Commitment In Motion - The Year Of The Horse (Part 3)

Having released what no longer serves and clarified the path ahead in Part 1 and Part 2, we will focus on embodiment and commitment in this live session. This is where intention becomes motion and momentum becomes a lived experience. In this previously recorded live talk, we deepen our accountability to ourselves and to one another as we align with the energy of the Year of the Horse - freedom, stamina, and purposeful forward movement. This session is about trusting your direction, claiming your pace, and committing to the journey ahead. Please bring a journal and pen.

Transcript

Welcome, Welcome, Welcome to part three of the Year of the Horse, Momentum in Motion. Just want to allow a few moments for folks to arrive to this space. So awesome to see repeat attendees, But also a warm welcome to folks that are new to this space. Perhaps this is the first time that you are attending one of my live sessions. So just a brief introduction. My name is Dr. Megan Kirk Chang. I am a proud Canadian, But I currently live in the UK, And I'm a senior researcher in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Oxford, Where I've had a massive learning curve to really understand a new healthcare system, A new institution, And how to bring lifestyle approaches to psychiatric care. So I absolutely love the work that I do trying to support individuals with various different mental health conditions to navigate things like their diet, Exercise, Stress reduction, Social connection. So I really, Really love my job, But part of being an academic sometimes means I live in a very cognitive and academic mind most of the time. And one of the things I'm really committed to as a researcher is bringing concepts that I research to the globe in a really palatable way. So that's why I have a lot of my content here on Insight Timer. If you haven't had a chance to navigate my teacher profile, Please do. One of my favourite offerings is my 15-day course called The Wisdom of Our Wounds, Healing from Trauma. I love being able to speak about what I'm learning, What I'm discovering, In a way that it reaches more people. We are at part three, If you can believe it, Of a 12-month journey through the year of the horse. And our part one was back in January while we were still rounding out the year of the snake, And part two was just last month right at the onset of the lunar new year and entering in the year of the horse. And today we are at part three. So if you haven't had a chance to join part one or two, Both of those recordings, I'm happy to say, Have now been approved by Insight Timer. They are in my teacher profile. And don't worry if you haven't listened to them, You're not missing out on anything, But you can always go back and review those at your own time. Alright, So as we settle in, I always want to take a few moments to just ground ourselves, You know, Really take a moment to let go of the day for a moment and give ourselves permission to be fully here in this space. So before we begin, Just take a look around your space, Notice if there's one or two things that you might adjust, Whether it's your clothing, A hair on your face, Maybe grabbing a glass of water or putting some warm socks on, Just to create a comfortable environment. We're going to be spending the next hour together doing a lot of reflection, A lot of intention setting. So just take a moment to create comfort wherever you are. You may wish to also have a notebook and pen or pencil, Or even if you take notes on your digital device, That works as well. So take a few moments to get set. And we'll just start with a bit of an arrival practice. So if it feels right for you, You can gently take the eyes to a close. And if not, Just drop the gaze downwards just to really tune inwards for a few moments here. Whether you're seated or lying down, Choosing an option that feels right for you. And my invitation is to bring awareness to the soles of the feet. So maybe that looks like rocking the soles of the feet from the heels to the tips of the toes and back. Maybe that means scrunching the toes and giving them a little wiggle. But just dropping down the body, Awareness to the soles of your feet. And just gently bringing awareness to how much weight the soles of the feet carry in your day-to-day, Moving you around, Holding you upright, Holding you steady. But so often when we are in times of stress or contemplation, We spend a lot of our time living from the neck up. Living in the mind, The cycle, The thoughts, The loops, That we often forget that we have this whole body below the neck here to support us. So as you're comfortable, Just gently bringing awareness from the soles of the feet, Gliding awareness up past the ankles, The lower legs, Right into the knee joint. Just sensing and noticing the knee joint without judgment. Maybe you notice a little ache, A little stiffness. And just seeing if there might be a small adjustment you can make to that knee joint just to find a little more space or comfort. As you're ready, Drawing awareness now from the knees past the upper thighs, The backs of the