given the opportunity to reflect. As our natural world embraces this time of equality between light and dark, I wonder if we can find that same honouring in our own lives.

A time of harvest and celebration as the air cools and the trees start to change colour and gradually shed their leaves.

During this season of change we take stock of how balanced we are in our own lives – does the amount you give away outweigh the amount of nourishment you take in? During this turn of the ancient wheel of the year, we can take that insight and start to prepare ourselves for the cocooning that lays ahead, as the steps we take now inform the months to come.

This is an important anchor point to feel deep gratitude for the abundance of your own life, but also to consider the parts that you are ready to shed.

I find the autumn and spring equinox very grounding, they offer us this space of transition where there is no dominance. Permission to pause and reflect on all of our amazing beautiful bits, but also to gently ponder what lays in the undergrowth. You see if you dig a little deeper over the coming months, and uncover what lives there, it often paves the way for deeper healing, deeper self understanding and in time a whole lot more of the beautiful bits to surface.

The equinox is a perfect point of integration and acknowledgement, if we are able to give ourselves permission to rest here for a while. This place of being and becoming, of longing and belonging, of light and dark, of stillness in between ……

The transition into Autumn is a time to both honour our wholeness and at the same time shed layers that inhibit our continual growth, without urgency but an innate understanding of what needs to go, honouring the mystery and the stages of transformation.

“In this stillness, I am the trees alive with singing. I am the sky everywhere at once. I am the snow and the wind bearing stories across geographies and generations. I am the light everywhere descending. I am my heart evoking drum song……. and I am time captured fully in this now. I am a traveller on a sacred journey through this one shining day.”
Richard Wagamese from his beautiful gift to all of us: Embers

Living in harmony with the natural rhythms around you, creates a profound shift in the way we approach our lives and our reciprocal relationship with the precious earth we are all a part of.

Wishing you an easeful Autumn equinox, with joy in your heart at all the abundance around you, the courage to acknowledge what can be put down, and the reverence to hold it all as sacred.

With so much love, and respect,

Amber

Click here to find out more details about our Soul Wisdom Cards (including where to get yours). Each deck is personally bundled and filled with a special blessing for you.

I’m just preparing my fall and winter teaching schedule, starting the week after Thanksgiving, stay tuned for more information! Plus I’m super excited to launch my Self Reflective Breast Health Program, Because You Matter, later this October.

Bringing Our Hands Together At Our Heart

21st July 202119th July 2021Amber_Young

How are you doing? Take a moment and listen to what arises for you today – honour the truth of how you are, in this moment, in this breath. I don’t want a patterned answer, or one you might think I want to hear, I want to know how you truly are in this moment – on all ends of the spectrum.

Last week I was guided to explore Anjali Mudra a little deeper by one of my own teachers, Barrie Risman. We’ve been exploring this practice in my community classes as well.

Anjali means “reverence” and refers to the honouring of the divinity within ourselves and all beings. When we come into Anjali mudra we are balancing all of our polarities – within and without. Joseph and Lilian Le Page remind us that this gesture directs breath, awareness and energy into the center of the chest, supporting us to turn inwards toward our authentic being and understanding on a subconscious level that we are all connected.

Anjali mudra calms the mind, reducing our stress and potentially lowering the blood pressure. This posture helps to release tension through the shoulder blades, and supports the health of your immune system.

As we consciously bring our action oriented hands to meet at our heart center, we honour the guidance found within. When we meet ourselves here, the answers often flow clearly through us – not always easy, but the answers we seek become clear. This reminder supports us in making decisions and traveling our path with compassion and integrity.

As my hands came together this morning, I was filled with a memory. Many moons ago I studied various massage and cancer trainings with Tracy Walton, she invited us to massage as if it was the last time the person you were working with was going to be touched – or perhaps the last time you were ever going to touch someone. She asked us to really show up and be present to not only our time massaging – but to our whole life experience – to live as if it was equally the first time and the last time you were here experiencing this moment. Arriving with curiosity and departing with reverence. The sacredness that ripples into our life experience with this perspective is beautiful. I extend this invitation to you, to be present in every moment; from exploring Anjali mudra as your hands make contact, to holding a hand, to sipping your tea, to yes, even doing the dishes.

Sometimes I think about how my life would be without these practices, and then I return to my mat.

