The Year Of The Horse: Momentum In Motion (Part 5)

Part 5 of The Year of the Horse reframes setbacks as essential feedback rather than failure, building on the trust and alignment developed in Parts 1–4. It focuses on meeting resistance, delays, and unexpected detours with clarity, self-compassion, and practical reframing so momentum and purpose are maintained. Working with the energy of the Year of the Horse, the session explores when to pause, adjust, or recommit, supporting a steadier relationship with your path even through uncertainty. ***Parts 1-4 past live sessions are in my teacher profile***

Transcript

Welcome to, I can't believe it, Part five. Of the year of the horse. If you are arriving for the first time, Don't worry, You haven't missed anything. All of the parts one through four have been recorded and they are all on my teacher platform so you're welcome to return to those at any point and you don't have to do them in order. Sometimes they make sense too but there's no There's no rhyme or reason. You can go back and listen to one all however many times you'd like. And if you're just arriving for the first time, You haven't missed anything. You can kind of pick up today with some of the concepts and see how they apply to your life. For the last several sessions, We've been talking about this idea of the year of forwards motion and momentum. And we've talked a lot about the symbolism of, In the Lunar New Year calendar, This is the year of the horse, And what the symbolism of the horse means. And we've talked a lot about, You know, Visually we see a horse being strong, Being resilient, Forwards moving. Lots of beautiful words came up in our sessions of the symbolism. And particularly in the last session, So part four. We started to think about the importance of what movement and balance really means. So horses don't always go forwards motion at their highest speed. They're very intuitive and know when it's time to pause and slow down, Know when to pivot, Know when they need to course correct. So last session we talked about getting really real about our intentions for the year and where we might need to course correct. Not from a place of we've made a mistake or are failing, But a lot of the symbolism of the year of the horse is around just checking in with what feels aligned with our intentions, What feels aligned with where we want to go, Where we want to be. And sometimes that means we have to pivot and course correct. And sometimes that means we have to stop. And so the power of rest, The power of knowing when to slow down when you're not on the right path is just as important as figuring out how to find that flow. And so today, Part five, We got a jam-packed session. We are talking about renewed commitment. So, Part five, Month five, Is. . . What I call an inflection point. This is often the point in anyone's growth journey where momentum begins to meet resistance. The excitement of beginning, The excitement of setting intention, Maybe that novelty has worn off a bit. The vision may still be alive for most of us, But we start to now be in the reality of our circumstances. And This is a really important time because this is the time where people either decide to get bucked off the horse or to continue to stay on the horse. And so part five really is about navigating setbacks, Navigating resistance. And perhaps, What does it mean to renew your commitment to the year of the horse? Alright, So that's where we're headed today. So if you've just arrived, It would be great if you grabbed a journal and a pen. I always like to throw some questions out there to reflect upon. Also, If you're comfortable, Feel free to share in the chat. I find when there's shared common humanity around what we're discovering and learning. I love seeing what is coming up for folks in the chat and it's really helpful for me as well because I'm only one person. I only have my own experience but there's so many different ways we can consider this information. So if you feel comfortable and want to share more about what you're discovering in the Year of the Horse. We've had some really great reflections in the chat, So please feel free to do that. Today's session is about learning how to stay in relationship with your path, Especially when it feels really uncertain. Maybe it feels a little bit slower than you thought. Some unexpected life events or challenges have come up that make it really difficult for you to feel like you can stay in flow or stay in relationship with your past. This session really isn't about forcing yourself harder. We've talked about pushing harder, Faster, Stronger. This is not what it's about. It's not about perfection. But it's also not about pretending that setbacks don't hurt and sting a little bit. There needs to be that space to say, Oh, This is really tough, Or this isn't turning out exactly as I would hope. It's learning to meet yourself a little bit differently today when challenge appears. I know for myself, My default mode. Isn't to necessarily extend compassion towards myself right away. Sometimes I meet myself with a little bit of tough love or harshness, Which has its pros and cons, But. Over time I'm realizing that there's a softer, Gentler way to meet myself when challenge appears. So that's what today is really about. In the energy and in the spirit of the Year of the Horse, We remember today that movement is