On connection: My little brother, Cody, and his beautiful wife, Leah, were married on the beach in San Pancho, Mexico. They were surrounded by a loving audience of their closest friends and family who joyfully shook maracas and cheered with each person who walked down the palm covered sand. It was SO FUN!
Nature was present so beauty and love were as well.
I was honored to officiate. Here is a small bit of what I shared at the wedding. It's my favorite part and was written by my husband, Cliff. “People embody five basic elements of life: Fire, water, earth, nature and mineral. Individuals are born embodying one of these elements as their essence and carrying the rest at a variety of levels as support elements. No one can be just one element without the presence of the other four.
But your essence element is part of your genius.
Your destiny is to allow your genius to come out wrapped in the colors of your character. A person like Leah, who takes care of others - be it humans plants or animals and accepts them as they are, embodies earth element.
A person like Cody, with great social skills, who is always drawn to connect with others and who holds the stories of others in his bones, embodies mineral element.
Separately earth and mineral are powerful. But mineral must be grounded in earth in order to nourish the living. And earth must be given structure by mineral or it will give of itself too generously, and collapse. This is part of the magic of these two choosing each other."❤️ I hope as you're reading this today you remember your own genius and how completely necessary you are in the balance of things. Squeeze your partner who is such a powerful mirror for you, whisper gratitude to your beloved pet who grounds you like none other, call your best friend and tell them what you adore about their essence.
We are all in this together. Love each other up out there.
I love you.
Pursuit Of Alignment
When I complete a journal I go back and read it. I consider this an act of respect and remembering for the person I was when I started it and who I’ve become as the pages turned. This is where I get my journal page posts from. They are real pages in my journal that were/ are notes to self.
I completed a journal en route to Bali which felt exactly perfect. This page felt like it wanted to be shared. It’s reads, “Please help to align what is misaligned. A brave ask.” I hope some aspect of it speaks to you.
More than anything lately I’m clear on one thing - I work with energy (actually we all do, all the time). But specifically, in my work, I move through creating sacred and safe space. Together through a united, clear intention we begin to manipulate the subtle energies of the body.
It’s in this space that whatever was misaligned receives help and attention to once again become aligned. I find this to be an incredibly brave thing to do.
And yet there comes a point when it would be more painful to stay the same than the work it would take to change.
The bravery comes in because the process of moving back into alignment is FILLED with the unknown. Moving back into alignment may be a straightforward task like screwing your sunglasses stem (is that what they’re called?) back on. OR it could be something else entirely... you may not know where the screw went even though you remember wearing the glasses in one piece at some point. You may have to get new glasses all together... (you’re getting this metaphor right?) coming back into alignment holds so many variables. And with that so many sensations, emotions and experiences. In asking for alignment we trust that whatever it takes to move towards it is a worth while pursuit. I believe it is.
Understanding Together
“Some Hindus have an elephant to show.
No one here has ever seen an elephant.
They bring it at night to a dark room.
One by one, we go in the dark and come out saying how we experience the animal. One of us happens to touch the trunk. A water-pipe kind of creature.
Another, the ear. A strong, always moving back and forth, fan-animal. Another, the leg. I find it still, like a column on a temple.
Another touches the curve back. A leathery throne. Another, the cleverest, feels the tusk. A rounded sword made of porcelain. He is proud of his description.
Each of us touches one place
and understands the whole in that way.
The palm and the fingers feeling in the dark
are how the senses explore the reality of the elephant.
If each of us held a candle there,
and if we went in together, we could see it.”
- Rumi
Seeing the whole with great reverence. Best experience ever! 🐘
A MUST Watch
Watched the documentary - Won't You Be My Neighbor - this weekend. It's so beautiful and worthy of your time. I was struck by so many things but sitting down tonight to write 3 are asking to be shared...
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1. He was undeniably beloved and shaped several generations and yet there were moments when he wasn't sure if he could do it or if he was helping in the way he hoped.
