Don’t run, go slowly, it’s only to yourself that you have to go!
Go slowly, don’t run, for the Child of yourself, just born and eternal cannot follow you.
~ Juan Ramón Jiménez
Listen to Gayle reading the blog aloud.
Recently a friend gave me my guffaw for the day. We were lamenting about the current WTF’ness of life, remedies that no longer work, and the repeated persistence of those remedies. She said, “Yeah, so exhausted, I took an afternoon nap. You know, the 20-minute rest that is so nourishing. I woke up. Noticed, well, that did nothing.”
I laughed. Not at her, of course, but at the truth. We laugh when truth peeks through.
The truth is, we are advised to take actions and build habits that are proven not to work. We follow the actions, and when they don’t turn out, we strike inward, admonish ourselves, convinced we have done it wrong. Or, we strike outward and blame a person, an institution, a policy or the universe for our failure.
Neither the inward or outward blame is helpful. And both are common. Blaming is especially common with money. And we’ll touch upon money-a bit differently-in a minute.
Here’s some of that “reliable” advice. Are any of these moves familiar to you? (They are all familiar to me. I’m raising my hand as a repeat offender!)
When you’re feeling activated, agitated, disconnected, uncertain, exhausted, pressured, confused, try to…
- Return with a powerful intention, soaking your heart in love and your mind in wonder, chanting Om, Om, Om.
- Return with a vengeance! “I can and will Make. This. Happen.”
- Return with gushing despair and devotion, collapsing in feelings spilling everywhere – sorrow, terror, anguish. Take on the planet’s suffering too, because hey, you’re here and why not pile on more? The more the better, right?
- Go take another self-help course/training/seminar-by that teacher, visionary, guru, legend of a human being-who certainly knows more than you.
- Return with the full enchilada – a colorful 3D vision board spraying neon cheers, prayer beads of every crystal and stone known to man and the Gods, the newest technology charged to the hilt crunching facts and figures faster than the speed of light times a zillion, a plant-based diet, lifting weights, meditating, forgiving, loving, and letting go.
- For all of the above, rinse and repeat.
What are your favorite repeat moves?
We are living in a crucible period of life, and I don’t really know what that means.
But I know we are no place we have ever been in this incarnation.
The reliable practices that once worked so well to provide positive, extraordinary outcomes are no longer doing so.
(By the way, it’s only a matter of time before we really feel this crucible with money. I know. Some of you are screaming right now, “you mean up to now it’s been going well with money?” I’m not trying to scare you. I am trying to prepare you. Times are changing and money practices are at the end of the line when it comes to change.)
My newest fresh practice is BabySteps… in all of my actions.
Years ago, with my coaching clients, I called BabySteps – “slow your pace” practice. Last summer, I learned better language from the generous Patty Lennon; she led me and others in a mastermind course learning to receive, which calls for Ph.D. mastery. I’m still a receiving practitioner… through BabySteps.
Steps allow me to take in more of current reality at a generous pace of integration.
Receive.
Digest.
Integrate a smidgeon more with a stretch just past the edge.
Clarify.
Feel inspired.
Take a BabyStep.
I purposely have not thus far mentioned the many big issues saturating our field of existence — war in Ukraine, climate change, DEI.
Omission does not mean I do not feel the horrors of humanity, or that you do not.
It means that in BabyStep practice, we come home to ourselves. We embody 100 percent responsibility for our lives in this moment. We balance and flow to be present for the next moment.
Sufficiency BabySteps is the practice I suggest we adopt to live, to breathe, to walk, to eat, and, someday, to flourish in Embodied Sufficiency.
Money asks for us to recognize Sufficiency.
Embodied Sufficiency is the closest way of being with money that makes sense to me, for myself, for you, and for all humans.
Because guess what? Every other non-human being living on this planet has mastered it.
[I LOVE when something comes through my fingers typing on the keyboard that blows me over. The above just did that.]
Every living being on earth has mastered embodied sufficiency, except humans.
Trees. Birds. Mammals.
Redwoods. Cardinals. Whales.
We humans are the bottom of the totem pole, the last drop in the barrel, the caboose, the end of the conga line when it comes to living in sufficiency on earth.
To embody sufficiency, you need these three capacities:
- Somatic Awareness. This is body intelligence AKA get the memo and a “Bleeping” clue that valuable, empirically proven information lives below your neck! Let’s find our feet and BabyStep our body awake.
- Scarcity Awareness. Practices that help us face fear all the way to its essence AKA get your head out of your beautiful behind. Humans get scared. Let’s be scared together and BabyStep forward.
- Curiosity Mind. There is so much stuff we don’t know, and if we are open to learning, we can BabyStep to that groove. The unknown is, in fact, where we rest. Live. Love. Laugh…. and build our body of Sufficiency.
Embodied sufficiency requires us to know by heart, head and belly that in this moment, and a string of infinite moments, we are truly ok. Safe. Whole. Complete. Connected. Worthy.
We get there by taking our first BabyStep.
Babystepping,
P.S. I practiced BabySteps with “softer” language, which means no curse words. Are you proud of me?