natural. But sustainable movement requires that rhythm, Like we talked about last day, Pacing, Adaptability, And trust. So what happens when our commitment starts to fade a little bit? What happens when our old patterns resurface when we're under pressure or stress? How do we recognize progress even when the results we were hoping for are delayed? How do we remember those small wins along the way? And then how do you recommit to your path? So as you know the routine we are going to do a little grounding exercise together. To just return to the body today, Wherever you're at, Whatever time it is for you. However the day has gone for you. Let's just ground together for a moment and let's return to the body. So find yourself in a comfortable, Seated, Lying down position. Whatever feels natural for you in this moment, Choosing that option. And if it feels comfortable. Gently just placing one hand over the heart space if that doesn't feel right. You know, Putting both hands to the thighs or. Giving yourself a little hug with the arms wrapped around, Just some kind of connection and contact with the body, Just to give it that. Little sense that you're here. Hey, Let's. . . Before we talk about challenge and setbacks, Let's create a little safety in our nervous system. So a little gentle connection, Reminding yourself that you're here. Giving yourself permission to just maybe put aside. The day that you are having or about to start or that's coming to an end. And just allowing yourself to be here in this moment. Exactly as it is. Maybe taking a few gentle breaths. In through the nose. Potentially feeling the breath expand beneath the hand. Or just noticing the sensation of the body. Expanding on the in-breath. And noticing the sensation as the breath leaves the body. Wave-like rhythm Breathing in. And breathing out. As I was thinking about today's session. And thinking about my own journey. And feeling when progress slows, How my body interprets that uncertainty sometimes as danger. And noticing when the body feels unsafe, How the mind begins to create stories. The mind searches to create meaning. With the sensations of feeling unsafe. So maybe. You're coming to this session thinking about the year of the horse for yourself and maybe the comment in the mind is, I'm failing. Or this isn't working. Or I should be further ahead than I thought by now. Or maybe I should stop altogether. But tonight we begin by coming back into presence. So again, Inhaling gently. Exhaling slowly. And just noticing the support beneath you, Whether it's a seat, A chair, A cushion, A bed. Just feeling and sensing into the support. Notice your body being held. Guiding awareness now. To your hands. Without changing anything, Just noticing. The temperature, Maybe between the contact of the hands and the body. Noticing the sensation. Maybe you want to press one finger at a time. I'm gently doing that just to bring present moment awareness here and now. As you're ready, Guide attention to the jaw. Often a place where we hold hidden stress or tension and just notice if you can Take a gentle swallow, Maybe slightly open the teeth and just allow the jaw to soften even just a millimeter more. Sensing into the muscles of the forehead. Perhaps the space just between the eyebrows. Notice what it feels like to smooth and soften the muscles of the forehead. I'm always surprised by how much muscle tension gets held in my eyebrows. So bringing awareness to that space and just noticing what it feels like to soften. Just a little bit more. Even for a moment. Bringing awareness to the shoulder caps and the upper neck and back. Maybe give a few shoulder rolls if that feels intuitive and right. And just notice what it feels like to draw the shoulders down and away from the ears. Notice if tension lives there and what movement. Might feel. A little bit like softening or releasing. Bringing awareness to the belly. If it feels comfortable for you, You can either gently place a hand over the belly, If not, You can sense into that area and taking a long, Slow, Deep breath in. Notice what it feels like to breathe into the body and at the same time allow the belly to press out. And then as you exhale, Softening the abdomen. Making the movement really exaggerated if it feels comfortable for you. Just feeling the movement of air, Breath, And muscle through the abdomen. Inhale. And exhale, Soften the belly, Allow it to draw back inwards. So often we can grip and hold the abdomen when we're stressed. And so those big deep breaths, Even though. The air only sits in our lungs. I do call it a belly breath where we puff out the belly on the in-breath. And then allow it to soften on the out breath. Still allows us to. Connect to that area. Soften. All the muscles that are holding your stress. And then as you're comfortable, Just choosing another area of the body that you want to focus on that feels right for you. Maybe you want to focus on the hips. Your seat, Your calves. Maybe you want to go back to your shoulders or your jaw. You get to choose, Choose your option. And just bring breath to that space gently. Making any subtle movements. Just allow you to soften into the present moment just a little bit. A fraction more. Not looking for perfection. Just being here. As the moment unfolds. And the question that I'd like to guide our session today. And beyond. Is what does it feel like to be on your own side