legs, Landing awareness on the hips. The hips are often known as an emotional storage unit. So it's not uncommon when we bring awareness or gentle stretching to the hips that sometimes emotions rise to the surface, Maybe not right away. But just gently bringing awareness, Compassion to the hips. And scanning now from the hips all the way up through the lower abdomen, Lower back, Belly button, Coming up the abdomen, Landing awareness on your heart space. If it feels right in this moment, You can gently place one or both hands over the heart space. You don't have to if that doesn't feel right. And just notice the gentle connection. Maybe you feel the warmth between the hand and the heart or the pressure or the clothing. And just bringing awareness to the movement of breath, Maybe noticing the gentle rise and fall on the in-breath and on the out-breath. Spend as much time as you'd like here, Just in gentle heart connection. And if you're ready, Drawing awareness now up to the shoulders, Scanning down both arms from shoulders to elbow, Elbow to wrists, Wrists to palms. Just gently noticing the awareness of your arms without judgment. And as you're comfortable now, Drawing and scanning the awareness back up through the arms into the neck, The upper neck and throat, All the way around to the back of the neck. And if it feels intuitive, Maybe give a few gentle shoulder rolls, Just to notice if you can soften into the neck space just a little bit more. We often hold a lot of tension, A lot of stress in the upper neck. Bringing attention to the jaw. Notice if you might create just a little bit of space between the upper and lower teeth. Just allowing the jaw to soften. Maybe you even notice that your lobes soften just a little bit more. Continuing to scan up the face, Landing awareness on the space between the eyebrows. When we're in deep thought, Stress, Contemplation, We often hold tension in the space between the eyebrows. And just notice if you can sense into that space. And imagine melting the muscles, Allowing them to peel away from the bones. Bringing awareness now to the forehead. Seeing if you can soften the forehead, Melt the muscles of the upper face. And as you're ready, Finally scanning up through the crown of the head and the back of the head. And noticing if you can gently sense into softening the hairline, Softening the grip in the muscles of the scalp just a little bit more. What does that feel like? And in community, Taking two or three breaths at your own pace and time. As you draw the breath in, Imagining that you're pulling breath in through the soles of the feet all the way up through the major joints of the body, Right through the crown of the head. And as you exhale, Imagine flushing the body of anything it doesn't need. Any thoughts, Any tension, Any worries. As you exhale, Feeling that all release back out through the soles of the feet. Just do two or more breaths at your own pace and time. And gently bringing awareness back to your space. If it feels right, Fluttering the eyes open. And just taking any small movements that feel right to energize you back to the space. Maybe a little stretch, Maybe a little twist or turn. Just a very simple body scan to remind us that we have a whole system below the neck that's here working for us, Calibrating for us, Trying to keep us in balance. But we often spend a lot of our time in the mind. So officially welcome to part three of the year of the horse. And in part one, We honored the release and letting go in the final weeks of the year of the snake. So we talked about letting go of different patterns, Maybe identities that no longer worked for us. A lot of people shared that they were letting go of relationships that were not bringing them joy. And we talked about letting go of expectations that no longer aligned with the direction our lives were taking. And this can be really scary. But we worked through that over the last couple of sessions. And I think what I just want to remind folks is that remember that it's a process. That if you're still in the space of letting go and releasing, That's okay. We are in process. And release is not always dramatic. We don't always feel this relief. Sometimes it's quiet. Sometimes that letting go is a simple acknowledgement that we've outgrown something. And without forcing or trying to chase an outcome, That simple acknowledgement or that subtle, Quiet knowing is enough. So I leave that with folks who might still be holding on to part one of letting go from the year of the snake. I'll be honest, If I may, That I had forgotten about. . . I had decluttered a lot of my home leading up to the end of the year of the snake. And I'd forgotten about one bin. I'd put it away out of sight, Just. . . We were having guests over. And I found it recently. And I panicked, Thinking, Oh my gosh, I didn't enter the year of the horse fully letting go of the stuff I said I would. And so I've worked towards that compassion for not remembering that. And now I have a new intention that that needs to be addressed before I can fully arrive. So just to share that, You know, We are working on progress, Not perfection. So