Hello lovelies and welcome to this Sundays connection letter.
THANK YOU for being here and giving me space in your inbox.
WHOLENESS
Lately I have been feeling into wholeness and transformation.
I have been thinking about how we grow, we break and we compost away, over and over, just as all wild does, yet what I’ve realised is, our wholeness remains throughout.
When I feel into it, no matter what I have been through, no matter the changes and the shifts, the undulating circular path, there has been this constant, a wholeness within.
I believe it is my soul, my wildness, my integrity.
To remember or know my soul, so I may understand myself more, so I may know this sense of wholeness, I will often come back to what it felt like as a child, when I was the closest to my soul that I have ever been, before the taming and the trauma took hold.
That soul that I feel, that I remember, is unchanged, and this realisation brings a stability, it brings courage. Courage to face the changes and the letting go’s the decay and the growth, knowing I have this anchor.
It reminds me of the alchemical skills of the earth.
The seasons change and shift, yet still the wild wholeness remains intact. The spirit, the essence, the soul of the wild is always whole. Just as the moon waxes and wanes, yet still the moon remains whole.
Our bodies are also in a constant state of renewing, dying and birthing, it is our natural state. Whether it’s the shedding of our skin or the growing of new hairs, the human body is in constant flux. Our hormones wax & wane like the moon, our cells birth and die in each breath. Not so long ago, the water in our body was travelling across the skies, landing on oaks and soon it will be within the huge swell of the sea. Yet still, our wildness, our innate wholeness is there, like a touchstone, an anchor, a place to rest back in, to come home to.
Our moods, our emotions, our needs, our energy also change, and we are called to grow and to compost aspects of our lives as certain things no longer feel right for us.
We change, parts of our lives break and decay, our feeling state an ever changing weather pattern, our interests, our loves, ebb & flow.
Yet it is our wholeness/integrity/soul that calls for these changes, for we need to change to remain close to that aspect of ourselves.
Sometimes there can be a fear of stepping into the unknown, of losing who we are, of shedding what we know. Yet when we look into the heart of the wild, we see that this is part of what we are, an ever shifting changing being, its how we stay closer to our soul, by moving towards what brings it to grow into the world.
When I realised that a wholeness resided in me, I felt more comfortable to let go.
Here are some ways you may find useful for coming nearer to your whole self.
Stay connected with your senses.
Connecting with the bodies senses, mainly the five well known ones as often as possible is a good way to ground into the present moment and reconnect with your own knowing. We often learn to not listen to our senses, which ignite feelings within us. We are often told our understanding of the world, that comes in through the senses isn’t worth hearing, or is wrong, or will get in the way. And slowly, we learn not to trust our senses, and we become less in touch with our bodies, our silent communion with the world and our bodies. aiming your senses as a valuable language with the world and a beautiful pathway into knowing yourself better and the wisdom you contain, can be a beautiful way to come home.
Listen to your instincts.
Once you are in touch with your body’s senses, you will be able to tap into your instincts on a deeper level. Do you know that nagging voice in your head that tells you when things are not right and something needs to change? Listen to it. Or the voice that says a place, person or situation isnt right for you. You know that feeling on the back of your neck when the tiny hairs stand up because something is off? Pay attention to that feeling.Those feelings are your body’s instincts designed to keep you safe.
Sadly, we are often taught — in many different ways — not to trust our own instincts. Societal pressures, media, and unrealistic expectations often teach us to look outside of ourselves for the answers to important decisions, when we really need to look within. If you learn to ignore your instincts, then you can find yourself in some very dangerous situations because you are missing important cues to get out of danger.
Notice the distractions around you, whether those distractions are unsolicited opinions about what you should do, other people pulling for your attention, or feelings of guilt or shame that hold you back. Notice these distractions, but don’t let yourself be pulled by them. Refocus your attention inward, and listen, really listen to your own lived wisdom to decide what to do next.
Seek out relationships that encourage you be your best self.
Do ever feel like you are one way with one person in your life, and another way with someone else? We all experience different versions of this — some healthier than others. Maybe you share certain hobbies or interests with some friends. Other people in your life might simply get you because of shared past experiences. It makes sense that you may have certain things in common with someone in your life, so that part of you comes out you more with certain people. But — if it starts to feel like you have to hide a certain part of who you are with someone you care about, then you may start to feel fragmented or inauthentic.
Feeling like your whole, and best self, requires having people in your life who love and accept you for exactly who you are. You should be able to breathe a big sigh of relief around this person, not feel like you have to pretend, and know that you can talk openly about whatever is on your mind. Having at least one person in your life who accepts you for who you really are — and all that comes with it — is invaluable. If you don’t have that person yet, put yourself in spaces where you can look for them.
Take actions that are consistent with your core values and sense of purpose.
One of the greatest cause of is stress is a misalignment of core values and actions. We all experience so many distractions on a daily basis, that it may feel easy to forget what your core values even are. Unless you make a dedicated practice of staying in touch with your integrity, you risk ending up with a life that is divided, one that may leave you feeling disappointed in yourself, ineffective, and unsatisfied.
Take time to reflect on what drives you in life. Why do you get up and do what you do every day? What drives you? What motivates you to try to be better? Reflecting on your core values will help you decide the right course of action whenever you come to an important decision in your life. Set aside time to daydream about your deepest desires and wishes. Let yourself imagine a life where you take actions that are guided by your most authentic self. Start small, and be consistent.
Connect with the young one in you.
Try and remember what lit you up, how you felt, your dreams and your longings when you were a child. Come closer to what you knew when you were the closest you have ever been to your soul. Maybe even do some of the things you loved, or the things you wanted to explore more when you were a child, like drawing, singing to the sea, lying in the meadow, climbing trees, writing stories, dancing. Let yourself play, let the child in you breathe within you.
Respect yourself
Take this moment to reflect on ways that you can be your whole self. These don’t always have to be seismic shifts necessarily, but rather small shifts in attention that can have a dramatic impact on your mood and self-esteem. Learning to respect yourself means being your whole self, and accepting every part of who you are — even if some of those parts are still under construction. I feel confident that if you open yourself up to who you truly are, you will be amazed by what you find out about yourself.
The meaning of the day
Each new dawn brings with it
15 new reasons for laughs,
100,000 new heartbeats in your chest,
Your lifeblood voyages 168,000,000 miles.
And each new morning on this earth translates
7,200 earthquakes in the upcoming 24 hours.
More than 18,000 thunderstorms,
Our planet is struck by lightening 8.6 million times.
And in space?
The passing of a day
Means the wonderous birth of approximately 275 billion stars.
This is why everyday
In an opportunity for rebirth.
That is why no matter what they say,
You must never underestimate your own worth.
-Nikita Gill
THINGS OF INTEREST
HOW TO LIVE A WAYFINDER’S LIFE with Martha Beck
THANK YOU FOR READING
Much wild strength and beauty to you
Brigit x
Such gentle invitations INTO communion with ourselves. Our Wholeness IS the constant and I too am on a journey of integrating WITH that primal knowing. The more intimacy I cultivate with my Wholeness, the more clarity I have with my needs and my intrinsic boundaries and the more I TRUST my instincts. Wild Rose has been teaching me so much about my Wholeness, how to fully embody myself and my needs, how to fully BE my boundaries. Thank you for always weaving together beautiful words and the perfectly attuned imagery. Loved so many of the art expressions that had children and nature :-)