today? When we talk about setback and challenge. It can stir up the inner critic. Our negativity bias. And so the invitation for you to guide you over the next hour. Is the question, What does it look like to be on your own side? So with that in mind, Let's bring some subtle movements back to the fingers and the toes. Bring awareness back to the space, However feels comfortable. Maybe you do a nice big stretch above head, Rock side to side, Just bringing yourself back to the space. And just a little grounding. So as I mentioned at the beginning, Part five is really what I call the inflection point. And where many people deepen their commitment. Or This is the time, This is the time point where people quietly disconnect from themselves and their goals. And this is not to be confused with weakness or because you lack discipline or anything self-critical like that. But it's because the way our nervous system often mistakes delayed results, Or if things aren't turning out the way we had hoped, Our nervous system can mistake that for danger or failure. And this is deeply rooted in. The human condition. Many of us were conditioned to believe that progress is always linear. Proverbial. Working through that ladder. Or that effort should produce immediate reward and results. And that struggle, Setback, Resistance means that we're doing something wrong. Generally, For most of us, We've grown up with this idea that we have to climb a certain ladder, We have to meet certain checkboxes. And when our lives don't appear like that, Something must be wrong. We're not doing something quite right. And then also this is. An interesting one, This idea that effort produces immediate results. I'm someone that really likes to see tangible reward and tangible results for the effort I put into something. And it's really hard for me when. . . I don't see that immediate. Outcome. But today is really about. Challenging. This limit that we might put on ourself that there is no result and seeing if we can see where there's been progress, Where there's been small wins, And how do we start to value those just as much as the big shiny end point that we are hoping towards. Growth just doesn't work in linear fashion, At least in my experience. It has never been that way when I least expect it. The world can knock you down and the world doesn't owe you. Easy time afterwards that can knock you down again and again and again repeatedly. But meaningful growth, I think, Isn't about being linear. It's not about it being easy. It's about. . . What we talked about last session, Learning how to course correct and bring yourself back into rhythm and flow. Learning how to identify when you're out of alignment with what really is true to your core values. The horse really teaches us that, Like I said, Momentum is not constant speed, It's a relationship. You can't whip a horse. Repeatedly into sustainable movement, It responds to trust. Okay, So this idea of attunement really. Taking the time to sit with what feels true for you, What is connected to your values. And matching that to how you show up in the world, That's attuning. Consistency, So repeated behaviors over time. And this idea of presence in a world where we are so easily distracted. Finding those moments to reconnect to body and mind. Okay, So when setbacks happen. What? Are some of the common things that you think about yourself? What are some of the common things that you do in terms of behavior? Really curious to know from folks when a setback happens. What are some of your automatic reactions? So it could be a thought, It could be a behavior, It could be a pattern. I'd love to hear in the chat what comes up for folks. This idea of really getting honest when you are facing a setback, When a challenge happens that you didn't expect, When something is getting in the way of what you actually want in terms of the year of the horse. What's your go-to pattern? Irene says, Thinking if it's not one thing, It's another. Yeah this like almost fortune telling, Like, Yep, I knew that was going to happen. If it wasn't that, It was going to be something else. Exactly. Bonnie says discouragement. Of course. Exactly. Why is this happening to me? Yeah, Lana, Personalizing it, Like it's something inherently about me that's not worthy or flawed that these things are happening to me. Feeling frustration and blame shifting, Of course. Oh, Thank you, JG. Really great responses and a lot of the times when we face setbacks. We move into an unconscious habitual pattern. We don't always catch ourselves in the moment doing. Or thinking like we don't wake up in the morning and intentionally want to say we want to berate ourselves. I don't believe that's true. It's sort of an unconscious loop that's happening. So one of three things, We can abandon ourselves. Lana saying why is that happening to me or this feeling like I'm inherently flawed, Of course this is happening to me. It's like this abandonment of self-worthiness. The thoughts of what's the point in trying? This keeps happening again and again. If it's not one thing, It's another. Hi, Bob. Great to see you. Or you can attack yourself. When setbacks happen, That shame spiral that someone mentioned, That harsh inner critic. Whose voice is that? That comparison. Well, This person over here never seems to have it as hard as me. The comparison game really is a thief. Or you can over-force, So you put