in part two, Right at the end of the year of the snake and welcoming the year of the horse, We talked a lot about clarity and preparation. We did a lot of different reflection questions in the chat. And we talked about things like, What matters most now? And what is the energy that I'm choosing to move towards? And there were such beautiful words in the chat around moving towards clarity, Moving towards love, Moving towards softness and compassion. I remember those words vividly. And so as a reminder to folks or folks that weren't here that last session, You know, Thinking about what are the words that represent what you're choosing to move towards in this year of the horse. Clarity doesn't mean certainty, Though. And what we talked about was this idea of being willing to listen to your inner direction. And so now we arrive to part three. And this is a place where a lot of hesitation might surface. So fair warning, Giving you a bit of a disclaimer, Because we now, As we're a month into the year of the horse, We are starting to move from reflection to embodiment. So if I were to ask you, What does embodiment mean? What does that mean to you? And I'd love to hear in the chat some of the responses. So part three, We are moving from reflection into embodiment. What does that word even mean? We often hear this, You know, As a buzzword. What does it mean to you? And there's no wrong answers. You know, It takes a lot of courage to just throw it out there, What you think it is. So with your pen and paper, Even take a few moments to reflect on what does embodiment mean to you? So Vasudha, Thank you so much. Vasudha says, Bringing all my inner truth out in my actions and behaviors. Whew. That's like a textbook definition, Vasudha. Well done. Beautiful. What else might it mean? Oh, I see some love hearts for Vasudha. So I love the way that you framed that, This idea that embodiment is through action and behavior. I want to add on to that because I think we can, In community, Grow that. It's a felt sense of living that truth as well. We don't just go through the motions of actions, But that embodiment is like that real felt sense. That if we want to experience self-love or compassion, That there's a felt sense of that as well. All right, Now I see some excellent responses. Katie says, Vasudha said it best. Yes. Mitch says, I thought I was so prepared for the fire horse swooping in and taking me in the race of my life. And then the horse arrived. And within two weeks, I was thinking, What the heck is this? Then I realized that this is no race. My year on the horse is rodeo. I giggle at that thought, But I'm also giggling while hanging on for absolute dear life. Mitch, That is amazing. And I have to say, I echo that completely. The year of the horse came, And I was like, Oh, I thought I was prepared. And I also am hanging on for dear life. A lot of really good things, But a lot of still unresolved things. And I just, Yeah, I feel like I'm on one of those bulls in the middle of a bull ride. Isabel says, Embodiment is really feeling it, Not just thinking about it. Samantha, Feeling it in your body, Not just in your head. Yes. Owning and embracing, Integrating desired choices with actions. I love all this. Thank you, Tamara. Vasudha, What are you adding? Bringing mind down in my body and heart, As you said, Into the neck and body. Amazing. So I love all of these. And I think collectively, Together, We can create our own definition, Knowing that we can always add to it and change it. So embodiment, Like the word body is in embodiment. And it really is what Vasudha said, Like living out our inner knowing, Our inner truth, Our intuition through action and behaviors. And then we added on that, But there's a felt sense of authenticity and that feeling that we are striving towards. So it's not just that on autopilot. You know, For me, When I brush my teeth or I do the dishes, Sometimes I'm on autopilot. Embodiment is not about that. Embodiment really is about allowing the feeling to settle. And sometimes that doesn't have to be the feelings we necessarily want to go towards, Like love, Clarity, Softness, Compassion. Sometimes embodiment means today, What if I sat with the sadness and really felt it move through me? When we embody something, We give it space to come up to the surface to be seen by us, And we give it space to release out into the world. And so there is an authenticity around that. So thank you so much for all of your beautiful reflections and definitions. I just want to share what Chris says, To be in alignment with your innermost deepest desires in thoughts, Intentions, Speech, And action. Yes, Love it. I love that. Amazing. So to ground us again in the Year of the Horse, We need to understand the energy of the horse. And last day, We talked a lot about the symbolism of what the horse represents and words like freedom and strength and stamina and movement really came up. And those are all beautiful and absolutely reflective. And I think the biggest thing that we must remember in the Year of the Horse is that the deeper teaching of the horse is not speed. It's sustained movement with awareness. So