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You may have noticed a current of change at CML with a new website and some new programming being offered this fall. With change always comes the complex dance of joy and fear. I find myself excited about stepping into new spaces where everything isn’t quite so known, not yet fixed. On the other hand, we always step into the unknown with a bit of trepidation and nostalgia for what was more routine or rote. It always takes some time for the dust of renovation to settle.
Perhaps this is why we shy away from change? It takes work and energy that we may not believe we have. We are leaving behind what is known, what feels safe and familiar, even if it no longer meets our needs, in service of a future that is not yet quite formed. Giving up the “sure thing” that no longer serves in the hopes of a future that may better suit our needs is hard. The adventurous among us may see the opportunity for creativity, curiosity, and discovery. Those of us who feel more beleaguered or depleted may bemoan the fact that yet one more thing is shifting under our feet. Nothing solid to stand on. Again. This is the definition of growth though, isn’t it? We must shed the old skin when it no longer fits or risk being trapped inside, forever bound in an old form. If the caterpillar does not submit to the utter annihilation of the cocoon, she would not discover the beauty of being a butterfly. If we do not molt, our plumage becomes ragged and we can no longer take flight. Change is necessary. Growth can be scary. But to stay stagnant is to perish. It takes courage to look beyond the liminal space of change. I always find humor in knowing that the fearsome new step of today will eventually become the archaic thing in need of being discarded tomorrow. That cycle again… Birth. Death. Rebirth. What is trying to be birthed in you right now? How might you be resisting that change? Who can stand beside you as you take that scary step? In the meantime, as we adapt to what is new, we are so grateful for your patience as we work to revamp the remote access to our online meditation programming. It has taken a level of persistence and calm that would be puzzling to a digital native, but for this digital immigrant, let’s just say that I am glad of my self-compassion practice. Blessings on your journey, Louisa
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On March 20th, the northern hemisphere moved through the vernal equinox, the midpoint between the winter solstice and the summer solstice, where the hours of light and dark are perfectly balanced.
Not only does the equinox signal the advent of spring, but invites us to pause and examine what feels out of balance in our lives. On this day, and the corresponding autumnal equinox on September 22nd, we can play with the idea of unifying internal opposites and honoring the darkness within us, as well as the light. Just as spring heralds the beginning of the year, with evidence of new life springing up all around, the passive, contemplative focus of winter is left behind. We feel the stirring energy of new life, new opportunities, new ideas. Perhaps, we can use this pause to invite a little spring cleaning for the soul? Clearing off the earth to make room for the small seedlings that will push through the soil to find the sun. What within you needs help and support to find its way into the light? What unhelpful habit or belief might be discarded for the energy of a new practice or idea? Using the cycles of the Earth to help guide our work throughout the year keeps us attuned to the same benchmarks that our ancestors used for millennia to move in concert with the seasons and to mark periods of great transition, as well as moments of stillness. To embrace what grows in the light, as well as what thrives in the dark. Both are needed to be whole. What is your work for the spring? Blessings on your journey, Louisa |
AuthorLouisa has always enjoyed writing and is thrilled that she now has a way to share her musings with a larger community of like-minded seekers. Her writing is often an extension and exploration of the struggles she faces in integrating her own spirituality, scholarly study, life experience, and nuggets of brilliance from her teachers in the hopes that it might alchemically transform itself into something approximating wisdom. Archives
August 2023
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