more pressure on yourself, You try to control more, More sense of urgency. And these things are not conscious. In our awareness, They're happening on an unconscious level. We abandon ourselves or we attack ourselves or we over force and try to control the outcome. But none of those create sustainable motion. Control and urgency are not the same. Connected, Intuitive. Motion. Control and urgency is tight and rigid, And the Year of the Horse is about that flexible, Adaptable, Being in flow, Being in alignment. So what actually creates that resilience is learning to pause long enough and Ask yourself, What is this moment asking me to understand? And I share that because a lot of times I see reflection questions around, What is the opportunity or the lesson or what is this trying to teach me, And those are really good things to think about as well, But I sometimes want to call those out as. Depending on someone's context and circumstances, It's not always an opportunity or a silver lining or a lesson. So I think a softer way to reflect on setbacks and. . . Challenge and resistance that comes up is asking yourself, What is this moment asking me to understand? Rather than try to switch it into a positive because I think There's some really valuable lessons in the struggle, In the hard. In the moments that make us infuriated or angry and we don't talk about that long enough. We emphasize trying to find the positive and don't misunderstand me. I think that's important. But I think there's a way we can ask ourselves a more intuitive question in the Year of the Horse is, What am I being asked to understand here? And just notice if what I say brings up a certain feeling or sensation. What is it inviting you to understand in that moment? So here's an opportunity to reflect. Since our last session. So I want you to think about an area where your commitment has weakened recently. So maybe your motivation has faded a little bit. Maybe your progress feels a little stalled or slow. The results you were hoping for haven't appeared yet. Your old habits are resurfacing. So take a couple of moments to think about a current example. If you're willing, Feel free to put that in the chat. What area in your life thinking about an area where your commitment has increased. Lessened recently. Your motivation has faded, Progress feels stalled, Results haven't appeared. Once you got it. Without judgment and coming back to the question to guide us. What does it look like to be on your own side? The first question I want you to reflect on is what story am I telling myself about this setback? What is the mind loop saying about this setback? Some of you have shared some really great examples already. But what's the story? What's the loop going on in the mind telling yourself about this setback? It's usually telling yourself something about you. To make meaning of why the setback is happening. So Irene, Thank you for sharing your example. Extremely under-motivated at work. Yeah, Work can bring that out a lot. I'm motivated in my life, But I can't stop ruminating on a betrayal, Jessica says. It's in my mind and heart all the time. Betrayal is a tough one. It's so. . . At the heart level. Irene, Anger gets internalized. Yes, My mind loop is I should be doing more for someone else. Okay. Amazing. Great honesty. I always am pleasantly surprised with how open and honest the group gets. So the story you're telling yourself about the setback generally centers around something that you might be lacking or some inherent flaw within you. Because humans have a negativity bias where instinct isn't to necessarily go to the good right away, It's to self-criticize. It's protective. The next question is what are emotions arise? In the midst of the setback or what emotions arise when your progress feels stalled or slowed. So some maybe have pointed to this. There's maybe an underlying anger or frustration, Irritation. Or could be a low-grade depression or sadness. Um. . . The emotions can be a really big pendulum swing. You can be irritated and tense and frustrated and then have an emotional flooding where you don't know where the tears are coming from, But they are flowing. So what emotions arise for you? Or there's even a numbing. There's a dissociation where you move through in a zombie-like way on autopilot, Not really aware of your surroundings. Just kind of in that. Fog. So all can be true. There's no right or wrong. Virginia, You've learned more about not abandoning yourself, And it's okay to care about others but not responsible for them or their actions. I. . . No idea how much I resonate with that today in particular. That is a great reflection. And Brené Brown, One of my favorite authors. Has this amazing quote about boundaries where she says, Boundaries are the place where I can love you and love myself simultaneously. So when you don't have good boundaries, You're sometimes betraying yourself or abandoning yourself. So I just wanted to share that with you because that quote has really helped me. Carla says, My story is not this again. The problem keeps popping up and I feel worn down. Now I'm reframing it as mastery. I keep encountering the issues because I have dealt with it before, So I know what to expect. Okay, I like that reframe. Yeah, Not this again. I resonate with that. I don't think I. . . Quite at the mastery stage. So let me know how you've been able to do that, Because