horses act from a place of intention. They move towards what feels right, And they know to run away from what doesn't. So this awareness piece is really critical. And we talked last day around this idea of urgency. Don't confuse urgency with alignment, Because sometimes we might rush thinking, Oh, We have to get that done. And we run the risk of not sustaining that movement. We run the risk of burnout or fatigue or going in the wrong direction. So it's really important to remember when we think of the Year of the Horse that yes, Freedom, Stamina, Strength, Forwards motion are all the beautiful things that the Chinese zodiac symbolizes in the Year of the Horse. But a horse doesn't run constantly, Right? A horse does not just run without purpose forevermore and constantly. It knows when to move. It also knows when to honor rest. And it knows when to pause and observe. And that balance is what we're talking about today. That balance is really, Really important. Because many of us, And I'm going to put both hands way up, Have been taught that momentum means pushing harder, Doing more, Moving faster. Hustle, Hustle, Hustle. Let me know in the chat if that resonates. Many of us, And my hands are both raised real high, Have been taught that momentum, Forwards motion, Means pushing harder, Doing more, Moving faster, Hustle and grind culture, Where busyness is a badge. Okay, I see some hearts. So that has to resonate with some folks. When we're talking about the true essence of the Year of the Horse and we're talking about true momentum, We mean something different. We mean consistency, Regulated energy, And meaningful action taken over time. Okay, So we're talking about consistency, Regulated energy, And meaningful action taken over time. So movement that your nervous system can actually sustain, Where you feel vital, You feel vibrant, You feel in flow, You don't feel exhausted or drained, Confused, Or self-doubt. So thinking through, What does that mean for you? What is your definition of momentum right now, And does that need a little bit of shifting? Does that need a little bit of perspective that hustle and grind culture, Where you're wearing a busy badge as if it's a badge of honor, Pushing harder, Faster, Stronger. Are you buying into that definition? And where might you shift the perspective to look at momentum as what your nervous system can actually sustain? And if you're feeling that tension or that fatigue right now, A month in, Then maybe the lesson right now as a horse would is knowing when to pause, Knowing when to honor rest as necessary for forwards momentum. So my first reflection for you in the comments right now is, What is your relationship with the idea of rest? What comes up for you to take time off, To rest instead of work? What comes up for folks when I ask you, What's your relationship with what it means to actually rest? So Gloria says she's retired and made nature and meditation very important to your day. And Gloria, I'll ask you, Looking back over your working years, Do you wish you could have integrated that more into your working years? Just out of curiosity. So Gilbert does Yoga Nidra daily, Amazing. Yoga is rest. But the question is, What is your relationship to this idea of resting? Do you feel comfortable with rest? Do you feel a little bit guilty, Like you should be doing something more? Do you think it's rest, But you're actually doing something? So sometimes I have to catch myself because yoga is my rest as well. But when I'm doing a power flow class, Am I really honoring the true essence of rest? Maybe some days that is a form of it, But maybe that's not the rest that my body and nervous system can actually sustain. So it's just thinking through what are the societal pressures that we buy into about what momentum means? And how can you think about it a little bit differently in terms of nervous system sustainability? So Mitch says, I have so much guilt around rest. It's deeply ingrained. I always feel like I have to earn my rest. And even when I do, I feel like I'm lazy if I rest. Yes, Exactly. The negotiation that can go on. Okay, If I finish this task or if I get through this work productivity, Check it off the list, Then I can go rest. Then once you're resting, There's that inner dialogue around, Oh my gosh, Does this mean I'm lazy or not into my work or not committed? It's a wild cycle. I feel like my notion of rest is still doing rest, Not being restful. I'm working on not having to fix myself anymore. Beautiful awareness, Sudha, And I resonate with that so much. I have a really hard time not doing during my rest. It's a really interesting thing to observe. Sarah, I think it used to make me feel guilty, But I don't want to buy into that anymore. Yes, That's what right now is about is just checking those assumptions or biases or the unconscious ways that we take on a false meaning of what momentum means in the year of the horse. If you're someone that's a go-getter, Pushing harder, Doing more, That's amazing. That's great. We're not wrong-making that. It's just really thinking through the awareness and attunement with your nervous system around