I went down onto the yoga mat this morning and folded into child’s pose. The moment my forehead touched ground, a voice rang loud and clear in my head:
Now is not the time to teach a vision workshop.
I felt my brow crinkle as, folded over, breath filled my achy, inflamed back body.
Yes, I’d regressed into another crooked spine flare-up, since returning to Washington; and it was taking its toll on me physically and mentally.
But, I swear, I was energized about my mind-body visioning workshop – coming out of my shell and sharing my lessons from the road with friends and followers - co-creating dreams together. In fact, just the day before, I posted a ready-set-go announcement on Facebook: “Getting excited, friends, as I put final touches on my Vision Quest 2023 workshop plan."
Back on the mat, attention focused on my third eye, the intuitive center between the brows, a tiny trickle of tears slid down my face and onto the floor.
I wasn’t putting up a fight. The voice was right.
I'd worked intently over the last week to prepare an event registration page, brainstorm with social media coach, Nika, and get my promotional ducks in a row. I’d finished my awesome course outline.
Naturally, my heart was hit with disappointment and loss – loss of time, energy, opportunity. On top of it, I felt the letdown of others who might be counting on me.
Nevertheless, I noticed my body sink deeper, relenting to gravity, the earth absorbing the weight of my decision. A warm exhale of relief emanated from the bottom of my lungs out my mouth, and knotted muscles relaxed ever so slightly.
The body knows. The body knows when it’s a YES and when it’s a NO.
As a wise somatic therapist once showed me: There can be no true YES in our lives unless there are clear NOs. He taught our group to use our bodies and voices to claim the NOs and YESes.
It’s a tough lesson for Ramblin’ Anne to learn. But it’s such an important one – one I happily pass on to you.
If I can model the behavior of living my TRUE YES, that is worth a 100 hours of vision workshops, isn’t it?
So, take the lesson for free. Really take it, and answer these three questions...
In 2023, what will you say NO to?
What space does that open for your TRUE YES?
What will you do to CLAIM it?
There WILL come a time when my vision workshop is a YES – and you'll be the first to know.
Right now, my YES is to self-care. My YES is to staying quiet. My YES is to completing my #metoo coming-of-age memoir that's pregnant inside me and so ready to pop.
My WHOLE BODY YES is to The Muse, to immersing myself in my story, then releasing it into the world with vigor in 2023.
I am on notice with you, my friends: anything that does not serve those YESes is, for me, for now, a NO.
Please share your thoughts, your YESES, NOS, MAYBES because, in sharing, you plant seeds of commitment!
Huh, guess what? We’re doing 2023 Visioning right here, right now!