December 16, 2020
Hello!
I hope you are all having a fabulous week so far! It is flying by, and the holidays are around the corner. How did that happen? I have no concept of time at this point. As I said last week, part of my goal with this newsletter is honesty and transparency. I want you to know that I am not any different from you, especially regarding how I process emotions and go about my mindfulness practice.
In the last year, I had a realization of my emotions that came from an unexpected place. I watched the 2019 Little Women movie, and there was one quote that spoke to the core of me.
“There are some natures too noble to curb and too lofty to bend…I’m angry nearly every day of my life,” Marmee confides in Jo. “I am not patient by nature. But with nearly 40 years of effort, I’m learning to not let it get the better of me.”
These words express a reality of myself that I hadn’t realized needed expressing. I would not be able to find better words to describe it on my own. They are right on the nose. It is an effort for me every day, and every day I am learning.
You may be asking, “Haley, why are you sharing this?” I am sharing this because I know we all have our natures, and sometimes the ones we feel and the ones others perceive are different. I may look like I am calm and collected, but it takes a lot of work for me to be that way. It is also the reason I turned to yoga. We all show up on our mats as we are, and we all have a different reason to be there. Some days are easier than others, but it is honestly never easy. It wouldn’t be as fulfilling if it were.
My goal for this community is to harbor a safe place to discuss emotions and deal with the hard stuff. I will hold a space for you to show up on your mat unapologetically. I encourage you to hold that space yourself.
See you on the mat, my friend.