The Apologies ingredients list: Yes, absolutely, and: look out for items 5-7, which is where so many get tripped up!
The self-care involved in leaving a yoga class early is truly what yoga is all about. :) Yes, it's also to challenge ourselves, but for many of us, what's more challenging than saying "it's too much"?
Loved this ... It's funny how we all experience the journey of life. Your last part about providing a "traditional apology, in the true sense of the word ... and without shame" hit me hard for some reason.
Growing up in a fundamentalist religion, as I did, and experiencing the life I led in my 20's, I can't even conceptually craft any apology that does not come with shame. Thus, when I made changes to my circumstances in my 30's, I avoided ever defending or explaining myself at all because I refused to have shame about the control I took over my life. What that meant, though, is that (in most cases) I never provided an explanation - even to people in my life who were important. I lost most of those people because either they didn't understand or because they were only seeing 1 side of the story which was told from a source without full perspective. Instead of giving anyone my point of view, I just didn't share because I was unwilling to defend my position to people who couldn't understand. I wish I had that to do over again with the perspective that I now have in my 40's.
Joy, your heart shines through in this comment. I want to say that sometimes we can't explain ourselves while we're in the midst of crisis: I know there are plenty of people who have wanted "good answers" from me at moments when I need to focus on just putting one foot in front of the other or taking my next breath. That makes us human. The good news from my perspective is that life is long. We cannot be perfect, but we can be truthful and gentle and patient and kind...I am not always any of those things, but I still consider myself a force of love and healing on the planet.
And in the end, I do believe it's the truth that sets us free.
First-off, I love the photo of you and Willa.
The Apologies ingredients list: Yes, absolutely, and: look out for items 5-7, which is where so many get tripped up!
The self-care involved in leaving a yoga class early is truly what yoga is all about. :) Yes, it's also to challenge ourselves, but for many of us, what's more challenging than saying "it's too much"?
And Hannah: you ARE enough.
Loved this ... It's funny how we all experience the journey of life. Your last part about providing a "traditional apology, in the true sense of the word ... and without shame" hit me hard for some reason.
Growing up in a fundamentalist religion, as I did, and experiencing the life I led in my 20's, I can't even conceptually craft any apology that does not come with shame. Thus, when I made changes to my circumstances in my 30's, I avoided ever defending or explaining myself at all because I refused to have shame about the control I took over my life. What that meant, though, is that (in most cases) I never provided an explanation - even to people in my life who were important. I lost most of those people because either they didn't understand or because they were only seeing 1 side of the story which was told from a source without full perspective. Instead of giving anyone my point of view, I just didn't share because I was unwilling to defend my position to people who couldn't understand. I wish I had that to do over again with the perspective that I now have in my 40's.
Joy, your heart shines through in this comment. I want to say that sometimes we can't explain ourselves while we're in the midst of crisis: I know there are plenty of people who have wanted "good answers" from me at moments when I need to focus on just putting one foot in front of the other or taking my next breath. That makes us human. The good news from my perspective is that life is long. We cannot be perfect, but we can be truthful and gentle and patient and kind...I am not always any of those things, but I still consider myself a force of love and healing on the planet.
And in the end, I do believe it's the truth that sets us free.