is this sustainable. Samantha says, I'm finding ways to rest but still not feeling refreshed. I feel like I'm procrastinating or avoiding. I have so much that needs my attention. Yeah, I think a lot of people will resonate with that. Sharon has a different relationship with rest now than you ever had. That's amazing. Allowing yourself to rest and meditate more but still finding myself thinking about what needs to be done, I resonate with that a lot too. Trying to find more balance and recognizing that rest actually makes me more healthy, Balanced, And centered. What if we reconceptualized that rest was essential for momentum? How would that change things for you over this next month before we meet again? I love all these reflections. Gosh, I wish we were in person and we could do a deeper dive into all of this. All of you have named a lot of things that go through my mind when I think about rest and when I think about my own definition of momentum. When we're in the year of the horse, It doesn't mean we get it perfect, But we commit together to saying, Okay, There's a little bit of an outdated perception that I have of what momentum means and here's where I'm going to stretch my thinking. Part three today is about making new commitments around how we're going to show up for the year of the horse. I just want to take a moment to say that when we talk about commitment, Sometimes it brings up a sense of pressure. Some people hear the word commitment and immediately feel tension in their body. They don't know what they're getting into or what does this commitment mean. When I say commitment, What I mean is not forcing, Not perfection, Not never falling off the path or making a mistake, But simply returning to the direction and alignment that you are choosing for your life right now. Returning to the commitment to return to. Last session I invited you to think of words that reflected how you wanted to feel in the year of the horse. As I said at the beginning, So many beautiful words, Clarity, Love, Expansion, Softness, Compassion, Self-growth, Self-awareness, Insert more that resonate for you. When I asked where do you feel right now, The words were so different. They were fatigued, Exhausted, Worried, Tired, Anxious. Words hold energy. Commitment in this context is returning to how you reflected so clearly how you want to feel in the year of the horse. It's like building a muscle. We don't get it right overnight. With a muscle, You've got to lift the weight. You go through a bit of muscle soreness for a couple days, But then the muscle fibers build back stronger. Then you can lift the weight a little bit easier next time or you can increase the weight. Commitment is the return. When you notice that you're falling off the direction that you want to feel, It's making that commitment to return back. That teaches us to embody, To accept, Have that self-awareness, And remember that it's choice by choice, Moment to moment. All right, So I want to see if anyone has questions. People speak about generational trauma, But I also think there's generational habits passed down as well. My mother never rested. I think that's a really valid point, And I can think a lot about the patterns that my parents modeled and some of the generational habits I picked up as well. Welcome, Elise. Jen says the words she wants to feel are strong, Wise, Playful, Calm, And commitment. I love that. All right, Let's do a guided embodiment practice. Just setting up in your space, You can be seated, Lying down, Whatever feels most comfortable for you in this moment. Remembering at any time if you need to come out of the practice or grab some water, Please do what makes you feel most comfortable. So the invitation is to soften the gaze downwards, Just to draw awareness more inwards and release some of the distraction of our external environment. Or if it feels right, You can flutter the eyes closed. And let's just take a few moments to connect with our body. Again, I'm going to invite you to feel your feet, Draw awareness to the soles of the feet, And feel the ground or a solid surface supporting you. This time, Bring awareness to your rhythm of breath. No fixing required, No change needed. Just noticing the in-breath coming into the body and noticing the out-breath as it leaves the body. Remembering there's no right or wrong way to breathe. We're just tuning in to what is true for us in this moment. And the simple act of noticing breath is the first step of embodiment, The embodiment of present moment awareness. And just remember if the mind wanders, Because it will, Maybe give a little smile when you notice the mind trail off, Get hooked by a thought, A worry, And gently acknowledge without judgment and bring awareness back to the breath. Practicing that commitment to return. Sometimes we have to return a hundred times, It feels like, And sometimes only a few times, And that's okay. No right, No wrong. I want you to imagine now in your mind's eye that you're standing on a wide open path. Whatever comes naturally to you could be in a beautiful meadow or forest, Mountain path, Path along the ocean. Just choosing an image that