Please join your hands in front of your heart with your palms facing together, fingers directed up towards the sky.
Press your finger pads, the base of your fingers, and the inner and outer edges of your hands gently together
Allow a slight openness at the center of your palms.
Fanning your fingers apart from one another – honouring the space around your heart.
The outer borders of your thumbs coming into contact with your sternum ( breastbone).
Relax your shoulders back and down, with your elbows held slightly away from the body and the spine naturally aligned.
Bring a slight nod to your head, and follow the gentle journey of your breath

I bring my hands together at my heart center, and I bow to you.

With much Love, Amber

If you’d like to practice together, I offer live in person and online zoom classes, (which will be taking a break through the month of August and resuming in September) and as an additional support for you to practice on your own schedule, but together, I’ve created a video library and a monthly video subscription

Click here to find out more details about our Soul Wisdom Cards.

Your Whole Self

15th July 2021Amber_Young

I find so many things swimming around in my thoughts these days, I think perhaps it’s safe to say this may be the case for many of us.

As we’ve moved through this past year and a half, we’ve been given so much to reflect on, and this continues. Identifying priorities in our lives as we understand our own truth a little more, and maybe finding the courage within ourselves to speak that truth with a little more strength.

I think it’s important to also take some time for yourself to acknowledge the collective experience of grief this period in our lives has brought each of us – for lives lost, for moments missed, for forced separation from those we love. I’m really feeling that collective experience right now. This is going to look differently for each of us, but it is felt in some way by all of us. I strongly believe we need to carve out some intentional time to integrate, find out the deeper meaning for you, honour whatever emotions arise and take time to be honest with yourself with how you’re doing – deep down inside. As we transition to this next chapter of our lives, really savour heartfelt hugs, embrace your connections and nurture those relationships where you find unconditional love and reciprocity.

Time on our mats can be a profound place to reflect and to support this integration – in our bodies and through our breath.

It’s easy to get carried along with those around you if you don’t take this time, swimming in all the thoughts. For your own mental, emotional and spiritual health – take some time to ground yourself in how you’re doing now, in this moment.

This morning as I sat in meditation on one of my favorite moss covered rocks I was given the honour of listening in on 2 owls as they had an early morning conversation from the treetops. These moments are magic, and they seem to bring me back to my center without trying to get anywhere. I just seem to arrive.

The sun was rising, the mosquitoes were making themselves known, and these 2 wise beings connecting overhead. I felt like I was listening in on the most sacred of conversations. When I wended my way back down the path to my home, I came across a brilliant quote (certainly not by accident) which I kind of think we all need to hear right now, and perhaps what the owls were sharing with me this morning.

“We don’t have to compromise, ever, and settle for an almost version of who we are. We do not have to conform to some external truth, some version of what someone else is telling us is better, or more right, or more holy, more human. We don’t have to fit in. Isn’t that the most blessed thing we could ever be told, or could remember? We don’t have to fit in. We don’t have to contort who we are in order to fit a mold that was never meant for us”
Meggan Watterson

Don’t be afraid to have different opinions, or make different choices, especially right now – honour you, there’s only one of you, so if you’re busy being like everyone else then we lose the gift of what only you can bring into this world.

It’s also okay to take your time with your reemergence, as we begin again. Think things through for yourself right now, and lead with compassion (starting with yourself). Try to refrain from judging others for seeing the world differently than you, instead learn from one another – and lead by letting your whole self be seen.

Our world can change in the blink of an eye – so what are you waiting for?

With so much love, Amber

I just want to acknowledge the owl picture above was taken by my dear friend (and soul wisdom cards co-creator) Jessica Hibberd. The owls this morning didn’t let me see them, this was taken a few months ago.

If you’d like to practice together, I offer live online zoom classes, and as an additional support for you to practice on your own schedule, but together, I’ve created a video library and a monthly video subscription

I do want to share that I will be taking a teaching break through the month of August – time for me to integrate and renew before the autumn is upon us! My Patreon videos will continue, but apart from my Monday afternoon Carebridge classes – I will be taking a break from live online classes and resuming (online and in person) classes in September.

Click here to find out more details about our Soul Wisdom Cards.

