“Relax” could be the key ingredient…

Earlier this week in Helena Monica’s yoga class at True You Stockton, I discovered one word that really could make a world full of difference. Yes, one word…a word I feel we could use more of right now. The moment came while I was practicing standing bow pulling pose, kicking deeply into my hand to bring my chest down more, to lock out both legs, to touch the mirror, to touch the ceiling. My eyes were locked in the mirror, determined, bulls eye…and she said the word. “Relax, relax, relax,” softly, slowly…and my body all of a sudden opened more, my face softened more, and I was able to go deeper into the posture, more than I thought I could. It was a moment where time stopped, and the light bulbs flashed in my mind…and I thought, “oh wow…I just need to relax.” Which then told me how much I’m not relaxed, that I’m still forcing, trying to control…that I could trust more, surrender more, let go more. Do we all just need to relax? And do we realize how NOT relaxed we are?

And there’s more to it than “relax.” Yeah, it’s easy to lounge on the beach and chill. But what happens when we’re in an uncomfortable situation? Or when we’re vulnerable? (the big V word)… Or when change is upon us? Or we’re doing ten things at once? Or when life is asking more from us? Are we relaxed then? Do we move in a state of trust and surrender towards our greater selves? Or do we have our heels in the ground to what we know and want to stay there? To relax is a state of trust in my experience. In my deepest moments painting when time flies and I’m not “thinking”…I create my best work. I’m in the zone so to speak. I trust the gift, my soul. And that’s really when the magic happens. But it’s not always easy for me to be in that state all the time. When I’m uncomfortable or vulnerable I tend to retract to my old patterns of putting the wall up or running away all together. And sometimes I needed to…and in those moments I was actually very calm because I trusted myself…I knew it was right. When I ran away out of my own self…not so much right.

However, what happens when we don’t know it’s right? Or that we’ll be ok? The lesson I’m learning right now in painting, yoga, love, and life…is to not run away from ourselves when the universe is asking more from us. And that’s not to say to do more things…it’s rather to go deeper. What if life is giving you love, actually? Or a better job? Or something more than you can even realize right now? Relax into it, whatever it may be, as a gift to become more of our true selves. That is beautiful.

Have you seen that YouTube video lately of Oprah where she said there really are no mistakes…to relax, that everything will be ok? That video has gone viral, and it spoke to me deeply in that nothing was or is a mistake. It’s a lesson, a detour, a road to get me here to who I am today. I wouldn’t change that for anything. Would you?

With love and grace,

Erin xo