feels right for you and you're standing on a wide open path. And just take a few moments to capture the five senses. What do you see in that image? What do you feel? What are the sounds that you hear? Perhaps imagining the smells or sense of taste that you might have. And just remembering sometimes this is really easy to bring into the mind and sometimes it's a little bit difficult. It can change day to day. So we just try to return to this safe and beautiful image of a wide open path in front of us. That path represents the direction of your life right now. Behind you are the releases, The letting go that you honored this year, The things that helped you create space. And in front of you in that wide open path, Not every detail is quite visible, But you can sense the direction. And gently ask yourself, What direction is your body leaning towards? Notice what that direction feels like. Not in the mind, Not trying to analyze. What does it feel like in the body? What is the direction you're moving toward? When you feel ready, Notice and imagine taking one step forward along that path. Not a leap, Not a jump, Just one step towards the direction that you're moving towards. And let that step represent the commitment you're making to yourself over this next month as we settle into the year of the horse. So gently bringing awareness back to your space and surroundings, Bring some subtle movements to the fingers and the toes, A few little wiggles, Maybe a stretch. And these simple practices of creating an image in your mind of what you're moving towards, And maybe it gets more specific over the coming weeks or maybe there's a scenario that you map out. It's bringing that five senses awareness to that image in your mind and it gets a little bit easier over time as we practice this. I know when I'm in periods of stress or really in cognitive overload due to work, I find imagining my direction or imagining what am I moving towards a little bit more difficult. But as we bring that sensory awareness to it, The five senses, So sight, Smell, Touch, Hear, Taste, It starts to bring that sense of embodiment. And when we practice that visually, When we're out in our reality, We subconsciously start to bring more sensory awareness to our reality and we can start to feel that felt sense a little more clearly around what feels right, What feels in alignment and what doesn't. We can start to pick up on those energy cues a little bit quicker, Especially if we're around certain people that light us up and lift us up or the alternative when we're in environments or settings or situations that drain us or the gut is like something's off here. And so that's what we're trying to do over the next month is think about embodiment. And we start with visualization and imagining, And then we can bring that into our real world settings and start to bring that awareness to what feels in alignment to the direction we want to move towards and what feels out of alignment. So one of the most important lessons of the Year of the Horse is really learning how to stay in motion without burning out. Burnout happens when we lack awareness, When we override our bodies, When we ignore our own limits, And when we confuse urgency with importance. And we talked about this last day around not confusing urgency with alignment. Momentum really requires regulation. So I want to hear from you. How do you know when you're on the brink of burnout? What are the cues that come up that indicate, You know what, I'm overriding my body here, I'm ignoring my limits, And maybe I'm confusing urgency or the hustle or the push harder with importance when it's alignment that I should be seeking. So walk me through burnout for you. How do you know that you're on the brink of feeling burnt out? Jen talks loudly. Great, That's a great awareness. It's like that, Yeah, Belting it out. Samantha says irritability over things that normally take longer. Yeah, Quick to be agitated. Eye strain, Tired but wired. Yeah, Or that somehow that insomnia that kicks in, Being up at 3 a. M. Till like 5 a. M. I know something is out of balance. I'm ignoring my limits. Heightened anxiety about tiny things that I'd usually brush off. Yes, Jasmine. A functional freeze when sleep doesn't, Oh, The comments are coming in so fast, When sleep doesn't bring rest anymore. French, Anger towards everything. Yes. Katie, Ayani, I hope I'm saying that right, Feel your energy is draining. Mitch says, I wish I knew. I think I've lived in burnout for a while now, But when overstimulated, I just think everything is so loud and I crave silence. Yeah, That's stimulus overload. I think it's great that you are honest that maybe you haven't been paying attention to what burnout means. Sunny, Not sleeping. That is one of mine. Sharp pain in the shoulders and overthinking more than usual. Really beautiful reflections. And just, It's so courageous to be able to share that. And for folks that maybe aren't comfortable sharing, Hopefully you see yourselves in some of these responses, Because we don't often admit or share when we're feeling burnt out. But it happens. And in the year of the horse, What I