Moon Reflections, Soul Wisdom and an Introduction

12th July 2021Amber_Young

New Moon blessings to you as we introduce our

SOUL WISDOM self – reflection cards

2 years ago my dear friend (and soul sister) Jessica Hibberd and I, experienced the first stirrings of the seeds for this incredible and transformative project. This started as a personal exploration, and over time we realized this was a little divine spark traveling through us. It has been amazing to experience their evolution into a beautiful offering we’re honoured to share with you. This project was also supported and encouraged by so many, and we are so grateful to each of you.

Working with the cycles of the moon, drawing on the inspirations of animals and our sacred earth, as well as our own personal teachers and guides along the way; we have birthed these self-reflective cards into being. They are intended as companions on your path, to urge you forward and support you to dive deeper into understanding your own soul wisdom.

Each of these cards has been born out of love, joy and a deep respect for the medicine contained in our natural world.

We started with our beautiful Goddess Energy Card and found ourselves at completion with our precious fox, holding the intention of Kindness.

The inspiration for the images came to Jessica while traveling on sacred sites around the world; at yoga and dance retreats, sitting in meditation by the water, and time spent in reflection.

When Jessica was ready she shared the magic of her creations with me. Carving out sacred windows of time to get to know each card, often at the roots of a tree or quietly by the water, listening to what they had to share. There was no rush with this process, allowing the layers of their messages to unfurl in their own time.

The slow thoughtful way we moved through this project, was such a good teaching for our own personal process along the way.

We created 13 cards aligning with the 13 new moons in our lunar cycle of a year, which seems fitting to share our Reflection card with you today.

Reflection

Did you know that you are the cycles of the moon, in all their grace, ease and intensity. Are you willing to honor the rhythms that you were born to live. It is time to lean in and let go of how you think things should be, rather embrace what is in this moment.

Understand your cycles through your body, emotions and spirit. Find time every day to connect and revel in the clarity that is born from this process.

Learn to love the magic found in the darkness and the light. You have one life experience in this body, the choice to surrender or resist is up to you.

You are magic unfolding.

The moon holds so much support, a constant guide in the sky, if we take the time to understand how we are affected as we move through the monthly cycle, and honour the changing rhythms around and within us. For each of us these cycles will feel different.

Slowly over time we find a little more ease in ourselves as we learn to move with the flow rather than against it.

As we rest in the dark moon (when there is no moon visible in the sky), we often find ourselves in a time of introversion and quieter more restorative practices are helpful. A time we can focus on deep healing. During the dark moon we can reflect on decisions we’ve made, experiences we’ve had, and take this crucial time to rejuvenate. It offers us a pause.

The new moon happens the day after the dark moon, it marks a birth, a fresh cycle beginning to emerge. This is a good time to set personal intentions and to welcome in new beginnings. It’s also an important time to be extra gentle on yourself, and to honour renewal in your life as you begin to emerge from the dark moon. From the darkness, the new moon brings with it fertile ground to plant seeds for what we want to attract and bring into our life.

During the new moon it is a potent time to meditate, journal, set intentions, move your body, organize and reflect on the next steps in your life.

When we approach the full moon, we can sometimes feel the intensity of the energy a little louder. In yoga the full moon is a symbol of the fullness of our inner selves. Barrie Risman shares “that it reminds us of the perfection that lies within each human being, even when it gets obscured or partially hidden from view.” It’s a good time to celebrate how far you’ve come, celebrating the seeds you’ve nurtured and brought to life, as well as the growth you’ve experienced. In the fullness of the moons light, we can also take this time to shed light on the patterns that perhaps you’re ready to let go of.

Risman reminds us that the full moon honours our humanness, I love this– the bright light against the dark sky, honouring the beauty, the vulnerability and the mystery.

Embrace the support the cycles of the moon can offer you, even simply as anchor points month to month through your journey and the growth found in your self-reflective practices over time.

This has been an amazing project and through this creation we realize how dedicated we are to the healing path in front of each of us, knowing in our hearts that when we support one another we truly thrive.

You will know intuitively the best way for YOU to work with this sweet little offering as it leaves our hands and enters yours. However you decide to work with this deck, it’s important to trust yourself and your process. It is our hopes that you will allow these cards to be a companion on your path, their messages were whispered through us to share with YOU.

With so much love, Amber (and Jess)

Click here to find out more details, including where to purchase your own deck.

To see more of Jessica’s creations click here.

Wishing you wellness in body, mind and spirit on your own unique journey, emerging in your own time and honouring the narrative of your life.