That's real.
We all face doubts and demons. I wish I could tell you that it goes away, that someday we wake up and feel like we're doing the best we can and it's all perfection but it feels like a condition of being human that in some form we will all have doubts along the way.
I want to remind you that you matter and being you is enough. Fred Rogers was genuine and he showed up fully himself and that certainly shaped my early years.
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2. People protested at his funeral. I couldn't believe it and I cried watching it. My heart doesn't understand division. I know people want to stand up for what they believe in but when it hurts others it just doesn't compute in my heart. That may sound so simplistic but it's what I've got. The more work I do on myself and with others the more I see that love is everything and the only thing.
I'm reading a book called Frequency right now and in it Penney Peirce says that, “Truth is love moving though the mind." Those words brought so much into alignment for me. LOVE really is all we need.
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3. As with anything in life keep what most resonates and toss the rest. I teach that and believe it’s a supportive practice. Here’s what resonated from the docu and remembering my years watching Mr. Rogers Neighborhood:
Listen.
Invite moments of silence and pause.
Speak truth.
Show kindness.
Your deep feelings are not to be feared.
You are loved and capable of loving.
All The Feels
t’s ok to feel what you're feeling. It's ok to feel it deeply. It’s ok to take it seriously. It's ok to take it lightly. It's all ok.
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I've offered up these three sentences as an exercise in a few Soul Care coaching calls lately. They're working really well and perhaps they could work for you too... give it a try.
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Notice what you're feeling and tell yourself it's ok to feel that way. AND THEN — after you say the final sentence, that you allow yourself to feel good, notice what happens. Your body will typically give you a simple cue as if to say --- HEY here's what you could do right now to feel good.
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Maybe you notice that you're thirsty or you've had to pee for hours and have been holding it. After you say those magic words, "I allow myself to feel good." See what comes up for you and then take some inspired action on your own behalf. And seriously - don’t wait so long to pee.
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You've got this. You are never alone in this life. You are more supported than you know. I love you.
Gratitude List No. 5
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😻 I am grateful for Ned. Always Ned. Today he is 18. I didn’t make him wear a hat this year but you can see previous birthdays at his very own hashtag #soulmatefurface
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👭 feeling incredibly moved by and grateful for the strong, kind, mindful women in my life. I’m so charged up by collaboration over competition and the power of our combined efforts.
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👗 I’ve dubbed this the summer of dresses because I want more of how wearing a dress makes me feel— feminine, effortless, free. So far it’s totally working.
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🤳🏻 feeling pretty solid around my technology habits lately. Less posting feels good. Less screen time feels good. Finding kindreds via IG feels good. Staying connected to my peeps on Voxer and Marco Polo feels good.
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🕰 grateful for all the signs coming in the form of repeating numbers, synchronicity, dream confirmations, and a right on time reading from @kaylaburnsfloyd
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🇫🇷 already grateful for France and the Shift Retreat that will occur there next May. Reading through applications this weekend has made me feel that giddy + excited feeling. The group that’s forming is bringing it big time! So many open hearts ready and willing to Shift! Ps. If you’ve applied and are eagerly waiting... you will hear fr me on Monday. If you want to attend more info in saved stories or at lacyyoung.com/shift-retreat
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Gratitude List No. 4
GRATITUDE LIST No. 4 | MARCH 2018
I am grateful:
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that Mema taught us early that going to the spa was a good self care practice. And for the way she says, “you deserve it, hun”
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for the incredible ease I experience in my closest friendships/ relationships
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for quality unplug time on Orcas island with Lisa, regular meal times, co-op groceries, shopping for small souvenirs that bring big delight, face masks, photos and making sleep a priority. Thank you for seeing me and for being in my life @lisaethiele
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for the ability to fall in love with strangers (who become cherished clients) and root for their success. To feel deeply that one person living in their dharma helps us all
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for the way we are waking up as a collective, using our voices and for all the ways I see people being kind but also taking no shit
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for meeting Rose and how it was a nod for us both that more time in France is a really good idea! Merci beaucoup @tigerlilyorcas
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for the upcoming full moon and another opportunity to release all the things I’m complete with. bring on the ritual fires!