really hope for us over the next 11 months that we're going to be here monthly is how to stay in motion and momentum without burning out. This idea of thinking about what our limits are, Thinking about what does regulation mean, Thinking about what does nervous system alignment mean so that I'm sustaining this motion. I don't crash and burn at the end. So this means really paying attention to and noticing when it is right to move, When it is right to pause and rest, And when we need to adjust the pace. Somebody last day talked about pacing, And it was such a beautiful word at the moment we were talking about it. This idea of the year of the horse, Momentum and motion doesn't always mean the exact same pace. We have to learn and accept that there are times when we move, There's times when we pause and rest, And there are definitely times when we have to adjust the pace. So what does that mean for you? Really thinking through, Are you noticing those three, Or are you just focused on moving? Maybe it's like, Okay, What does adjusting the pace look like in this scenario? So what's true for you? The horse doesn't compare its speed to another horse, It runs in alignment with its own capacity. So your pace matters, And your pacing is wisdom. Okay, So just like last day, I always like to bring journal prompts for us to reflect on. You can take these away, You can share in the chat, But I always like to type them in the group chat so everyone has them. So we're going to get into some journaling reflection, So grab a pen and paper, Feel free to share in the chat, Or put your responses in your notes, Or maybe do some voice notes and listen to what you said tomorrow, For example. So the first question is, What direction am I choosing for this season of my life? We shed, We let go, We released, And we talked about the direction. What direction am I choosing for this season of my life? And remembering that these questions are not absolute, You can come back and revisit them, You can change them, You can adjust them. We're just starting to get out onto paper, Putting pen to paper, Or typing, Getting out without the inner world constantly going, We're getting it out externally so that we can bring awareness to it. Question two is, What is one meaningful action that supports that direction? So today we've talked about rest, We've talked about movement, We've talked about regulation, We've talked about adjusting pace, So what is one meaningful action that supports that direction? I think sometimes we assume it has to be movement forwards, But maybe today it's really thinking through a meaningful action is adjusting my pace a little bit, Pausing this. Food for thought, We're just trying to stretch our thinking and get out of the automatic thinking. Okay, Question number three is, What pace feels sustainable for me right now? Right now are you ready for the hustle, The move forwards, The push harder, Or do you need a softer pace, A slower pace, A carefully considered pace? All of them are possibilities, But what pace feels sustainable for you right now? And honor that, If we're really honest, What is the pace that feels sustainable? So for example, I'll give you an example for me, I have been off of Insight Timer for a couple of years, Just navigating a few major life events, And I'm finally feeling my capacity come back to be able to come do live sessions, Put more content on my teacher profile, And I'm working with the part of me that wants to be here more than once a month. However, Right now, The pace that feels sustainable for me as I get back into the saddle, For those who like a little funny joke, Maybe I'm laughing by myself, I'm not sure, But the pace that feels sustainable for me right now are these monthly sessions, Because I'm still working back my energy. So it's working with that internal, Oh my gosh, I love this so much, I want to be here more often, And honoring, Okay, The pace that feels sustainable for me is monthly, And I'm working with it, Okay? And then the final question is, What support systems help me stay steady in my movement? And this can be tricky. We had a very real conversation last day about how sometimes the people that are closest to us in our lives, Friends, Family, Chosen family, Colleagues, When they see us shifting and changing, Sometimes they're not as supportive as we would expect them to be. Or if we go through something, Sometimes people aren't there for us in the way we would hope them to be. And so thinking through support systems and what that means, And it's beyond necessarily friends, Family, Coworkers, Connections, And it could be an internal support system. Sometimes we self-sabotage or we abandon ourselves in subtle or obvious ways. But I'll give you an example. A support system for me right now that's helping me stay steady is committing to not very high intensity, But committing to some form of muscle strength training because it brings me back into my body. I'm feeling my body do movement. After a period of time where I was very much in the depths of grief and not in my body, I was up in my mind. And so doing some form of strength training or walking, Getting