If you’d like to practice together, I offer weekly live online zoom classes, and as an additional support for you to practice on your own schedule, but together, I’ve created a video library and a monthly video subscription

Love Is An Action

2nd July 20212nd July 2021Amber_Young

Today feels like a good day for a little deeper reflection. I don’t know about you, but it’s been quite a week! Take a moment and check in with yourself.

What does this breath feel like? How does your body maybe need a little extra support today? This is where we start from.

It is my hopes that within the window of Canada Day yesterday, that perhaps there was a moment of reflection for you. Maybe not the celebration of days gone by, but perhaps some time to reflect on the trauma that the Indigenous people of this land have experienced and the pain that continues. Holding so many in my heart these days, often it feels overwhelming, but then we take a deep breath and know just how important this safe holding is right now.

I know through my own personal commitment that supporting yourself to show up for yourself on a daily basis and doing what you know you need to support yourself in body, mind and spirit; provides stability, gives you strength, and can help build your own resilience and internal resources.

If we can’t even take care of ourselves, how then can we support others?

I know that being called to be an active support for the injustices in our world asks this of us. It takes strength, courage and determination to break patterns. My friend Anna Karuna Egan reminded me in an email this morning that living with wisdom and compassion is possible, her teacher taught her that Love is an Action, I think I needed this reminder today. Thank you Anna for inspiring me to share my own thoughts today.

We can act differently as we move forward, being led by love. Don’t underestimate YOUR actions, and the ripples that happen, often with the simplest and smallest of steps forward. The more we attune to love, the more easefully it shows up in our lives as a constant, and the more we support not only ourselves, but others to heal..

It’s important to have uncomfortable conversations and to listen to peoples stories. It’s also important to know in your heart of hearts, that you can make very different choices for yourself going forward.

With so much love,

Amber

Click here to find out more details about our Soul Wisdom Cards.

Circle Of Balance

16th June 202118th June 2021Amber_Young

As a response to the past few weeks, I find myself thinking alot about how and where I spend my time and focus my energy.

When I teach breast health and relaxation workshops, this is often something we move through together, or people take home to work with. An important support to revisit on a regular basis in considering your overall health and wellbeing.

What about YOU? How do YOU spend your time?

As we begin to consider the ways we want to step forward in our lives, perhaps in a new way, it feels like a good time to move through this exercise.

Oh, I’ve had my moments, and if I had to do it over again, I’d have more of them. In fact I’d try to have nothing else. Just moments, one after another, instead of living so many years ahead of each day
– N. Stair, 85-year-old woman from Kentucky

Before you approach this practice I encourage you to take some time to move your body, in whatever way best supports you. Turning to your yoga mat, putting on some music that makes your soul happy, going for a walk in the forest, or inviting another form of movement into your body. Sometimes the safety of your practice gives you the opportunity to release and process wherever you are right now – you have to start where you are.

Once you’ve cleared a bit of space inside of yourself, grab a piece of paper and let’s do some self reflection.

I invite you to draw 2 big circles – one is for your reality now, and one is for your ideal.

Take a bit of time to silently reflect and explore the different roles you play in your life, and the ways you divide your time. Be honest here, remember this is just for you.

You might want to make a list of the things you engage in on a daily or weekly basis, maybe including things such as;

Play / Family / Work / Exercise / Relaxation / Time alone / Creativity / Spirituality / School + Study/ Time with friends / Sleep / Prayer / Travel / Chores / Rest / etc….

Now we’re going to divide our circle into a visual reflection of how we spend our time.

Focus on your first circle, drawing pie pieces representing the amount of time you engage in different activities throughout your day. The size of each piece should be representative of how much time you spend in each activity. You can either base it on a 24 hour period, or a weekly snapshot.

First I encourage you to write out your actual life experience, then take a few minutes and just sit with that circle of balance.

How do you feel?

Now, I invite you to fill in the second circle with your ideal – how could your pie look different to better support your ability to feel more rested, happier, and more whole. What can you do to make your actual your ideal? Set some goals of what you can change to make that happen.

How could you manifest more balance?
In what ways, if at all, are you taking time out for you?
How can you honour all “those roles” into an integrated whole?

Remember this is it, this is the only time you get to experience this life in this particular body, what do you need to do different to honour YOUR needs, YOUR life – this is not being selfish, this is being self respectful.