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for my new Smeg fridge which is coming soon (creating, manifesting and drawing that baby to me) because our current fridge frowns and I can’t have a sad appliance in my life anymore
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for sunshine and temps into the 70’s today in perfect timing for spending the day with Frankie (who’s our niece dog?)
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cliff says he’s grateful for the return of patio time after the long winter, snoring Ned sitting with us and our life together. Oh and the frogs croaking everyday at 4:30
You. Are. Beauty.
Two different really strong and beautiful women shared hair stories with me this week. And I got my haircut this week too and left feeling a ton of gratitude for the ease I feel sitting in Crystal’s chair (a rare gift in the life of a naturally curly girl).
💇🏻♀️
One woman has been on a life-long metamorphosis thanks to her hair and the other had yet another bad haircut that left her in tears and seriously challenged her self-confidence.
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As I listened to these stories I kept seeing two realities... The first is what we desire for our form and the details of our body and the second is what our body may be trying to teach us about acceptance.
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I believe we choose our bodies and part of having a body means learning to live within it and advocate for it as best we can. It seems to me that our bodies could be helping to nudge us towards our authentic selves from the word go. And we only experience grief and suffering because of what society says is pretty and must be done to achieve the ideal look.
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I wonder, could it be as simple as listening to your body and letting it lead the way? Could there be peace in a space where hair, shape, size, etc is just another detail but not the defining detail?
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All I know is life is short and it’s also a long time and it would be so freeing if we could see, feel and own our individual beauty regardless.
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That is not meant to diminish your desires in any way. It is important to honor your desires, and I totally believe in having a haircut you love. It is just also important to stop trying to change yourself for some ideal outside of you. You are so beautiful and loved.
Gratitude List No. 3
Leigh - a forever friend who listens, asks the right questions at the right times, gives the most thoughtful gifts, rents tiny cottages by the sea (and has a gift for picking the best of the best on air bnb), brings sage to clear the space and draws tarot spreads to map out the year. Oh! and totally understands the importance of letting me eat on a regular schedule. Thank you, friend
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I am grateful for the practice of gracious receiving - especially around my birthday!
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The way Ned purrs lately anytime Cliff smooches him
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Winter light through our stained glass
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steamed broccoli, my easy healthy reset button right now. And pushing it on the regular because too much sugar
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Land-mates who watch our fur kid when adventure calls (sitting at the airport right now headed out to scout potential future Shift Retreat locations)
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Face texting Mom to see her bathroom reno in progress
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how happy Cliff is to be studying for his IFR (instrument flight rating)
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Cliff says lately he’s grateful for knowledge of the larger universe, me in his life and our paid off house
Apache Tears
I pay attention when something happens in multiples. I've had three people lately ask for a gemstone for supporting someone who is grieving. The first that comes to mind is Apache Tears to let you feel pure grief (and it’s been sitting in my Buddha statue for a week)!
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Kayla (@kaylaburnsfloyd) always reminds me that pure grief transmutes into joy and knowing. It makes me think of that Steel Magnolias scene where M'Lynn (Sally Field) is raging in grief after the funeral and then they all end up laughing. And Truvey (Dolly Parton) says, “Laughter through tears is my favorite emotion."
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The Buddha is my most cherished souvenir - maybe ever. He came back with me from my first trip to Bali and holds a new gemstone helper each week (or as long as I need it). Apache tears has been so relevant for me lately as I ask to feel. it. all. in regards to continuing to advocate for this body and make decisions on what comes next for my trachea.
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Give yourself permission to feel deeply, to grieve when you need to and to invite the sadness to move. All emotions are worthy and yet I feel deep sadness and grieving deserve a little extra patience and care.