
“Most new discoveries are suddenly-seen things that were always there.” - Susanne K Langer
Excavation. According to the New Oxford American Dictionary, it means; “the action of excavating something, especially an archaeological site.” Archaeologists dig for physical and documentary evidence. Your topography will be a visual depiction of who you are today but much digging through documentary files must be done to touch the innermost layers to reach the real essence of who you really are. It has always been there, in my case, I just forgot. My one spiritual mentor said I have amnesia. Sometimes through painful moments, which can also be our gifts, something awakens your truth.
Have you ever considered yourself and all of your parts that make up beautiful and messy you, an excavation site? Yep, that’s right...especially when you experience that feeling of being covered in mud or a really tough life situation.
Over the last year, when there was nowhere really to run and nothing else to do but be locked up with ourselves. For me, as I sat inside, I began this life-changing journey of deep digging.
It began with a painful situation or as Dante refers to it as the “dark wood of error.” However, what I gained from that experience was a newfound me, or the “old” me before life happened. This part has always been there though. I would describe it as the laboratory of self.
It took a lot of internal studying as I looked at the many parts that made up me. As I sat in “Dante’s inferno,” out of the burning flames and fire, sitting with fragmented parts, the exiles, or the parts of myself I was afraid to look at, there I was! I gathered up all the parts that were scattered around, befriended them, and got to know them. What was more interesting was it was through acceptance and love, not criticism, that the healing and transformation happened. It was and continues to be a true journey of loving myself. Having my own back. As Pema Chodron writes, learning to be your own best friend.
I equate this process to digging up the fossilized self, as an excavation of sorts, to find the loving and compassionate self.
The part that got buried under the trauma, the pain, or the need to be perfect or superhero, and all of those anxious parts. After all of that digging up, there I was; kind, compassionate, loving, and dare I say a little funny, Cheryl. And just when I thought I couldn’t possibly have more to uncover and recover and find more of who I really am, I found myself yet again! I had most recently and courageously helped a person close to me, who many judged, and in the process, I met and healed more of my wounds.
Where the practice hits the proverbial road, is when we develop the ability and compassion to sit with ourselves especially when we want to run away. Befriending the moment and sitting in life to discover discernment and choice. It is then possible to choose differently and show up out in the world as a totally different person. Exercising that attitudinal muscles and connecting to presence and awareness.
Just when I thought I had done the work and healed, this invitation to go deeper literally found me. How could I claim to be “spiritual” if I can’t remain open to those suffering around me?
This is the work everyone!!! Notice the parts of you who take over, the “managers'' so to speak, and the “firefighter” parts, who want to control and push away to protect all of those hurt parts. The pain I felt had so much to do with me and my growth than the person I helped or that situation.
As I studied yoga therapy, I noticed where the trauma was holding in my body, befriended it, got to know it in this moment and those parts kindly stepped back to witness the now and my true self. This has been a long and arduous journey but so worth it and transformative. The practices I share at CW Body + Soul are designed to support your recovery of Self. Through yoga therapy, yoga, and meditation, we connect to self to live a more awake and conscious life. In this way, we can use choice and discernment to create, manifest, and transform our lives. But first SELF!
So as I look back even on simply this summer, I realized a damn lot especially the ways in which we show up changes everything! We are truly whole, complete, and imperfectly perfect!
The “God” self, atman, universal self, whatever you want to call it, is ALWAYS there. Coupled with the fact, I have been “knee-deep’ in studies with Phoenix Rising the School of Yoga Therapy, where I studied mind-body psychology, transformational philosophies, anatomy, and so much more. It is invaluable for each of us to establish more presence and to learn to listen to our bodies. As in Bessel van der Kolk’s book, “The Body Keeps Score,” the body knows what has happened to you in your life. The issues are in the tissues. I offer this work to clients to make positive changes in their life. The first step is to befriend the body.
When was the last time you took a deep breath and really listened to your body? Do you know how to tune into your body to access the wisdom it holds? What does your body have to say and how does it translate to the change you want in life? Let me guide you through the process in a personalized yoga therapy session!
Some more food for thought; did you ever hear the inner critic or the victim talk loud in your head? Saying that person is mean or that you’re not good enough?! We have many parts. Our life’s journey is to EXCAVATE, meet ALL the parts with love and let your body, heart, and mind connect to the loving SELF, always loving you back to whole.
Through my guided meditations and most recently, Mind-Body Yoga Therapy, I offer a holistic and present-centered approach, where you are guided to a profoundly present state and a felt sense of self to see what is happening. All experience is welcome. You may notice the part taking you out of your presence and in a session gain tools to develop ways to listen to your own innate wisdom to shift and transform your life to a new way of being.
You are the one you have been waiting for! As your guide, I’m excited to hold space for your journey in excavating that loving, whole, and peaceful you! Let's get to know it together!
Cheers to excavating,
Cher
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