out into nature, Was shared earlier, Is a way for me to connect with my body. And when I connect with my body, My energy to do the things I love, Like Insight Timer Lives, Is more sustainable. It makes me more steady. When I'm forgetting that, When I'm feeling guilty or feeling like I didn't work enough that day and I skip one of those sessions, Then that has a cascade effect. So I just share that as an example and take from it what works in your context in your life. But I have an internal support network that I haven't had in a really long time because I have a very strong inner critic, A very strong judger, And negotiator who's like, You didn't do enough work today so you don't get to do the fun thing. So notice that. What are the support systems? And maybe it's an internal system that you're developing. Maybe it's friends, Family, A trusted person in your life that helps you stay steady. Okay? So those are four reflective journaling prompts. What direction am I choosing for the season of my life? What is one meaningful action that supports that direction? What pace feels sustainable for you right now? And what support systems help you stay steady in your movement? And so thinking through those over the next month, Because we're going to keep going, We're going to keep continuing on. So Moses says, The season of my life is about flying steady, Not rushing. As a pilot, Ooh, Awesome, I've learned that rest is part of the journey, Pausing, Resetting, And staying clear on the path ahead. I love that. And right now, You're choosing a direction of growth, Peace, Taking the time to rest. You can keep moving forwards with purpose. I love that, Moses, And thank you so much for your generous donation. That means so much to me. And I think you say it so eloquently that rest brings that clarity. If we're constantly in forwards motion, We don't always see what's in the periphery, Right? And so you know that better than anyone being a pilot, But this idea of consciously carving out time to rest and pause so that you can allow yourself to catch up to growth, Peace, And what does purpose mean for you? I think that's a really beautiful reflection. So I always find these sessions go really, Really quickly, But one of the most honest things I can say about the year of the horse and this idea of momentum in motion is that it's going to ask us to choose between comfort and courage. Comfort keeps us in our familiar state. Courage stretches us. Courage moves us forwards, But maybe courage isn't what you think it is. Maybe courage is the rest or the pause, Or maybe courage is taking a bit of a bigger step. Remembering that courage doesn't mean that fear disappears. It means we move with the fear rather than waiting for it to vanish because there's a lot of uncertainty sometimes, But courage means we move with it. It's a part of us. We don't let it overtake us. Doubt is going to appear. It does for me. That's part of being human, But our doubts don't have to stop the momentum. So as we now start to wrap up part three and get ready for part four, This idea of accountability and community. So momentum grows stronger when it's supported, And that's exactly why this series exists. So everything shared in this chat is about community and accountability together. It's not about pressure. It's not about, You know, Putting pressure on ourselves to be perfect, But it really is important to me with these sessions that we remember that we're not alone in our movement. When we share our intentions in the chat, When we just courageously share something that's coming up for us, Our intention and our clarity and our purpose becomes clearer. It becomes more real and authentic, And as you can see with folks responding saying, Oh, Yeah, That's beautiful, Or oh, I get that, We get that support in continuing. So every person here is riding their own path right now, But collectively we're moving through this year together, And sometimes knowing that others are choosing courage can be incredibly grounding. So my next part four session is in about a month's time, And I want you to think about the questions we reflected on. I want you to think about what is the pace that you need to go at? What is the direction that you're being called to go? So remember this as we wrap up. Momentum is not about speed. It's about direction, Consistency. You don't need to run every day. Maybe today you recognize that the pause is just as important. So your pace matters. Small steps are the big steps. Courage can coexist with doubt, And community strengthens our momentum. So thank you all so much for being part of this journey, And we'll see you in about a month's time for part four. Thanks so much, Everybody. Have a great rest of your evening. Bye for now.

Reviews

Thank you for your time in creating these sessions. The Year of the Horse is exactly what is happening with me in life's journey and I didn't even realize it until I found your Part 1 in Jan/feb. I just listened to part 3 and am eagerly awaiting part 5. But would really like to get to part 4 first. Do you know when it will post to IT? Thank You deeply for sharing your wisdom 🙏🐴🤗