that would be really helpful. Thank you, Carla. What do you tend, Okay so what story am I telling myself? What emotions arise? What do you tend to do when you feel discouraged? When your motivation has faded. Do health habits go to the wayside? Do you have a certain tone that you speak to people with? Are you short? Are you curt? Do you withdraw? Do you double down and push harder, Faster, Stronger, High levels of burnout? What's true for you? What do you do? When setbacks come up. Virginia, Sometimes I need someone else to help figure out your underlying emotions. Yeah. Exactly. I think having a neutral person that's not necessarily in your day-to-day mind can really hold a mirror up and help with that. But then you also get to. . . Gut check. Whether you're taking on someone else's opinion or if it is your own. So don't forget that piece. You know, Check in, Is that true with the underlying emotions when someone else, You're working with somebody else on that. So Zach has some unhealthy coping and addictive behaviors very common. It gives that instant dopamine hit, Right? So there's no shame. There's no judgment here. We all have an unhealthy coping strategy. You know, Irene says you try to eat healthier and take baths at night. That's amazing that you can have a setback and have that switch on. What can I do? In this moment that is health promoting. A beautiful thing to be able to think about. And it's not easy. I'm sure that's taken effort and repeated. Consistency. And then my final question is, What would compassion say instead of criticism? What does it look like to be on my own side today? That's the question. So we know the story we tell ourselves is usually self-deprecating. We know the emotions that arise are intense and not necessarily reflective of true feelings. The best version of ourselves that we want to put forward. We know what we tend to do in most circumstances tends to be health limiting, Or. . . Coming from a place of self-protection. So we might withdraw a little bit. Bob says he wants to go to bed early. Self-protection, Or even just a pause. It doesn't need to be something negative, But we do something that kind of helps us recoil a little bit and reset. But then what would compassion say instead of criticism? What does it look like to be on your own side? Love says enjoying lounging rather than strict structure. Bob, Compassion meditation, May I be happy, Healthy, Safe, And be free from suffering. Beautiful. Little mantra to say to yourself. Progress is progress, We rush too much sometimes. I love all this. What would it mean if we led with that? Right, When our default mode is a negative story about ourselves. You know, Doubling down, Taking our own selves out at the knees. What would it mean if we led with? Being on our own side. And I really want you to think about that between now and the next session. That is your homework. What does it look like to be on my own side today? It can be really hard sometimes if we're working through rebuilding a relationship with ourselves. But then you can think about one of your most cherished people in your life, A friend, A family member, A child, A dog, A pet. And if they were to have a setback, You wouldn't intuitively berate them. The same way that you berate yourselves. You wouldn't intuitively. . . Push them away or tell them, You know. Come back and see me when you're not feeling like this. There's a nurturing that is inherent when we care about someone or something and they're going through a struggle. That we offer to them. So why don't we offer it to ourselves? So thinking that through, Thinking that through. What does it look like to be on your own side? So I want you to think about this idea. That a setback. Is information. It's not inherently part of your identity. I'm gonna say that again and let that just kind of absorb a little bit, A setback. Is information. It's not. Identity. Or an indicator. Of who you are. Many people. Bridge those two together. Many people think setback is linked to identity. I messed up this week on all my progress. I'm a failure. This didn't work because I'm lazy. I feel tired. Because I'm inconsistent. This isn't working out, It's never gonna change. Most of us collapse these two. Concepts, A setback or a challenge, Linking it with their identity, And they're not one in the same. So what does it look like to disentangle the two? Where a setback is information. It has no linkage, No indication of who you are at the core of who you are. When we've gone through more extreme setbacks or challenges in the form of a traumatic experience. That can rewire the brain and body in a way that we can make permanent conclusions. About ourselves based on the magnitude of the setback or the challenge. But tonight. . . And over the next little while. This idea of separating what happened from who we are. What happened to you. Is not. Your identity. And who you are. And that can be. A really hard one to sit with. Because we often intertwine the two. Okay, Let me know if this resonates. This can stir up a lot given people's context, What they've gone through, Where they're currently at, How long ago a challenge or setback happened. But tonight we practice teasing them apart where what happened. Is not who you are. Who you are did not cause what happened to happen. They are separate. So instead of, I'm a failure. This idea of something interrupted