Ikigai + The Body

“Movement is good for the body. Stillness is good for the mind.” - Tibetan Buddhist Sakyong Mipham

I love you, I'm listening. 

My intention, my prayer, my soul's whisper is currently: Teach me to love more.

There is no fear in love.

I am in a tough season right now. The kind that feels heavy, sludgy and a bit never-ending. That is not to say it is not also rich with blessing and joy. But there is loss, grief and confusion. Tending to myself is currently less about wellness rituals and more about a true turning in, listening to the cries of my frazzled nervous system and fearful body - and deciding to choose love.

 I believe we all host both love and fear within us. And fear is naturally louder. So how do we quieten the fear and listen to the love? To the abundant source of light that exists behind our circumstances, controls and the stories of our mind. 

 It is in this centre that we may really know ourselves, that we may begin to rest within ourselves. Here we are offered the calm refuge of our Ikigai:  All that is meant for us will stay and that which is not ours can fade away.

So often we get in our own way, but it's really not our fault.

Over the years our nervous system stores the stories we have learnt, often before a time that we can even remember. This keeps us locked in protection mode, either fight (anxiety, tight jaw, defensive) or freeze (avoidant, numb, detached). This makes fear louder and blocks us from the light of our own love.

I've recently started deepening my studies in somatic therapy which looks at releasing the nervous system from this cage. A space where the body can begin to release ancient traumas, and wander freely in open fields of sunshine again. 

I think we have to let go in order to find out what is meant for us.

As I spend time going inwards, I hear this ongoing commitment to my Ikigai. This looks chaotic and at times disarming, but it's gentle and it's true. In this way, my work remains committed to supporting others into their Ikigai. But there's a slight evolution as of late.

I have found it to be true that there are limits to just talking about these things. We are missing the boundless wisdom of our bodies' intelligence, if we do not pay attention to what is stored within us.

My somatic studies are shifting my ikigai coaching into a more embodied approach. Sessions will now incorporate breath, movement, somatic work and gentle coaching to explore and connect to your Ikigai. Using all the sensory information stored deep within you. So you can really get close enough to see yourself clearly, and let that free into your life.