Tiny Body Practice
Wind Washing
In my experience, we talk less about the element wind and give preference to fire, water and earth. Today, let Wind offer us a precious teaching. In this tiny practice, I ask you to engage the four directions with wind energizing your experience.
My most notable experience with wind was in Nepal. In the afternoon, fierce winds reliably came and with curiosity (and maybe naivete) I stepped outside and allowed the wind to wash me. Even if I could not hear, I know the wind was talking. My body received what my brain could not.
In this practice you will imagine the wind moving or be in nature with the wind blowing.
The Practice
Bring attention to your body.
Feel your feet on the ground.
Root and drop down into the earth.
When you feel grounded and stable, turn your body in four directions as follows:
- To your Back – Receiving.
Speaking to the Wind: I receive your support.
- To your Front – Cleansing
Speaking to the Wind: I allow you to cleanse me and everything that doesn’t serve me.
- To your Right – Honoring
Speaking to the Wind: I welcome and meet you with strength and courage.
- To your Left – Flowing
Speaking to the Wind: I flow and go with clarity and ease, being moved by you.
When you are complete, bow to the wind in gratitude.
Reflect upon these Wonder Questions:
- What and how am I receiving?
- What and how am I cleansing?
- What and how am I honoring?
- What and how am I flowing?
Deepening Practice
Wind Washing
by Gayle | Apr 28, 2022
Hello dear one,
As I write this message for deepening practice, I am feeling major feels from recent news in Ukraine. You are likely aware of the news; and, I encourage you to bring, whatever is true and alive in you right now, to this month’s Tiny Practice, Wind Washing.
Wind Washing may be a lame name for this potent practice. To support a deeper understanding, as well as instructions for deeper practice, I offer a few comments about my own experience with wind washing. This practice builds a relationship with the wind. When I am feeling most ungrounded, unsettled, or helpless, the wind offers rapid responses. The wind is my teacher, my comfort, my protector, my encourager who sparks just the right energy for what will serve the highest good. And remember, wind can be soft – a gentle breeze like a whisper, or wind can be fierce – clocked in miles per hour during storms.
Here’s the thing, I love the other elements-water, fire, earth-these elements are typically more familiar. But wind? What about wind? Wind holds surprises and versatility. Just when I might believe that I need wind at my back, the wind laughs, and shifts to a new direction. Snap! Woah….
The next time your money issues look like this:
- stuck in confusion
- alone in despair
- conflicted in not enough
- blaming or shaming
Stand outside in the wind and ask her for direction, support and a washing!
Tiny Body Practice
Wind Washing
Notice the centered round table stayed upright…
Practice Preparation:
In this tiny practice, I invite you to engage the wind to receive in new ways and to build a relationship with the wind element. Open your heart and mind to receive the voice of the wind. Remember, your body receives what your brain cannot.
In this practice you will choose to imagine the wind moving or be in nature as the wind blows.
If you are visualizing the wind, sit in a comfortable space and settle your body and mind.
If you are outside in nature, choose either to:
- follow the guided practice moving in each direction, or
- stand in one direction bringing an issue or question to the wind. The wind moves as you stand still.
Listen to audio of practice
The Practice, moving in each direction
- Bring attention to your body.
- Take three breaths allowing your exhale to be longer than your inhale.
- Feel your feet on the ground.
- Drop your awareness down into the earth, 3 feet, 3 yards or 3 miles.
- Take three breaths imagining earth’s energy moving up through your feet on your inhale and flooding your body on the exhale.
- Recognize your breath as a form of wind.
When you feel grounded and stable, turn your body in four directions as noted below.
- Begin by raising your arms and opening your palms to the sky.
- Turn your back to the wind – Receiving.
Speaking to the Wind: I receive your support.
Allow the wind to caress your back, provide pressure, reassurance, encouragement, and energy.
You can do this.
The wind says: I’ve got your back.
- Turn your front to face the wind – Cleansing
Speaking to the Wind: I allow you to cleanse me and everything that doesn’t serve me.
Allow the wind to pierce your pores to free obstacles, debris, blockages, hopes and fears.
You don’t need this anymore.
The wind says: I free you of this.
- Turn your body so the wind meets your right side – Honoring
Speaking to the Wind: I welcome and meet you with strength and courage.
Allow the wind to stand with you in solidarity and sovereignty.
You are sufficient.
The wind says: I honor you.
- Turn your body so the wind meets your left side – Flowing
Speaking to the Wind: I flow and go with clarity and ease, being moved by you.
Allow the wind to show you how to move with certainty and power.
You are clear and capable.
The wind says: I move as you.
When you are complete, bow to the wind in gratitude.
Immediately after, reflect upon these Wonder Questions, or write answers in a notebook:
- What and how am I receiving?
- What and how am I cleansing?
- What and how am I honoring?
- What and how am I flowing?
Post Practice, weekly journaling:
At the end of your week, retrieve your notebook and write answers to these questions:
- How does the wind speak to you? Compare the winds communication to the other elements.
- What are you discovering about the element of wind? What happened to the issues you brought to the wind?
- Where can the wind serve you even more?
- When are you most open to relate with the wind?