my rhythm. So a little reframe. So think about what that could be for you. I'd love for folks. To practice reframing examples. When we identify with the setback. And we're merging them together. Hopefully my little visual helps. We start to say things like. I'm a failure. We link identity to the setback. To tease that apart, We need to try something, We need to disrupt the pattern. So instead of I'm a failure. Something happened that disrupted my rhythm. That phrase is not linking your identity to the setback. Okay, Another example could be. I always quit. Okay, Someone in the chat said I end up giving up or something like that. I always quit. How about. . . Part of me loses a sense of safety when my progress becomes uncertain. So that awareness that you're not a quitter. Maybe when progress becomes uncertain, A sense of safety. Is gone. Or one that I'm working on is nothing is happening, Nothing is changing. This is how it always is gonna be. So disentangling the identity. Okay, Some transformations are occurring beneath visible results. I don't see them yet. I don't see the fruits of my labor yet. I work with an amazing executive coach. Who challenged me on this thought loop of like, Nothing ever changes. And she said, Megan. What happens when you plant seeds. And I was like, Oh. Frustrated. I'm like, What do you mean what happens when we plant seeds? And she's like, You're planting seeds, You're in the state of planting seeds, And you need to water and nourish and trust that the growth is going to happen. So this idea of some transformations happen beneath visible results is a new way of me to look at it. So I share that with you. Because that was an interesting example. To not always think about the big shiny prize at the end, But you're planting. Little seeds and through. Nourishment, Compassion. You know, Trusting that the transformation is happening even when you can't visibly see it. Because that's the nature of growth. Growth happens. Internally before it becomes externally visible. Another plant example is like the roots grow underground so that the strength can happen to break through the surface, The beautiful plant or tree or whatever it is that you planted. So the roots have to grow. So that's the one I'm working on, Is challenging the thought loop that's like nothing's changing, Nothing's happening, With sometimes my results aren't visible yet, But there's roots being planted, There's seeds being planted. So what is a. . . Reframe example that makes sense for you. That can disentangle you from the identity that you attach to the setback. So that now it's information as opposed to. . . Linking the identity to it, Which becomes more complex. And so one of the hardest parts, For me at least, And, You know, Feel free. To also share. Of transformation is the waiting, The liminal space, The in-between where You can't quite see. Where you're going or what the finish line looks like. But you're not. Who you were at the beginning either. You're in this like messy middle space. It's the period after the effort has already begun where your old patterns are you're confronting them and they're being challenged but the visible outcomes that you're aiming for that we all set our intentions about haven't yet arrived. And like this session, Part five is like. For me the most important session because this is the one that determines that commitment, We recommit. Learn to be on our own side. Or. . . The alternative, Where people disconnect from their goals or disconnect from where they want to go. And I don't quite believe this yet. Myself as I'm working through it alongside you, But waiting is not wasted. I keep telling myself there is something to understand in the waiting. And it's hard. It's hard. Even as I'm sharing this live session, There's part of me that's like, Do you really believe that? There's something valuable in the waiting, Megan. It's almost like there's two conflicting narratives that happen. This inner wisdom me that's like, There's beauty in the waiting. Waiting is not wasted. The time you feel like you're in the middle space. Transformation is happening. And then there's. . . Another narrative that's like, I don't think you believe that. So I'm working right now in my year of the horse with those two narratives working. But what I've discovered. Recently is that waiting can really be about recalibrating your nervous system. So sometimes uncertainty, When progress is uncertain, We lose that sense of safety. And. . . In the waiting, In the liminal space where it feels like nothing is happening, There's this inertia. Our nervous system might be actually recalibrating. It can be where we're restructuring identity, Where we're attuning more closely with our values, What feels connected to the core essence of who we are, The decisions that we want to make. We're restructuring that. There can be emotional integration. We don't. Get or take medicine right away and then all of a sudden we're better. There's an integration period where the body needs to recalibrate or adjust. So emotional integration is the same way. We might be really putting into practice some of the work we've been doing around loss or grief or anger or depression, And there's an integration period that happens to consolidate all of the work that you've done. Waiting can also be learning sustainable pacing. For many of us, We want to push and rush the outcome. And