February greetings, friends!
Before I got into this journey of wellness and healing that became a more inward journey of discovering who I am, how I am, and what I need, I was always struggling with trying to make sense of this world.
Why do we do any of the things we do, and does any of it really matter?
I would often hear myself saying out loud, “this such and such is killing my soul.” Usually it was a job that was killing my soul, because we spend so much of our lives in the oftentimes-frustratingly-
We force ourselves to do many things in this life that perhaps aren’t right for us and our soul’s unique needs. We do these things to fit in, to feel a sense of safety, because we’re “supposed to,” because we don’t know there’s any other option even available.
We do a lot of things that maybe aren’t right for us because we don’t consciously know who we are on a deeper level or what we need to make our soul sing – or if we do know these things about ourselves, we often don’t know how to go about making that happen, how to live our lives in a way that might look quite different from the masses.
And even if we do make a plan for how to live our ideal life in this way, we might struggle with the permission we must give ourselves to go forth and do so! Am I even allowed to live my life that way? What will people think? What will I think? Will I be safe and secure? And so we end up getting stuck in our rut of comfortability, and safety, and what is known.
Even if all along we know that it doesn’t make us happy. Humans are funny creatures, aren’t we?
It took A LOT for me to decide that I needed to live my life differently; that the one I was living was no longer sustainable, definitely unfulfilling, and giving me the not-so-subtle message of destroying my body from the inside out via general inflammation and then severe Crohn’s disease. Parts of my journey are shared here on my website, in this podcast episode, and in my book.
I think it’s important to share our stories because it’s what makes us human. This job of being human is not an easy one. No matter what we post on social media or what highlights reels we share with each other, underneath the surface, all of us are simply doing our best with this crazy job of being human.
Recently when sharing cute and adorable photos of perfect moments, a friend and I started to joke, wouldn’t it be funny – or at least, more accurate and real – if we also took photos of all the moments that are hard?
Not just the grins around the dinner table, but the moments where we’re biting our tongues from the inevitable comments that trigger all our unhealed wounds. Not only the laughter and clever captions, but a recollection of the awful words we’ve yelled at others in anger. Not just the smiles and matching sweaters, but the moments when we’re face down on the carpet bawling our eyes out over the pain of trying to be human in relationship to others trying to be human.
We are all here facing a specific set of challenges, trials, obstacles to overcome with one single goal – to help our soul to grow. Sometimes our soul chooses these trials in order to learn a particular lesson; other times due to free will and the complexities of being human, we stumble our way into a challenge. Or a few challenges.
It may sound a little grim, like life is just some endless string of hardships. And sometimes, we might go through a season where that certainly feels like the case.
But the beautiful thing about it is that as our soul grows, so too does our capacity for joy. Ask anyone who has been through hell and back what beauty means to them, what joy means, where peace is found. We don’t find these things in the absence of trials and tribulations, we find them because of these very trials.
I love these words from the writer and poet Kahlil Gibran and think of them often, whenever I find myself wishing away something that is painful:
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“The deeper that sorrow carves into your being, the more joy you can contain. Is not the cup that holds your wine the very cup that was burned in the potter’s oven? And is not the lute that soothes your spirit, the very wood that was hollowed with knives?
When you are joyous, look deep into your heart and you shall find it is only that which has given you sorrow that is giving you joy. When you are sorrowful look again in your heart, and you shall see in truth that you are weeping for that which has been your delight.”
The book I created and published last year, Soul Healing & Spirit Dancing: A Seasonal Journey to Embody the Balance, Peace & Joy that is Your Birthright, was informed by the many lessons I’ve learned and the tools I’ve gathered throughout my own journey – my journey through disease and health, my journey from feeling like life was blah and meaningless to once again experiencing magic and joy.
More than just a book to passively consume with your mind, it is a guidebook for your soul to begin to live your life in a way that actually makes your soul happy.
It will help you to begin to understand who you are, how you are, and what your unique needs are. It will help you to start making sense of this crazy world, and to start to understand if any of it really does matter.
It will help you identify those practices in your life that are killing your soul, so you can begin to make small but impactful shifts in your relationship to them, freeing up more space and energy for what is life-giving.
And it will allow you to give yourself permission to make the shifts you need to make, and the guidance to tune into the most important and reliable source of wisdom in your life: your intuition, or the voice of your soul.
Because life is inevitably going to contain hardships and pain, it’s imperative that we learn the skills to grow through these challenges – or else we risk getting stuck in them. We need the tools that help us to squeeze those lemons into life-giving lemonade; and we must know where to find the sugar to add just enough sweetness that we aren’t stuck with a horribly bitter brew.
Yes, this job of being human is a hard one. It is also a rewarding one. It can be full of pain. But it can also be full of joy, and magic, and peace.
Because life is meant to full of beauty and sweetness, we just have to learn how to see it.
Hibernate & Celebrate ✨
Soul Healing & Spirit Dancing contains a number of fun and thoughtful tools that will help you in this very pursuit. Each chapter of the book correlates to a month of the year, and each chapter contains one tangible, unique practice for you to play around with that month.
The book is designed so that you can jump into the book in whatever month you find yourself in. If you’re jumping in now, I recommend first reading the Preface and Introduction at the beginning of the book, as well as the Winter Intro on page 233. But then hop on into February, which you’ll find towards the end of the book.
The February chapter is another short and sweet read that encourages us to take advantage of the last few weeks of winter by going into the cocoon – in order to emerge inspired and aligned when the energy shifts next month with the Spring Equinox.
We’ll learn some fascinating bear facts, discover that sometimes slow is fast, and give ourselves permission to celebrate even if we haven’t completed all of our work yet.
While we typically assume that December is the end of our yearly journey, you’ll find that in this book, February is our final stop. The reason for this is because the book follows the more natural rhythms of the seasons, of Mother Gaia herself, rather than exclusively the dates on our human-made calendar. And I think you’ll find as you start to notice and rest into these natural rhythms, that it just feels good. For me, it just feels right to my soul.
Since February is our final stop, the theme of this month’s practice is about two things: reflecting on the journey…and celebrating the journey! Even if you’re just jumping into the book right now in this month, the beauty of it is that you still get to reflect AND celebrate.
Because whether or not you’ve been conscious of it, you’ve been on a journey these past 12 months. So, go ahead and reflect. Then, celebrate yourself and this journey! You’ve been through a lot. As we pointed out earlier, being a human isn’t easy work. So, be kind to yourself. Do something that feels good to your soul.
And, to really sink into those cozy winter vibes, be sure to infuse your celebration with all the elements of hygge. If you’re new to the concept of hygge, the book will acquaint you and offer plenty of cozy-making tips for your insides as well as your outsides.
I encourage you to pick up a copy of the book if you haven’t yet, so you can enjoy the full guided practice for the month of February, and connect more deeply with the energy of the winter season!
Happy hibernating!
May you nourish your soul by going into your cocoon. May you find the tools that allow your journey of being human to be just a little lighter and sweeter.✨
Ask your local bookstore to carry the book! OR find it anywhere books are sold online.
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