I honestly believe we are all meant to be happy.

It’s a good idea to post your ideal circle somewhere to keep you on track with your priorities, this will help you to stay inspired and as a reminder to carve out windows for the things that feed your soul. Maybe check in next month and see how things in your circle of balance have shifted – or not.

Remember your life is how you perceive it and how you experience it, and the way you spend your time is ultimately always up to you.

I wish you for so much health and happiness
I wish for you to be filled with loving kindness
I wish for you to be peaceful and at ease, I know it’s not always easy, but I wish this for you
And I wish for you to be happy, from deep inside.

With so much love

Amber

Wishing you wellness in body, mind and spirit on your own unique journey, emerging in your own time and honouring the narrative of your life.

The Butterfly And The Cocoon – A Retelling

19th May 202119th May 2021Amber_Young

This morning I find myself reflecting on a story that has been shared with me countless times. I first read this gem as it was shared by Gurmukh in her book, The 8 Human Talents, and most recently it showed up in my inbox from H.H. Pujya Swami Chidanand Saraswatiji, whose Ashram (Parmarth Niketan) I spent time at on the banks of the Ganges, over a decade ago when I traveled in India and Nepal.

This story reminds me of that journey and the cocoon I traveled through to a deeper place of personal understanding and growth. It was definitely not a journey of complete ease and comfort – but incredibly important. It also reminds me of all the pivotal phases and cocoons of my life – including the one we are currently collectively moving through, in our present life experience.

It is an honour to pass this story on to you now for our wellness reflection this week, perhaps familiar to you, and like me, maybe arriving at a time when a retelling would be helpful.

Stories contain medicine, and it is the passing of stories from generation to generation, where so many gems that help us make sense of our own lives, are found. I hope you will always share your stories, and listen to those that come to you – those born from your own life and those shared with you through time.

“There was once a man who noticed an intricately woven cocoon on a tree outside his home. He carefully watched the cocoon every day in order to catch the first glimpse of the precious butterfly he knew would one day emerge. With excitement, the day had arrived, he saw a tiny hole in the cocoon which grew quickly as the hours passed. He sat watching the butterfly navigate its way out of the cocoon. Suddenly he noticed that it seemed the butterfly had stopped making progress. The hole did not get any larger and the butterfly seemed to be stuck. The cocoon was bouncing up and down on the branch as the butterfly tried to squeeze itself unsuccessfully, through the hole that it had created.

The man watched in dismay as it seemed the butterfly would not be able to emerge. Not knowing what to do, but feeling like he needed to step in, he took a small pair of scissors and carefully cut the cocoon, allowing the butterfly to emerge easily.

However, instead of soaring gracefully into the sky, the butterfly immediately dropped to the ground.

He noticed that the butterfly’s stomach was swollen and distended but its wings were small and shriveled, unable to fly. He assumed that after some time, the stomach would shrink and the wings would expand, and this precious being would fly in its fullest glory.

However, this was never to be.

The man didn’t know that it was the very act of forcing one’s body through the tiny hole in the cocoon which would push all the fluid from the stomach into the wings. Without that external pressure, the stomach would always be swollen and the wings would always be shriveled.”

In life we often avoid challenges, sometimes consciously – and sometimes unconsciously, looking for the easy way out. We look for people who will ‘cut our cocoons,’ so that we maybe don’t have to work quite as hard and push our way through.

However, little do we realize that it is going through those times of difficulty which prepare us for what lays ahead. As we overcome the obstacles that present themselves on our path and grow through their lessons, with our own internal resources, they enable us to fly and sometimes offer us opportunities to expand our wings to great unimaginable lengths.

I think perhaps this story also offers a gentle reminder that you need time for self-nurturance and to consider your own needs for care, this is how you build your resources, so you can squeeze through those small holes. It’s important to acknowledge your vulnerabilities and accept the strength and support of your community, your heart tribe; and from that supported place, we rise from the strength that lives deep inside of us.

I don’t think the man in this story realized how powerful and supportive his simple presence was, that was all that was needed. I think often that’s all any of us truly need, safe space to process whatever it is we’ve been handed on our life’s journey.

My soul support is here holding you, honouring your deep internal strength – trust in who you are at your core, I’m just offering you a gentle reminder.

Much love

Amber

Wishing you wellness in body, mind and spirit on your own unique journey, emerging in your own time.