My Word for 2014
First, HUGE thanks to all who attended the Empower Practice on Saturday! We had a tremendous time engaging the Ananda Tandava – the Blissful Dance of Life (even 
though it doesn’t always seem blissful!) over the course of 3 solid hours of community and asana. If you missed out on the practice but still want a taste of what we covered, join us this Wednesday night at 5:45 at StudioVibe for a mini-version of the practice. Our next Empower Practice will be in mid to late June or early July. Much of that depends on the needs of our soon to arrive little boy 🙂 As the Empower Practices are an opportunity for you to dive deep and expand your boundaries I would love to hear your suggestions for themes or aspects of the yoga you want to explore.
After a decent amount of prayer, meditation, journaling and many contemplative walks my word for 2014 has arrived. For the first time in the history of my having a word (about 7 years now), it scares me. In a good way. It’s a word that is calling me both out of myself and into a more complete expression of myself as a member of the community of beings on this planet. That word is Generosity.
All of the words I’ve had in the past have been explicitly “self focused” meaning they were about me exclusively: healing, balance, vibrant, artistry etc. This isn’t bad, it’s where I was and what I needed at the time. Now, as I evolve as a human, a woman and an almost new mom, I feel it’s time to begin to move beyond myself; to find a healthy balance between my introverted nature and my part as a member of our great community. There are times when my introversion causes me to retreat too far in and become overly focused on my needs. I don’t want to ignore those needs, but I also no longer want to exclude others from my life because I “need” so much “me time.” As a mother, I want to be able to respond to my child’s needs with as much love and as little resentment as possible. (I’m sure there will be times, but I’d rather they be the exception rather than the rule!)
My friend Abby, (whom I like to call my favorite librarian), is one of the best conversationalists I know. This is not only because she has an eclectic range of interests, but also because she is genuinely interested in what you have to say. This inspires me. So often I find myself monitoring my responses to another person’s side of the conversation that it becomes about me listening to me instead of me listening to you. I needed to do this monitoring to counter my tendency to take things personally. I needed to train myself to remember that what you say is about you, what I hear is about me. But I think, just maybe, I’m strong enough within myself now that the I can lessen the vigilance and remain standing in integrity.
I do not know how “Generosity” is going to play out in my life; what actions or experiences it will beckon me toward; what graces it will call forth from the depth of my being. I do know that despite the modest level of fear, when I think or feel into the “Generosity” it’s like a path of light opening out before me. I choose to trust that.
Have you found your word for the year? Or, like “Generosity,” has it found you? If not, take heart, simply asking for the arrival of a guiding word will set you on your way. Trust that by paying attention, it will be revealed in time. If your word has found you, I’d love to hear about it! You can share it with me via email, on Facebook, or in class. Not only will this help me, help you live into the fullness of your word, it will give you a chance to win a Free spot* in the upcoming Cultivating Your Personal Yoga Practice online retreat, which you can read more about here.
May your word arrive with clarity and guide you an ever deeper and more authentic expression and experience of your own Fullness.
With love,
Melinda
* Please send me your word by January 22nd
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