we run the risk of burnout, We run the risk of. Um. . . Stress or exhaustion, So the waiting space can be about that sustainable pacing. And then developing trust with ourselves. Especially if we've gone through really extreme traumatic exposures, The first thing we do sometimes is somehow cut off our trust in ourselves because we identify with the traumatic event that it was something inherently about us and we stop trusting ourselves. And so the waiting space can be to disentangle the identity and bring self back to. I'm whole and complete. Exactly as I am is developing trust back with the self. So the year of the horse at this point, Part five, Teaches us about timing and not to panic in the middle space that every Pause is not regression. It could be that. Transformation space of preparation where we don't see the visible results but the work is happening underneath. And so that middle space that feels. Excruciating, Sometimes uncertain. There really is value in that. And I'm learning. To step into that. This is my work right now. So now's a good time to take out your journal again. I want you to reflect not on outcomes, But on evidence of internal movement. Really getting comfortable with that middle space. So over the last few months. Where have you responded differently than you would have before? Are there examples? Over the last few months where we have worked together. That you have chosen a different response than you normally would have. And to see it, You know, We don't expect 100%. Perfection. Where is the evidence that you're putting this to work? And maybe you did respond differently. Than you would have before, Than your autopilot. Dana, You love that you're definitely developing trust back with yourself, Transforming after many heartbreaks, Setbacks, Dealing with aging parents, And stopping drinking, Huge leaps in the past year to two years. That's incredible. That's incredible. Heartbreak. Is hard. And what a beautiful. Testimony that you're bringing yourself back to self-trust. And I can't even imagine the journey that that took. So congratulations. When the seeds are planted, They need to be in the dark and innately evolved to be tended to, Cultivated gently, Nourished. You don't see that series of initial segues, Transformation and growth, The rooting in. Love! That is amazing. Exactly. And I think that's where I caught myself because I was like, I have nothing to show for the, There's no fruits to my labor right now. I was saying that to my coach, Like, I'm frustrated because I'm not seeing any results. Nothing's happening. And she challenged me on that. She's like, But you're planting seeds. Bob, I make mistakes, But I am not a mistake. Beautiful distinction. Beautiful distinction. You disentangle the identity. You're not a mistake. But you're inherently human and you don't get it right all the time. Beautiful. Beautiful. So is there evidence that you've been able to respond differently than you would have before? Or what patterns are you becoming more aware of? So we can't change what we don't know. So, Over the last several sessions, Have you become more aware of certain patterns, Certain thought loops, Certain ways of being when you don't feel safe, You don't feel in alignment? That you're becoming more aware of. That's progress. Alright, So many of us operate in a distracted autopilot mode or threatening to our nervous system to hold a mirror up and become aware of our patterns, So we might externally blame everyone else. But are you becoming aware of patterns? That's progress, That's part of the seed planting. Another question is, Where have I shown up? Despite fear or uncertainty. So last day we reflected on, Is this fear? Is this resistance? Is this unsafe? Like distinguishing between the two or three and knowing when to move forwards or when to pause or stop. But where have you shown up for yourself? Despite the fear or uncertainty. Do you have an example of courage? For some of us, It takes courage to press send in this chat and share something vulnerable about our experience. That's showing up, Despite fear or uncertainty. Discount, Discredit, Cut you down. So I personally think. If some of you are like, Oh, I haven't shown up because of the fear, But if you put something in the chat, That's courageous, That's showing up. Maybe you. Had a courageous conversation at work. Maybe you made a decision. Even though you were afraid. There's lots of examples. Give evidence that you've shown up. In spite of the fear. What have you survived that once would have stopped you completely? Lots of examples on here. Dana just shared that with us. What have you survived that once would have stopped you completely? Carla shared some examples. We are survivors. One thing I know for sure is that 100% of us here have survived our worst days and we're still here. So you've survived. What have you survived that once would have stopped you completely? And then what small shifts since our last session deserve acknowledgment? Small shifts. For those that have known me in my early days on Insight Timer, One of the phrases I repeatedly said over and over and over and over again. Was for one breath more. Let that be enough. What small chef. One breath more. Deserves acknowledgment. Yes, Dana, Resiliency. Yeah, Girl. And like, Like, Yes, Own that. That's amazing. And Chantel, Yes, All of my four other lives are on my teacher