I attended a circle a few nights ago that was centered on connectivity and relating in a concrete format — meaning it had a system and was a bit formalized. It was my first experience.

One deep gem that I walked home with I’m going to share with you here -  a bit paraphrased & rewritten to capture the essence of the moment without reiterating the minutia:

A man in the circle decidedly sat hands splayed, in a gesture of openness. The group asked him questions about his feeling state, he answered.

At one point a woman commented: “I noticed that your hands began splayed open, and then depending on what we were talking about sometimes they curled closed, and right now they are open, but also kinda closed — and I would say they seem to be in a gesture of connection, to your self.”

His hands were loosely in jnana mudra — effortlessly.

I have also noticed, when I sit down into a yoga or a mindfulness practice, I have to invite myself to sit back a little to get my sits bones on the mat. I just did it again as I typed that sentence; relax back. I have begun to notice that I often lean forward, sitting just a bit before the moment. 

On the drive home from the circle, and into the next morning I really thought about that correlation - open and connected, not splayed out unstable and uncertain - whether in posture or in mindset.  That is the space of new horizons, and easier compassion, rooted in the self - but open to the moment, occupying both the downwardness of rooting and the openness of a heart horizontal — the expanse of the day and the life that we have created. 

So much more is available, it feels, when we sit back and relax into It.

Happy New Moon + Have a Great Holiday Weekend,
Kate

I recently let go of something (does it matter if it is a person, place or thing?), and I was - in Kate fashion - getting ready to explain the depths of what had happened, when over coffee on a very bright, and sunny Tuesday my girlfriend shrugs, “It died a natural death.”

My mouth gapes. “That is exactly what happened,” I realize.

“Yeah, I know I just figured that one out myself. It just died a natural death. It’s over.”

“Yes.”

“Yeah. A natural death. Saying ‘natural’ is the most important part,” she shifts her shoulders to demonstrate.

“It is,” I squeal, confirming my perplexed awe at the simple truth.  “It happens all the time in Nature.”

“Yeah, it happens all the time everywhere. It returns. And something new is born - eventually.”

“Yeah.” I am pretty sure my face is still squinting at the simplicity - because it is true. I was hunting for a story - I now realize - and had been practicing the arc line when I was telling it to others in order to justify it to myself,  but the truth - the truth is : it died a natural death. 

It was time to let go.
End of story.

Let it go.

Happy Wednesday, 
Kate