What a healing blessing this essay was to me today, thank you Jocelyn. This: ‘This is why you are here. To befriend your body, to listen to what it is saying to you. Honor that.’ I am trying to honor my body, in its current pain and grief over the pain which extends into all the losses and grief my body has ever felt & experienced. With that invitation to cry during your yoga training you were being given a grief ritual. To let go & fully feel ‘the Wild edge of sorrow’ as Francis Weller’s incredible book about grief and grief rituals is titled (a book I highly recommend). I love how you’ve structured this essay, the introduction of the idea of bees and our swarming thoughts and returning to the bees at the end again. What a tapestry you’ve woven, I feel a part of it. Thank you for inviting me in. 💗
A grief ritual! Holy goodness, Amy, I had never thought of it like that, but YES! I cry on my mat whenever I need to, and that is still fairly often, but less so these days. And yes, I'm sure that honoring of the body and what it tells you, resonates strongly for you right now as your body and your heart bear current grief and process a lifetime of it, and it's parallel trauma.
Oooooh. You always have the best book recommendations! I'm off to find this one next.
And thank you for that mini close read! I almost moved the beginning part, but I loved it so much and the beauty of this space is that I get to try things (with intention) and see how they land.
Thank you for coming in and sitting down and having some tea with me. ;) xoxoxo
Loved this. Visceral and evocative prose. I’ve got a knee injury, really, a middle aged issue that will likely be persistent, so maybe injury isn’t the best word. But it’s had me grounded to the mat as I break from more strenuous cardio, and honestly, I’ve loved that it’s brought me closer to yoga, cause we were getting distanced there. Anyway, yes to all your ideas about resistance. I saw Ani DiFranco last night and she sang 2 new songs of hers that I think are in conversation with this essay: https://youtu.be/2ahDQKvM0lk?si=DZJx8oA3al8iIRi0 & https://youtu.be/ZhgNLhY1L98?si=2YJDUCXUppT0VmiQ
I love this, "...cause we were getting distanced there." I too have a small knee injury, though mine is temporary, just a tweak, but I'm having to adjust my practice to accommodate healing -- something I wouldn't have been able to slow down and do when I first started practicing. It was all about getting it right. Now it's about being present to it. Oooooh Ani DeFranco! Where did you see her? Thank you for the music! Listening now. "I have a name. And my name has a story." love love love. xooxxo friend.
Oh my Jocelyn, this is such a powerful, courageous, important piece. I love this so much. So much to say here, so much to say "yes" to, and all of it to hold. We are so bombarded with everything all at once that the disconnect between our heads and our bodies is inevitable. But as your yoga practice reveals, we are whole, our bodies remember the trauma as much as our brain and when we artificially make the disconnect we're going to have issues. I'm running a 50 mile event tomorrow and what people don't understand is that ultra events like that can be an incredible self therapy session. Thanks you so much for giving us this intimate picture, Jocelyn.
Oh I always love your comments. You affirm things I know and also teach me things. This, " ultra events like that can be an incredible self therapy session." so much yes. I think there are so many ways we use movement to disconnect from our bodies, in response to trauma, especially, but also in response to the stress of life. But when we take the time and energy to dive deep into movement as therapy, movement as peace and love towards ourselves, a whole world opens up. I love that you're on this journey with me. ❤️
What a healing blessing this essay was to me today, thank you Jocelyn. This: ‘This is why you are here. To befriend your body, to listen to what it is saying to you. Honor that.’ I am trying to honor my body, in its current pain and grief over the pain which extends into all the losses and grief my body has ever felt & experienced. With that invitation to cry during your yoga training you were being given a grief ritual. To let go & fully feel ‘the Wild edge of sorrow’ as Francis Weller’s incredible book about grief and grief rituals is titled (a book I highly recommend). I love how you’ve structured this essay, the introduction of the idea of bees and our swarming thoughts and returning to the bees at the end again. What a tapestry you’ve woven, I feel a part of it. Thank you for inviting me in. 💗
A grief ritual! Holy goodness, Amy, I had never thought of it like that, but YES! I cry on my mat whenever I need to, and that is still fairly often, but less so these days. And yes, I'm sure that honoring of the body and what it tells you, resonates strongly for you right now as your body and your heart bear current grief and process a lifetime of it, and it's parallel trauma.
Oooooh. You always have the best book recommendations! I'm off to find this one next.
And thank you for that mini close read! I almost moved the beginning part, but I loved it so much and the beauty of this space is that I get to try things (with intention) and see how they land.
Thank you for coming in and sitting down and having some tea with me. ;) xoxoxo
Tea time with you is always rejuvenating 💗
Oh oh oh…your sharing this is such a gift, Jocelyn.
Oh thank you, Nancy! I'm so so happy it felt like that. 🙏💞🎁
…and it feels to me that you know a lot, girlfriend.
That's just so kind, Nancy. Thank you🙏❤️
Loved this. Visceral and evocative prose. I’ve got a knee injury, really, a middle aged issue that will likely be persistent, so maybe injury isn’t the best word. But it’s had me grounded to the mat as I break from more strenuous cardio, and honestly, I’ve loved that it’s brought me closer to yoga, cause we were getting distanced there. Anyway, yes to all your ideas about resistance. I saw Ani DiFranco last night and she sang 2 new songs of hers that I think are in conversation with this essay: https://youtu.be/2ahDQKvM0lk?si=DZJx8oA3al8iIRi0 & https://youtu.be/ZhgNLhY1L98?si=2YJDUCXUppT0VmiQ
I love this, "...cause we were getting distanced there." I too have a small knee injury, though mine is temporary, just a tweak, but I'm having to adjust my practice to accommodate healing -- something I wouldn't have been able to slow down and do when I first started practicing. It was all about getting it right. Now it's about being present to it. Oooooh Ani DeFranco! Where did you see her? Thank you for the music! Listening now. "I have a name. And my name has a story." love love love. xooxxo friend.
I definitely have to adjust, too. No pigeons for me for a while! Hugs!
Oh my Jocelyn, this is such a powerful, courageous, important piece. I love this so much. So much to say here, so much to say "yes" to, and all of it to hold. We are so bombarded with everything all at once that the disconnect between our heads and our bodies is inevitable. But as your yoga practice reveals, we are whole, our bodies remember the trauma as much as our brain and when we artificially make the disconnect we're going to have issues. I'm running a 50 mile event tomorrow and what people don't understand is that ultra events like that can be an incredible self therapy session. Thanks you so much for giving us this intimate picture, Jocelyn.
Oh I always love your comments. You affirm things I know and also teach me things. This, " ultra events like that can be an incredible self therapy session." so much yes. I think there are so many ways we use movement to disconnect from our bodies, in response to trauma, especially, but also in response to the stress of life. But when we take the time and energy to dive deep into movement as therapy, movement as peace and love towards ourselves, a whole world opens up. I love that you're on this journey with me. ❤️
You know what I like a lot…we affirm each other all the time.❤️
Me too!!! 🎈🌟🤩