When I officially took a step back from teaching in the fall of 2021, I was under the impression - or maybe illusion - that, if I just filled my cup first, I could then serve others. This thinking is all around us, steeped in our collective consciousness, and perhaps - in some cases - just what some folks need. But if we fail to consider nuance and complexity, time and place, we can grasp onto fixed ideas that - in some cases - are NOT what we need. Context matters. Acknowledging one’s distinct individual biology matters. Remember we are part of a living web that is far too elaborate for either/or thinking matters!
For me - at this particular moment in my life - filling my cup before serving was a trap.
(Side Note: Burnout is very real as is the importance and necessity of radical self-care, regardless of our circumstances. What I'm calling a "trap" - in this case - is the fixed belief that I had to fill before serving, when the very act of serving was the sustenance that would feed me. Oh...Sweet Irony.)
art by bedelguese
Our bodies are unique ecosystems that seek nourishment in a variety of realms. Our physical bodies, for example, appreciate healthy food, balanced rest/exercise, and time in nature, while our mental bodies might appreciate stimulating conversation or creative endeavors. In truth there is no real separation between the somatic realms, but when we're pondering nourishment, I find it can be helpful to 1) consider which realm/cup is asking to be filled, and 2) what is the just right amount of that “manna”. It changes depending on our body of the day, the cycle of our life, our level of health, etc.
Context matters!!!
And so, for me, what I came to realize after all these months away is: To fill my cup, I need to be in service to others. It's in inextricable loop. The source and the well. The chicken and the egg. The very act of coaching and facilitating provide my greatest sustenance: our intrinsic connectivity...the field that expands through all dimensions and forms, offering both strength and courage to show up in this world, against all odds.
Giving and receiving. Mutual reciprocity. We are all so deeply relational.
That's why my heart overflows with gratitude for this recent opening @ Tula Yoga & Wellness, and the opportunity to offer movement in person once again! I welcome you to join me, whenever you feel called, to a monthly drop-in class or 6-week series.
Let us remember that feeling, speaking and embodying pieces of our inner world in a well-held circle of others can be enough to move what we have been holding onto...or...what has been holding on to us. It can be powerful medicine just to feel we are not alone, and to realize: what seems isolating and all-consuming within us is often an aspect of a greater expression of movement felt by many beings in the collective.
This is a dance WE dance together.
And while our nourishment needs may vary...context and time may vary...I hope you find the manna and support that most nourishes your Being right now...physically, emotionally, energetically, mentally, spiritually, etc.
With love,
Teresa