Stability

Roots, a foundation, a base when things are topsy-turvy

But first: a last call to join my March Missives, small inspirational daily nudges that are part of my journey. Let me know if you’d like to join us for the month of March.

I lay on my yoga mat, slowly stretching my ankles, one way and then the other as my body begins to wake up. I’ve just returned from a bracing morning walk with Sadie. Though the temperature had risen to the 60s last week, today, a new blanket of snow covers the ground and it’s a brisk 21°F, a rude awakening for sure. But here on my living room floor, it’s all about breathing, stretching and turning inward in meditation. I follow along with Yoga with Adrienne as she guides me to unfold my muscles and listen to my breath.

Today’s practice is called “Anchor in Hope” and it’s exactly what I need. As February winds down, I know that there will be ups and downs in the weather, in my life, in the world. So what gives me stability? What grounds me? What anchors me when it sometimes feels like I’m on the eternal spin cycle of a washing machine?

It helps to have a firm foundation and, for me, that is a knowledge of myself and knowing that I trust in myself.

Like a tree, whose roots stretch deep into the ground, reaching out for stability, I give myself a strong base. And like a tree trunk, I use my core strength to stay upright during the inevitable storms. And, when the time comes for the tree to bloom and reopen to the world, I also can spread out in hope.

When I left Belgium many years ago, I was uprooted abruptly from the world and culture and friends I had known. They were the ones who had for all those years given me stability. It was a difficult time for a fifteen year old. I remember crying on my birthday, five days after my arrival in this country, wanting only the gift to be back there in my familiar surroundings. What actually saved me, though, was that established foundation. From my parents, other adults and friends, and from that culture, I had learned resiliency and hope. That despite change, despite hard times, despite being cut off at my roots, I had within me all I needed to survive. And that even though I had to start over, I could trust that deep within, I’d find a way to stand strong again.

These days, I keep returning regularly to that other culture as I continue to ground myself in this one. And on a daily basis, I find some time to just be with myself, be present to wherever I am, observe the small things. And I remind myself that these deep roots are what help me to continue to grow.