It has been quite a while since I last wrote as I have been taking time to contemplate how to best be of service through this ongoing time of great change and uncertainty.
Writing this letter, one that expresses an under represented opinion from the mainstream narrative, has been challenging, and has called forth my courage to speak on behalf of what I hold sacred.
Hopefully it will inspire others to do the same.
Part of what saddens me in the current circumstance is what appears to be a general unwillingness to listen and learn from those with different views than our own.
I have always been interested in what it is that unites us and how we can relate to each other from the recognition that we are an interconnected species, much more the same than different.
Nature thrives on Bio-diversity as does human culture. When we celebrate our differences rather than fear them, we grow richer and healthier.
This is one of the reasons I love sharing Partner Yoga – it is the most profound tool I know for experiencing our essential sameness and connectedness, while celebrating our diversity and uniqueness.
Currently it is the pandemic that is connecting us worldwide. Although there has been extraordinary gifts for many as a result of the pandemic, there has also been varying degrees of stress and suffering.
Most everyone wants this pandemic to end. We want our lives back, our freedom to connect and engage with the world. We want to feel safe, healthy, free and happy.
For many, the solution lies in vaccinating the population.
Those that are choosing to be vaccinated are collectively supported to feel they are contributing to the welfare of the whole and that they are doing their part to end the pandemic.
And those, like myself, who are choosing to wait, or to not receive the vaccination, for personal or medical reasons, can easily feel ostracized when their perspective is not being collectively validated.
I too, like those being vaccinated, believe that my choice is of benefit to the whole. I am honoring the values that I hold precious, namely that Nature is the healer and we are an integral part of that divine intelligence.
And even more importantly, I believe that staying true to one’s deepest knowing, even if unpopular with others, is a powerful presence to hold.
The pandemic has activated everyone’s fear. For most, it is the fear of death, our own, or our loved ones.
For others, it is the fear of losing our natural human rights – those rights that are not dependent on the laws of government or any particular culture, and so, are universal, fundamental and inalienable for all beings.
Freedom to make an informed choice with our health and body is one of these fundamental rights. I honor those that are making the choice to receive the vaccine and I honor my own right to not do so.
I am committed to listening to my own knowing, while remaining open to changing my mind and perspective. I am also open to listening to those with a different perspective because I know, deep down, we want the same thing.
Freedom is a choice, one that comes with response-ability and an ongoing willingness to let go of any or all pre-conceived concepts and continue to grow and change.
I realize the stakes feel high at the moment and I also know that whatever position / belief we hold, we will find plenty of research to back up our point of view. Dr. Zack Bush is a resource whom I have found to be both uplifting and informative.
Like most everyone, I have been working through my own grief, anger and fear triggered by the pandemic and so, resting my awareness as much as possible in the deep knowing of my heart is my practice. This quiet, steady space is what anchors me in the truth of my being and the underlying unity of life.
It is my hope that we will emerge on the other side of this pandemic wiser and kinder, with a greater capacity to live in balance with ourselves, each other and this precious planet that sustains us.
In the meantime, I am grateful to offer support in the form of virtual Partner Yoga events, Heart Circles, as well as private coaching and Yoga sessions.
I am also happy to announce a 3month Virtual Intensive for those interested in diving deep and sharing Partner Yoga with others when our world fully reopens. My sense is there will be a great longing for authentic tools that reconnect us in body and Soul.