Listen with your whole body. Curious about what it tells us, how we can use it to make meaning, and cultivate Relational Intelligence.
Afterimage 43: I Attract What I Need
no 43
Have you accidentally looked into the sun or bright light and then looked away, the image burned into your eyelids? That’s an afterimage.
Here's what I saw, heard, or sensed that’s stayed with me in the past week. Let’s begin.
What I heard: I Attract What I Need
We attract what we need.
One of the things I appreciate about social media is conversations revived with a simple like and resume as if no time’s passed at all. I hadn’t been in touch with Kelly since she completed her coach training four or so years ago.
A yoga teacher, wellness coach, and a former student of mine, she remembered the music from my lessons on the somatic awareness and movement. “Hey, can you share the playlist from the course with me?”
I wasn’t sure whether I still had it. I told her I’d look for it-- and if I couldn’t find it, I'd either jog my memory or share anything that jumped out at me this week.
I remembered a few tracks and suggested she check out some playlists for Five Rhythms dance.
:::
It’s been a busy week and my body hasn’t kept up with everything my mind wants to get done. My mind races forward and my body lags behind like a little kid straggling behind the big kids. It was yelling “Heyyyy! Wait for meeeeeeee!!!!”: a clear signal to pour some energy into my body.
Instead of giving myself a dose of caffiene or sugar, I decided to move. I got on the yoga mat and stretched. It wasn’t enough, but I went back to writing.
Then, a track came on and it pulled me out of my chair. I got up.
I let my body ease into the beat. I started doing taichi swings to the beat: twisting my body and letting my hands flap and slap my back around the kidneys. Crescendo.
Tum pam tum tum pam
Tum pam tum tum pam
Oooooh, this works well with the body swings! Let’s stay with this and see where it brings us!
Something was intoxicating about this song. My body liked the way it moved me. But it wasn’t just about the beat. There was something else. Open your eyes, see the sun... that's all my basic Spanish could pick up. So I looked up the lyrics.
:::
Es que hay que estar atento
requiere de toda tu energía
Si es que querés salir
de ese enjambre mental
que te atrapa
no te deja ver la luz
Nubes grises
que salen de mi alma
se visten con tu cuerpo
y danzan conmigo
Nubes grises
que salen de tu alma
se visten con mi cuerpo
y danzan con mi ombligo
Abre tus ojos y ves el sol
Abre tus ojos y ves el sol
Abre tus ojos y ves el sol
Es que hay que estar atento
requiere de toda tu energía
si es que querés salir
de ese enjambre mental
que te atrapa
no te deja ver la luz.
You need to be aware
it requires all of your energy
If you want to leave
that mental swarm
that traps you
that doesn't let you see the light
You need to be aware
it requires all of your energy
If you want to leave
that mental swarm
that traps you
that doesn't let you see the light
The grey clouds
that come out of my soul
dress up with your body
and dance with me
The grey clouds
that come out of your soul
dress up with my body
and dance with my belly button
Open your eyes and see the sun
Open your eyes and see the sun
Open your eyes and see the sun
Open your eyes and see the sun
Open your eyes and see the sun
Open your eyes and see the sun
You need to be aware
it requires all of your energy
If you want to leave
that mental swarm
that traps you
that doesn't let you see the light
How’s that for attracting what I need?
Afterthought
Sometime during my maternity leave, I helped a friend sell jewelry she made at a yoga festival. I wandered the festival while my friend was at the booth. We swapped, and I took over the booth when she had a class to teach.
A soft-spoken woman with wavy red hair came to the booth. I asked if she was looking for anything in particular. Smiling, she said no, and continued admiring the jewelry.
I noticed something. Every earring, necklace, or bracelet she touched or tried had one thing in common: rose quartz, green tourmaline, or green citrine. She didn't touch anything else.
“It’s so interesting. Do you know about these pink and green stones have in common?”
I told her everything she touched belonged to the fourth chakra. They were stones that were said to activate the heart center.
She started crying.
Then laughing said, “I thought it was weird. I don’t even like pink! I get it!”
She was healing after a big breakup and getting over deep heartbreak.
In yoga, it’s said we’re called to certain mantras. We’re drawn to specific stones. When we're still, and our channel is clear, we can hear the universe whispering.
Tune in and get into frequency. Like those old dials on the car radio. If you clear out all the noise, what do you hear?
I'm Akiko Mega.
Listen with your whole body. Curious about what it tells us, how we can use it to make meaning, and cultivate Relational Intelligence.
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