Unwind to Awaken

It feels to me that we are collectively embarking upon yet another massive passage. With many states re-opening, larger scale events re-instated, masks being removed, children out of school, and the Summertime kicking into gear...it can be jarring to the system to say the least.

I have felt the tendency to want to pull it in during this time of expansion. To be even more mindful about my energetic output and to bring immense levels of consciousness into my interactions beginning with myself and radiating outward to those I cross paths with.

Feeling the need to slow everything down and acclimate to this new way of living, being, and moving through the world.

We must unwind, recalibrate, and nourish ourselves in midst of any period of big transition and change.  We cannot bypass this phase of transformation.  It is pivotal in our awakening.  

As we are collectively in a massive transition out of a highly traumatizing year, it feels critical to pace this process.  

Naturally, most of us are a bit stir crazy and beyond ready for some action, travel, concerts, gatherings….but, we must simmer in the realm of integration.  

Forcing our unfolding provides the platform for contraction, a bit of a backlash from our systems.  It is a harsh way of re-entering any realm that we may feel we know and are ready for.  

We are not the same people that we were a year ago. We are all altered from the inside out.  By pushing ourselves, our newly and vulnerably evolved Selves into this new realm of living and being, we are doing a tremendous disservice.  Not only to our own weary hearts, but also to those in our lives.  

We are not emerging with authenticity when it is forced.  By softening, yielding, and opening to this new realm we are inviting in a deepening in our embodiment and the precious relationship we have with our inner Selves. 

We are creating foundation, ground, possibility, perspective, and infinite wisdom to pour through us and around us.  

We must be patient.  We must take life’s emergence step-by-step, moment-by-moment.  Be mindful.  Be present.  Eyes wide open, heart lifted, upright in your spine.  Rest. Nurture yourself. 

And, TRUST.  Trust in this unfolding. Trust in yourself and your capacity to meet each moment with yourself intact.  Trust what’s dropping away, what’s entering, where you are being guided, whom you are feeling pulled to, your new preferences and inner compass….trust it all.  

When we shift our perspective around the divine evolution of life, rather than resist what is unfolding, we start to look at everything as fuel for our growth.  

What can we do to unwind from this past year so as to awaken brightly for this next phase on the journey? 

There are endless holistic practices to bring into our lives that are highly supportive in unwinding from trauma (which is what this year has been inundated with!), ground into our bodies and beings, calm the mind to meet the moment, and find peace and ease from deep within to stay steady in the wake of the storm.  

I recently had the honor of being interviewed by my dear friends Mary and David on their podcast Third Place Podcast. I share, for the first time, the nuances of my own unwinding and awakening process after experiencing near-death.  It is a beautiful and important conversation and it is my hope that it could inspire us all during these times to implement the practices that I did during that pivotal time in my life.  Listen here!!

Practices to support your system in unwinding so as to awaken intact and aligned with the truth of who you are:

• Permission to feel your feelings:  Create the space in your life to allow the full range of your emotions to flow through you and out of you.  This is a dance, a process, and involves allowing the layers to surface without attaching to them.  Do whatever you can to keep your energy and emotions moving.  

• Ground and Root in your body:  Step outside into the natural world. Practice gentle and unwinding yoga. Take slow, mindful walks connecting to your breath.  Stand with your feet planted and imagine that there are roots growing out the souls of your feet.  Give yourself a slight knee bend.  Place one hand on your heart and one hand on your belly.  Keep the back of your neck long and envision someone pulling a string from the crown of your head up to the heavens.  Close your eyes and connect to your breath.  Breath deeply into your belly and heart.  In breath through the nose, exhale out the mouth. Lengthen out your exhale twice as long as your inhale.  Repeat repeat repeat. 

• Honor exactly where you are:  YOU DO NOT NEED TO RUSH THIS PROCESS.  Turn inward and contain your energy as much as you need to.  There is no rush to step back out into the new world that we are living in.  Pace yourself.  Honor your own timing.  

• Sit in meditation: Connect deeply to yourself through meditation.  It is THE most potent practice to bring into your life.  Sitting in meditation regularly provides the platform for connection to your inner world, and an opportunity to gain insight into what you need in this unwinding and awakening process.  For a FREE beautiful guided meditation please go HERE and download it. 

• Feed yourself well:  Nourishing our beings and bodies through good, grounding and nutrient dense foods is so crucial in the unwinding process.  It is NOT a time for deprivation, but rather a moment of building our systems. It has been a long road and we need fuel to emerge!

• Restore yourself:  Restorative yoga, using props to support the unwinding and opening process is a beautiful way of allowing your system to rest and rejuvenate.  My all-time favorite restorative pose is Supta Baddhakonasana.  Here is a basic description: Lay over a bolster along your spine (or roll up or stack blankets), with the soles of your feet touching and your knees splayed out in a butterfly shape.  Place blankets, pillows, and/or blocks under your knees for support.  Your arms are open out at your sides, you can place an eye pillow or scarf over your eyes to enhance the process.  Gift yourself with time in this pose….I have been known to fall asleep for as long as 45 minutes in this shape!  Release control of your breath and allow yourself to just BE.  

• Calm your system and connect to your body: Do ANYTHING you can to reside in a space of calm and peace. Make a list of thing/activities that calm and ground you that you can do in 5 minutes or under. Pin it on your fridge or bathroom mirror. Anytime you start to feel the swirl, reference that list and choose something to do. NOW.

• Mantras: I am a HUGE fan of mantras. They are the quickest way of bringing ourselves back to the present moment, to connect to the Universe/Divine Energy, and to remember the truth of who we are. Simple, succinct mantras that resonate in your being are most effective.

I cannot emphasize enough the importance of honoring this process that we are all in.  Unwinding from this highly traumatizing year before jumping into this new realm is pivotal in our capacity to heal on a sustainable level and step forward in our lives embodied and awake. 

Seeking support in your unwinding and awakening process?  I am here for you! I know this work inside and out and would be deeply honored to help in any way that I can.  Please schedule a FREE 20-minute Clarity Call HERE or send me an email at:  alison@embodymylife.com