There’s a thick blanket of snow all around and I’m feeling a quiet melancholy. It’s a soft stillness that often comes after an intensive period of working in the studio and in Mandali with two groups in a row. ‘Holding the Space’ they call it … I call it ‘Holding it together’ … keeping everything on course and dealing with the unexpected challenges. I often have a quiet giggle to myself when people comment at ‘What an amazing job you have!’. Sometime I feel like I’m holding up my pants with one hand and waving a magic wand with the other. In these moments I don’t even know if I need a sh@t or a haircut.
What keeps me whole in these days of challenge is the love and support I receive from those around me who have the integrity to be communicate with empathy and love. Wow! These moments have also served to shape the content that I know share in the Mandali Experience. To observe the be aware of how that feels, to recognize what I need and to request that. The request can be like a prayer to the Universe, or simply to a friend. What’s important is the connection to the feeling and the observation of what need is being met and what need isn’t.
I see how my conditioning was based on presenting a self image of ‘success’. It’s not cool to show vulnerability, to cry or to show weakness in the face of society. However, there is such a richness and a deep nourishment that comes from finding a safe space where to open and share, to communicate without the other feeling attacked or judged. This the path that I see is core to Being a Human. Finding a way to connect from the heart … Ok, so how many times have those words been written? What does it really mean? How do I do that? What do I do when it hurts so much that I just want to run and hide?
The climate in winter is pointing to ‘go in!’ … an opportunity for quiet contemplation. What’s on your mind today? What do you need right now! To feel nourished? What positive actions can you take? No-one else can answer these questions for you. Take care, stay warm and stay in touch … with those around you from whom you feel love and support. They are the most precious people in your life. And especially… stay with Yourself.
With gratitude to all,
Peter