profile. I want to see some examples of people acknowledging their small shifts in the chat. That takes courage because I think we are conditioned to think, Well it's not big enough, It's not like this person, It's not like this celebrity that we see, And we discount the power of the small shifts. When I was going through the depths of grief after the loss of my sister. Making the bed. Was a small, Well, Actually it was a huge shift. I don't share that lightly because it's like. . . A lot to think about but small small shifts brushing your teeth in the midst of a traumatic loss, Like let's acknowledge that. How about. . . Putting a resume out there because your job, You're unmotivated, Somebody said. That they were unmotivated in their job. That was their example. Maybe you opened up a job list and looked for jobs. That is a small shift that deserves acknowledgement. Instead of ruminating in the mind, You looked at potential other jobs. I don't see enough small shifts in the chat, And I hope to see more. So all those hearts happening, I want you to put your small shifts that deserve acknowledgement. Virginia. A huge shift for me doing five minute meditation every day. Yes, Girlfriend. Own that. That's amazing. Lana, You decided to exit the job that wasn't aligned with me any longer. Power to you. You listen to your body, Lynn. Yes. Yes, Those all deserve a thank you. I was waiting for everyone to put a small shift because let's disrupt the conditioning that those small, Incremental moments don't deserve acknowledgement. Those are the big things in the grand scheme of things. So thinking about progress in a different way, This is what this session is about. Progress may also look like. And finish it. In as many ways as you can. So give yourself time to journal. Progress may also look like taking short breaks. Yes, Bonnie. Five-minute meditation every day. For some it might be a five-minute meditation this week. To practice reframe. Progress may also look like those small incremental steps that get you eventually to where you want to be. So as we close tonight, I want to take a moment to talk about recommitment. Not performative recommitment, Not punishment disguised as discipline, Like none of that, But really authentic intuitive recommitment. There's a difference between. I must push harder or I'm failing. And I choose to stay connected to myself and my path. One creates burnout, The other creates resilience. We want to move ourselves to sustained movement in the year of the horse. We don't want to create burnout. The horse does not run at full speed 24-7. They know intuitively how to sustain the forward motion. So grounded recommitment is choosing to stay connected to yourself and your past. The horse energy reminds us that you don't need to sprint. This is the inflection point where people either choose to keep going or they stop. So you do not need to sprint. Give yourself permission right now. To stop the sprint through your healing or your growth. Connect. With your rhythm. Find the relationship with your rhythm. Okay, So what do I mean by that? When facing setback, When facing challenge, That feeling of discouragement. That you're like, I'm not where I wanna be. Ask yourself, Do I need rest? Do I need softness? Am I disconnected from my purpose? What does sustainable movement look like right now? Doesn't mean slowing down. Does it mean? Connecting. In present moment awareness of maybe some of the inner thoughts that are running on autopilot and trying to. . . Honor and connect with those, But to reframe. What does it look like to be on your own side? So as we continue through the latter half of the year of the horse. Really what this is about today is returning, Returning in the face of doubt, Returning in the face of fear, Returning after setbacks and pauses. The people who transform are not people who never struggle, In fact. The people who transform are the ones who have gone through immense struggle, But they've learned how to return to themselves without the heavy weight of shame. And are looking at the relationship with sustained motion. So just as we began the class. Before we end, Gently place one hand supportive. Somewhere on your body. One hand, It can be the shoulder, Arm, Thigh, Belly, Heart, Face. Place a hand somewhere supportive on your body. Connecting to self. And it's okay if you feel resistance. Take a slow breath in. And take a slow breath out. I do not need to abandon myself. Because the path became difficult. I can move with compassion. And still remain committed. I'm learning how to stay. I'm learning how to return. So as we all move forwards. And as you leave tonight, Remember you're not behind. You are in process. And sometimes the deepest transformation really happens in the moments where you are so close to giving up, But choose to remain connected to self anyways. Thank you so much for being here. Thank you for your honesty in the chat. Thank you for continuing the journey and your trust. I do not yet have the date set for June, But I will post it shortly. I am recording this session, So this will be up on my teacher profile in a couple of weeks. And just remember. The question. To ask yourself every morning, What does it look like to be on my own side today? And let that be your guide throughout your day. Because I wanna hear when you come back next month. What shifted for you when you were on your own side.