The Eye of the Storm

OFF THE MAT

Weekly Thought Offering:
Scientific Fact: The eye of a storm is actually the calmest section of any hurricane. The eye is so calm because the now strong surface winds that converge towards the center never reach it.


Journal Prompts:
I can remember feeling calm in the midst of chaos when….
That space felt…
I can remember being caught up in the whirlings when…
That felt…
What I can do to drop into the eye of my storm is….

Weekly Mantra:
Storms do not frighten me I can do hard things*
Storms bless me with peace I find the eye of my storm and I am at peace

Hello Sadhakas!

I was watching the Tiger Woods documentary this week, and while I wasn’t able to finish it (Mama goes to bed at 9:30 ;P). I was struck by something in the beginning. On the golf course, when Tiger was young, his father used to purposely speak loudly behind him, make loud noises and try to distract him. Instead of creating the perfect situation and welcoming greatness, his training included the understanding that it is not within the peaceful times that we need to conjure our greatest self, it is in the middle of chaos, it is in the middle of hurricanes.

This week we are in our 4th and final week with revolved UHP. And this week, as we do, we are looking at the energy of the pose and doing our best to channel the lessons she brings us. This week we allow for the parts of the practice that we cannot understand. We welcome a chance to not need to know but instead to feel.

OFF THE MAT what I hope you can feel this week, is the eye of your storm. Always and at all times, there resides within you a space that is not touched by outside events or even by inner experiences of thoughts or feelings. This is the eye of your storm. This is your Inner Teacher. This is your highest Self. Don’t take my word for it. The next time you find yourself in a really hectic, scary, fearful, full of unknown situation - instead of scanning and searching and clawing outwards to find your footing - I want you to drop in. I want you to imagine the swirling whirling of a hurricane inside your body and I want you to drill into the center of it. Find the open space in the center and stand in it. In that space you will feel untouched by what is happening. You will find the calm you need to make clear choices and you will find divine guidance as to what those choices will be. The eye of your storm is not emotional. It is not high highs or low lows. You will know it’s the eye of your storm because it rings with a deep sense of peace and equanimity, even in the midst of the wildest storm.

ON THE MAT we are tuning into all that this pose is asking from us and the storm that it is delivering. Instead of being pulled this way and that way by the big feeling it brings we are seeking a center point, a centerline, and we revolve around that. We are remaining untouched by the drama and dropping into our core, the eye of our storm. The flow might get hard this week. Let it get hard. You can do hard things. ;)
You are the eye of the storm, not the storm. That, like all things will pass.

With Great Respect and Love,

Nicole

*A loving nod to Untamed by Glennon Doyle