31 Jan February; Strength from the Ground up

“The most regretful people on earth are those who felt the call to creative work, who felt their own creative power restive and uprising, and gave to it neither power nor time.”

-Mary Oliver 

Imagine what it would be like to belong so fully to yourself that you stand tall in your inner authority. Feel your lungs expand as courage becomes a natural companion, allowing you to move with the grace of a big cat, poised, alert, but relaxed and at complete ease with what is unfolding. Imagine that is the way you move forward in your life, work and creative pursuits. Imagine good it would feel to be connected to that deep inner power. 

 The energy for this month really is a continuation of Januarys attention to detail in the way it feels like drawing in our attention from outer distractions so that when we move, we move from a place of deep strength and power, the  kind of strength has nothing to do with pushing or forcing, and every thing to do with how we direct our presence. Winter foundations are beginning to shift and shake, seed pods are breaking open under the earth. Even though this new growth will not be visible for sometime, we can feeling it stirring, rising within us.

Our bodies are an extension of the earth, and like the earth, they give us so much on a regular basis. It’s astonishing how much our physical bodies can go through, and still retain the innate ability to heal and regenerate, however deep the winter hits, spring is certain to return.

When I remember that simple truth, I can breathe again. I remember that I am enough and so is this moment. That however torturous my mind can get as it ties itself into knots of worry, there is this fundamental truth of the physical. My feet on the earth, the bones of my body, the flex of my muscles, the turn of the seasons. As a naturally anxious person, physical activity, my connection to the earth, has been crucial for my mental health, especially in the month of February with its tease of lighter days in the grip of winter. The pulse of spring is beginning to pulse within us, like sap rising. This work is a deep rumbling, invisible to the eye and requires something we may not have yet in spades, faith. 

Faith in ourselves, faith in the natural intelligence that we are apart of, faith in the rumble deep within us, faith that things fall apart, to fall back together. 

Sometimes we need to let our bodies do the talking, the grounded wisdom of our our knowing. 

Easier said than done, I know. Coming home to that place is a practice, its something we have to prioritize and take action on to feel its benefits. It’s not something we can speed up, or force to happen faster just by willing it so.  Just as you would expect more benefits from a consistent physical practice, so to do we get more when we are consistently grounding ourselves in faith in ourselves. 

February is a good time to clean up our every day routines. It’s going to become increasingly clear what is bogging us down unnecessarily, and causing us undo stress. We require the inner space to focus on what really matters to us, so de-cluttering and simplifying things is a good idea! This is a time to fill our reserves with things that help us feel healthy and strong. Spend lees time in front of a screen and more time outside, take the time to prepare yourself a meal, connect with loved ones. Do the things that fill your battery. 

For the last few Februarys I have given myself a self care challenge where I do something good for myself everyday for the whole month. At first it feels daunting and like a lot of work, but after a few days I start enjoying myself, and the pay off is huge! Self care doesn’t have to cost money, but it does require attention and time. If you wish to join me, follow my Instagram account @jacqui_willcocks and tag your self care #letyourselfunfoldselfcare or send me an email and let me know how your doing! 

Standing with you in Strength.

Love, Jacqui