Permission. Doesn’t that sound like one of those words from elementary school? You have permission to leave the classroom.
There’s not much that I need permission for any more. Or so I thought until recently. And I’m still not sure if permission is the correct word to use but I’ll try to show you what I mean.
I have started dragon boating and my new friend mentioned that she had her own yoga practice. Oh, said one of the other paddlers, where do you teach? Well, no…what she meant was that she did yoga at home every day. Hmmm…
And then, I read some random article that said, just try doing yoga for seven minutes each morning and see how that goes.You don’t have to sit on a mountain or go to endless classes, just start your day with seven minutes.
And recently I went to the Vancouver Jungian society’s talk with Mark Girard from Oregon, who paraphrased his interpretation of Jung to be about a few core ideas, one of them being that creative play was integral to become a fully-engaged person and that Jung’s concept of direct experience meant engaging in life in a way that totally engaged your senses. The way I interpreted that was that sitting on your sofa while watching a travel video about the Taj Mahal isn’t quite the same thing as standing in the heat, smelling the dust while shuffling a little on the rocky path, still a little weak after your lablog bout of Delhi-belly. Trust me when I tell you that is a fully-engaged experiential memory.
And then I read a NY Times article about Jung’s red-book that talked about entering the quiet space inside and accessing your creativity.
And for a long time, I’ve watched a girlfriend diligently stick to her morning exercise routine in the quest for a strengthened and pain-free back.
As well, I’d been reading about the integration of the soma and the psyche. We’ve been stuck too long in the Western medicine construct that says these two are split. As Dr. Gabor Mate said in his book, When the Body Says No, the only time you can divide the mind and the body is at autopsy.
All of these random tidbits coalesced into permission…permission for me to experience life on a more physical plane. Permission to get out of my head and get into my body. Somehow it all came together and though I’ve thought of these things so many times, it was like a tipping point of sorts, and I found myself doing a little yoga stretching the other morning. And then again. And each day, I tell myself, it’s not a big deal if I do it or not, but I find myself returning to how good it feels to start the day like that; to stretch, to move.
I think it all adds up to remind me that you never know what you might be granting other people permission to consider. Everything we say or do might be modeling some behaviour that someone else might entertain as a possibility for themselves. Who knows how it will all trickle down? Ideas, snippets of conversation, books, articles, music, all of it combining and percolating and suddenly, there you will be; permission granted to engage a different aspect of yourself.
Stay open to possibility…you never know who you might become.
“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small doesn’t serve the world. There’s nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We are born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It’s not just in some of us, it’s in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.” – Marianne Williamson
Reading this, I felt like you were leading me through the thought processes in your head. It was a pleasant journey that, at its end, offered me permission to live life more fully — 😉
Thanks Sherry. I’m glad I didn’t scare you too badly. It’s not always such a pleasant meander through the thought processes in this particular mind 🙂
Loved this! I’m an on-again off-again flake when it comes to exercise, but when I read this (and the addendum!) I connected with how much it matters to the MIND to work the BODY. I used to walk every morning for 30 minutes. And then, suddenly, I stopped. Now I walk randomly, here and there, and I know that it’s not enough–both for my body and for my soul! I feel like I’m not giving my body the attention it deserves. You know? Like I’m letting it down!
Thanks for sharing. Great reminder …and I love the “I am granting myself permission to have a large life.” I think that’s what I’m missing. Permission. Wish I was there to share this with you! Have fun!!
Hey Gwen…thanks for your comment. I sometimes think of it as ‘walking my mind” instead of walking my body. All that oxygen getting pumped into my cells with all that heart-pumping hill walking HAS to be enlivening the stagnant parts of my mind; especially considering my mind IS my body and my body IS my mind 🙂
Boy, I loved this on so many levels. I love that whole synchronicity thing..how one little comment sets of a chain reaction in someone else’s head, which morphs into something big in that person’s life.
I love the idea of the body mind connection, because I know that’s true. I walk in the morning, but I’d like to incorporate yoga into my exercise regimen too. When I start the day by moving my body, I feel tons better all day long. And all the time I’m walking, I’m thinking, and get some of my best ideas when I’m engaged in “moving meditation.”
I love the notion of “giving yourself permission” to try new things, to be open to something different even if it seems silly or weird at first. Of being “open to the light” instead of remaining safely ensconced in our own little closet of sameness and darkness.
Wow – sorry for writing an addendum to your lovely post! Obviously, it was inspiring 🙂 Thanks!!
I love your addendum and your image of the ‘dark closet of sameness and darkness’. If we don’t bust open those doors now, when exactly will we? I, for one, am not getting any younger.
I am granting myself permission to have a large life. And I’m so glad you’re part of it. I love the connection of finding others who are experiencing the same realizations. Collectively we rock!
I have taken to telling my husband how, beautiful, smart, interesting, funny and amazing I am. Not to sound at all conceited or boastful. I am really just exclaiming the fact to myself and he just happens to be in ear shot. But, the back lash, the consequences, the benefit is all quite remarkable. Somehow I have convinced him that I am all of these things and he simply cannot live without me. Not that I want a dependent man hanging off of my every word but rather, when you think about it, isn’t it much better for me to say positive things about myself instead of “I hate my thighs”, “I am soooo tired”, “Oooh look at all my wrinkles”, “Did you say gray hair? well get a load of this………………………………..and the list goes on.
Isn’t it great when we make the choice to BE, LIVE, FEEL and BECOME!
You are SO smart Karen. It’s so true. Why are so many people (women especially) constantly going around pointing out all their flaws? Let’s talk about the great bits instead. Turns out we are whatever we say we are 🙂