where to begin

When we feel our bodies it's so easy to focus on what is not working. We notice the ache across our shoulders, the pain in our knees, the anxiety in our gut. Our awareness of these sensations is usually followed by a common thought: How do I make this go away?

We assess our options: face it head on, or ignore it.

We often think facing it means jumping in to the deep end. We put on our armor ready to wrestle with whatever lies underneath the murky depths. It's going to be me or you!

It makes sense then that many folks choose option B. Body? What body? I'm fine.

But there is another way.

We can establish a relationship with our bodies based on what is working.

Starting from this place means stepping into inclusion, welcoming and care for ourselves. It is inviting the wisdom of the divine mother who resides in every body.

As i've seen with the many women I work with, there is always a location -- be it the top of the head, the bottoms of the feet, the hands, the thighs-- that is settled. When we discover that we can rest here, a world opens up.

We're in the water, but we are safe. We can see the bottom. We can splash and play or lay on our backs and float feeling the sun kiss our skin and sparkle all around.

It is a revelation to recognize the body as a portal for support. It is here that we connect to freedoms that cannot be stolen -- the wisdom of our ancestors, the sturdiness of the earth, the presence of our own intuition, our capacity to feel pleasure and nourishment.

Rather than being a project, we reclaim the body as our ally.

From this foundation, we gather the resourcing needed to wade deeper in. If and when we chose to do so, our intention is not to banish the places that scare us but to listen attentively for the wisdom they also hold.

From my wise body to yours,
Kelsey