Hey folks, happy new year!
While I personally view the Winter Solstice as the true celestial New Year, marking the return of the light as the sun cycle begins to grow yet again, I cannot deny that there is a strong cultural energetic power to the turning of the Gregorian calendar year. For 7 years now, I have been writing Lumen Letters to this growing community of wild loving, luminous beings. At the turn of each calendar year, I share my own personal musings on the past year as a way to open up, connect, and inspire each of you to sit back and reflect on all you have seen, experienced, and learned within the container of 365 days. We become so obsessed with our intentions for the future, that we oftentimes rush over or completely ignore the value in slowing down, sitting with, and deeply acknowledging the winding path the led us to this present expression of self.
I'm here to remind you that the very real and difficult work of cultivating personal development is not something you simply set and forget.
Growth requires tending, and tending is a dynamic process.
Some whimsical, others blunt, all a reflection of my own wild, winding path. Here they are, in no particular order - 22 of the tiny bites of wisdom I tasted in 2022.
No.1: We are always in process.
No.2: Setting boundaries with family is an uncomfortable task. And it's absolutely necessary.
No.3: Lifting heavy things, putting them down, and picking them back up again is a really good thing. The power rack in our living room was a bit of an eye sore, but I have developed a great appreciation for functional weightlifting and consistent strength training. I've never felt stronger and more grounded in my body, now that I've added this very critical element into my movement diet. It's hard, it's frustrating at times, and I only wish I had started when I was younger!
No.4: Home is where there is room to roam. There's no turning back to city or suburban living for me. Living out in the country on 5 wooded acres instantly gave me the sense of home I've been yearning for all these years.
No.5. Traction tires make all the difference in winter weather driving conditions.
No.6: There is an astonishing amount of misguided information around how to navigate a healthy pregnancy out there. I'm incredibly grateful I have the holistic knowledge base to cut through the bullshit and not get sucked into all the fear mongering around pregnancy and birth.
No.7: Hunting while pregnant is a unique dance between Life and Death. To be on the hunt while knowing I'm simultaneously growing my baby deep in my womb; having that relationship with Death and Life walking hand in hand, was utterly profound.
No.8: Making a move to a new place motivates me to make moves in other areas of my life.
No.9: Instagram isn't all bad. I hereby acknowledge the positive attributes of this social media platform I love to hate on, mainly, how I was able to form real life friendships with some incredible individuals thanks to the initial connections made on this app.
No.10: Women's bodies are fucking amazing. I've never had more appreciation for the innate power of the female form to coax life into existence until I found myself pregnant and randomly in awe of the fact that I'm just living my life while creating another.
No.11: Taking a year and a half off from ballet did my body and soul wonders. I've only taken one class since that long break, but that class was so enlivening. I actually enjoyed the class, and my lifetime of training paid off since I was able to slide back into my sense of technique with surprising ease. I highly recommend taking space from a form of movement training if you need to re-calibrate your relationship with it, whether for physical or mental health.
No.12: "I told you so" is oftentimes a comment best kept to yourself, even if you saw it coming from a mile away.
No.13: Pregnancy highlights your weaknesses. Or maybe I should say, those aspects of self that need some extra tending. The SI joint pain that I successfully remediated back in my early 20's has made itself known yet again. Here's to learning how to alleviate/heal SI joint dysfunction for pregnant bodies. Every injury I've sustained has granted me an opportunity for continuing education that can later serve my private clients and students.
No.14: People's emotional intelligence can certainly regress.
No.15: I can easily spend an hour watching the wildlife on our land. It's not the most productive way to spend my time, and I sometimes knowingly use it as a form of procrastination. It surely tickles my soul, though, and that's well worth the time spent.
No.16: Language is beautiful, and causes great confusion.
No.17: Pregnant women are not delicate flowers, and they're also not invincible. A pregnant body is capable of so so much, and pregnancy is also not a time to test your limits. Don't deprive me of movement - let me carry the groceries, lift boxes, and the like...this is part of why I strength train, so I'm capable of handling these tasks safely, and in good form. I'll ask people if I need or want help.
No.18: I'm WAY more comfortable talking to people about my relationship with hunting. I no longer feel like I should try to hide this aspect of myself in certain settings, like I once did when I first started hunting several years ago. I can casually and confidently open up about my journey as a huntress with anyone, anywhere, and not be overly concerned about what people think.
No.19: When some people/organizations are wrong and it's starkly apparent they're holding onto a false idea, they just dig their heels in and double down on their position. I lose a lot of respect for those who do this, and gain a ton of respect for those who can admit they were wrong and adapt their stance to reflect updated data, insights, and information.
No.20: Cocoon with the season.
No.21: Continue to prod and poke at your deeply held beliefs. Stay curious and open-minded. Examine, over and over, why you think the way you do. Challenge yourself to think differently, even if you wind up coming back to the place where you first started. This is good medicine for the ego, the mind, and society at large.
No.22: “Be like a tree. Stay grounded. Connect with your roots. Turn over a new leaf. Bend before you break. Enjoy your unique natural beauty. Keep growing.” - Joanne Raptis
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