You may have noticed, that each soundbath and retreat now comes with a designated title, a meaning, a form to shape the moment and where it lands in the year. So I wanted to talk a bit about our next intention and how you can do this from home.
This February, we draw on our dreams, hopes, plans and wonder. The next month is just around the corner, for me personally I find February quite a tough month, Winter has felt long enough, and although we have more light during the day it can feel heavy and dark. In January, I made the decision to take care of myself, with what resources I had, and these vary depending on time, income, work and also the state of one's mind. But I knew I had to make this decision for myself for this month in question.
I took myself on a day-retreat, moving my body, finding my breath and my awareness. Nature was close, other kind women rested nearby and sound filled my mind and soul.
I booked an art class, and found myself wetting paper and watching colours bleed together. My mind was clear, steady, calm, I was drawn away from the 'thinking thinking' that has been ever so present this winter.
I re-connected with my therapist, which has been one of the best helping hands, especially given this start of the year. I find the complex nature of being a human enchanting. I love the magic and wonder of Eastern Philosophy, but I also love psychology and the years of learing and exploring the human mind and relationships, for it gifts us with self-knowledge so we can show up better for ourselves and others.
Finally last weekend I drove through the Sussex Downs, then lay my body down and bathed in sound for 2 hours, this was a bit of a rough ride, I had to sit, with compassion, with my reality, my truth. The stillness brought to light so much that I had been too busy to engage with. For when we stay busy, distracted, cut off, it can be one perfect way to leave the body and find ourselves living solely in the mind. Even though the gongs felt like a challenge, I also felt so held, safe, soft and deeply relaxed. The next day I welcomed such clarity, feeling calmer, humming a tune and singing through some vocal exercises with ease. We sometimes don't notice the huge shifts this practice can bring us, but if you stop and notice, you will see.
I made a decision a year or so ago, to be a little more boundaried around what I share from my personal life, there were a number of reasons for this, but mainly because I felt it wasn't always necessary. I can share my thoughts, struggles and insights without sifting through the 'stuff' of life. But I will share that this winter has been hard, often from the darkest moments comes light and in that light we are sometimes forced to look at all our 'stuff'. It can make us decide that enough is enough, or see we might need help, or change is needed.
I have been mulling over things, plans, relationships, decisions, mental health and my journey forward. There are plans in the making, (providing I can pull it off this year), nothing is for sure. And learning and education is around the corner, so I can bring even more into the space of Echo.
'Seeds Of Growth' is a title, but more, more like an intention for our soundbaths and mini-retreats this Jan/Feb. If you notice, on your cold winter walk, that the tree buds are patiently waiting, they are ready to go, wrapped up tight, pushing forwards slowly and holding fast. The Trees have already set their leaves ready for the year ahead, the minute the temperature, sun and earth allow them they shall burst forth in bright green shapes. They have had it all planned, in the darkness they've been slowly carefully creating and resting when necessary.
When setting Intentions for 2025 I sometimes like to approach this idea of from a different perspective, which I talk about more on the retreats. Rather than focusing solely on goals(don't get me wrong, goals can be wonderful but sometimes one-dimensional and wrapped in black and white thinking). We can think about how we want to FEEL this year, and from a place of self-worth, then. decide how to action this.
For example 'I want to feel safe', you can then look at the areas in your life you don't feel held, safe, grounded, looking at practical ways to create this feeling, just an example(Of course, I am writing this to my average reader, many people in this world are not safe, and are not able to action this and make simple decisions to create safety). feeling safe could be linked to money, so you choose to look closely at your finances and create a new budget, or find a way to earn a little bit extra so you can save(I know, I know if you live in the UK this is a long shot, but still valuable and just an example).
If you want to feel more wonder and joy, you can action things to do that will bring this is, rolling out of bed early and standing outside with a cup of tea to watch the sun push through the trees and greet the day. Deciding on a Sunday afternoon you'll pop on some disco and have a little boogie in the kitchen, karaoke vocals into your best wooden spoon....
These examples might seem flippant, and also hard to achieve if you are struggling with mental health, grief etc. But so much of our life in the West gets constrained by the stuff, the items, the money, the surviving, the worry, the collective grief of the world and so on and so on. So sometimes, when we are planting seeds, if they come from a feeling, then perhaps we are more likely to achieve them and also they are coming from a place of truth and self-compassion, not from a place of 'not enough'.
Even if you feel like things are not enough(trust me, as I mentioned, this has been a river running through my wintering season). You have permission to have a cry, and then look forward, with small but beautiful intentions and plans.
And if you are struggling, maybe the seed of growth could be kindness, to yourself, not every year needs to be full of tick boxes and achievements, some years it's about taking care of ourselves so we can be 'ok'.
I can't wait to greet you all this 2025. Already a few of our soundbaths and retreats are full, and continue to prove popular. Thank you, for continuing to book and show up for yourselves.
If you are interested in anything on offer this year, check the links below. I also have some more availability for 1-2-1's which have been going so well this January and providing so many of my clients with support and healing.
SUBSCRIBE/BECOME A SITE MEMBER https://www.echoyogaandsound.com/login
SOUNDBATHS: https://www.echoyogaandsound.com/soundbaths
PRIVATE 1-2-1: https://www.echoyogaandsound.com/privatesoundbath
YOGA & SOUND: https://www.echoyogaandsound.com/yogaandsound
ALL RETREATS:
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