This is one of my favorite songs by David Gray.  Yesterday as I was listening to it while riding the T I was  reminded of its timely message.  While Gray is singing of the end of a relationship, it always reminds me of all endings and beginnings.  The process of transformation.  I have written a lot lately about my own growing pains in my most recent transition.  Last night one of my blog posts, yes one of our tea time chats (!) was published in an online yoga/meditation magazine, Elephant Journal  There’s No Place Like Home  This particular chat we had a week and a half ago was related to me shedding the skin of my fear and embracing my heart to move forward with my dreams. These past two weeks have been a bit of a full throttle train moving forward.  Yesterday I got an amazing opportunity to speak with staff at NESN about stress management (we all know that is code for embracing happiness:)  We had a lot of laughs and fun.  I let them in on the secret that I don’t watch sports (I know blasphemy) and they didn’t heckle me or boo me out the door! Together we laughed and learned from each other about how to embrace happiness and release what no longer services us.

Shedding skins, like snakes, feels really vulnerable and scary at times.  Going from playing small to stepping into the limelight is a wild transition.   It felt like in an instant, the skin of fear and insecurity fell off me and I was left with the naked truth.  All the buzz and excitement, caused my body to shut down for a few days as it does for most during these rocky times.  The body knows when to it’s time to move forward and when it’s time to stand still.  The key is to know your limits and respect them. Allowing the body to be fluid allows the soul to have time to process the transformation that just occurred.  Ok, I know sounds foreign especially for people that are more type A (ahem…yes I know that pattern well.)   Moving with the rhythms of the body is key in the process of creating safety and security.  When you shed skins you are breaking up the solid foundation for which you have been standing on.  Taking the time to find your footing on this new earth allows yourself to rebuild the foundation based upon your authentic self which may take a little time and TLC.   During my chat with the sports fanatics yesterday, we spoke about how health is a continuum and that we just have to begin to notice what our body is saying to us to get on the road to wellness. We spoke about how cutting down on the use of stimulants is key in the practice of self care.  The use of supports in a positive way can help stabilize your spirits and keep you centered during times of change.  Last night I was speaking to some other folks about how letting go of old ways of being can be invigorating but it also can produce feelings of grief.  Who we know ourselves to be is changing, quite possibly irrevocably.  Granted if you are on the road to health and wellness, then the change is positive, but nonetheless it still means that you are leaving old ways behind. This not an easy process but it is essential if you are to move forward. These moments of transition are where we are living in the moment and embracing freedom of being.  Embrace these moments with care and love.  Allow yourself the space to grieve and let go of who you used to be so that you have the space to be who you now are. Say Hello and Wave Goodbye.

How will you embrace your own moments of transition throughout the day today?  How can you give yourself a little TLC throughout the process?  I chose to get myself a cup of my favorite Rooibos tea from Whole Foods and chat with you all for a while. Hope you have a wonderful day filled with moments of excitement, joy, freedom, grief, letting go and ultimately love:)

Cheers!