Tag: Amber Young

Autumn Equinox Blessings

Autumn Equinox Blessings

Amber_Young


The Autumn equinox is a time of transition, as we move through the next few months preparing us for a time of deep rest and nourishment in the cycle of the year.  A time of balance between the light and the dark and the contrasting energies in each of us. Accepting all these parts as integral to who we are, necessary in our growth and our becoming over our lifetime.  Resting in the ground of holy hereness, honouring where you find yourself right now – at this time in your life.  

We are also moving through a time of harvest, as we witness and celebrate the growth of the seeds we may have planted in the spring, witnessing this miracle of creation.  A time of gratitude for these miracles, for being here and also for the ways we are supported. 

The Autumn is also a time that we consider shifting our self care regime, honouring the changes in the season and allowing ourselves to live in resonance with our natural world.  Our self care routines are a way to build our own self trust.  When we show up for ourselves, it changes us.  We question ourselves less, we hear our own voice as important, and we thrive – so we can be who we truly are in the world.  If we can’t trust ourselves and listen to the wisdom within us, then what’s the point. This life is not a dress rehearsal.  Take time for yourself, everyday, honour yourself and show yourself the gentle care and love I sense you offer out so easily.  It has to start within. 

 Contemplative and introspective practices, including quiet time in nature, gentle movement, meditation and yoga, will allow us to work with sensations in our bodies and patterns we witness in our mental and emotional bodies through the changing seasons.  Through these practices we learn to trust ourselves, we learn what self love feels like, and we also start to understand what is necessary to put down and no longer carry forward.  


I have been quiet for the past year, out of necessity.  Honouring my own self care needs and offering myself love so I could heal.  This year I have traveled through the darkness cancer brought me, and also through the light.  I am so grateful for the ways I have been held in community, and for the ways I showed up for myself.  This is how we heal, and this looks differently for each of us – healing is not a cookie cutter recipe for everyone, it starts with listening within. 

I sense it has been an intense year for many, I feel that.  It’s important to mark transitions in a way that has meaning and makes sense for you. Autumn is a time in the cycle of the year that is so potent for marking these transitions in our lives.  We shed the layers we need to shed, we acknowledge who we are now, we give thanks for the growth and the healing, and we prepare for yet another cycle.  

During this chaotic time in in the world, we are all being reminded of how precious life is, can we hold ourselves and eachother with kindness and love in these changing and vulnerable times.  If perhaps you don’t feel that, then let me remind you how precious and fragile life is – and that you matter. 

I feel through my cancer journey I have been opened to a deeper calling of greater service to a world that desperately needs gentle places and healing hands.  Together we build our resilience, we can support one another to soothe and strengthen our nervous systems and to take time alone and together in community – honouring the need for balance. 

I no longer want to be resilient.  I don’t want to simply bounce back from things that hurt me or cause me pain. Bouncing back means returning to where I stood before.                                           

Instead, I want to go beyond the hurts and the darkness. The first step from genuine healing . . . when I came to trust and believe that there was a beyond.  

Now I reach for beyond every day, in every encounter, in every circumstance.  I seek to go where I have never travelled.  

I wake with the vision of a purposeful day, filled with adventures and teachings.  

Then I take the first step and try to make it beyond.

– Richard Wagamese

I look forward to meeting you in the beyond.


With So Much love
Amber 

faceless woman with basket of spilled apples
Photo by Елена Кузичкина on Pexels.com
We Begin

We Begin

Amber_Young

Were do we begin from? When life offers us opportunities for transformation and growth, how do we crack out of who we were to step more fully into who we are – now, through the evolution of a lifetime.

We begin by listening to the whispers of our inherent capacity to rise . This gives me goosebumps. YES – can you be quiet enough to listen to those whispers amidst the busyness and the energy spring brings.

What are your most recent opportunities to step more fully into who you are now? Take a moment to think about this..

It could be a simple conversation that you noticed yourself speaking words that weren’t actually in alignment with your truth, or the truth of who you are now. You know those conversations that may find patterned responses coming out with the sound of your voice. Or maybe that opportunity came in the form of that fire inside of you igniting in response to something you care about, you know those moments when your heartbeat quickens and your moved from deep inside into action and knew you needed to do something – did you? Other times we’re handed these opportunities through loss, or challenges to our health or that of someone we love.

These experiences are opportunities for us to grow, to pause and consider our words and our actions, our way of being in the world. Opportunities to consider if we’re showing up first for ourselves, independent of how others perceive us or past expectations. I wonder if you can look at these opportunities to also reflect on what you’re able to invite in, to shed, and to truly come into alignment with yourself.

Remember these experiences change us.

This time of year often brings about an awareness of patterns, some super helpful and others that drain us. I’d like to invite you to start fresh. To pause before you engage and ask yourself is this actually true for me NOW, or is this a patterned way of being in the world that is no longer supportive.

As the Springs tides wash over us and we find ourselves here at Beltane, the midpoint between the spring equinox and the coming summer solstice, we can allow the waters to wash away anything we’ve outgrown and to be bathed in all that we welcome in. As we celebrate Spring at it’s peak, and look around at the emergence of the trees and the flowers after a long slumber, can we hold ourselves with that same energy – a slow tender emergence as we reveal ourselves now – with wonder and curiosity.

I seem to be more aware of patterns as I emerge after the winter of my life, moving through 8 months of healing, shedding layers, inviting in new experiences, and pondering all the learning from my own opportunities for growth, which came in the form of cancer.

I came across this piece the other day and it is so resonate with my own process, perhaps it will spark something for someone else too, perhaps you.

Now is not the time for apathy or regret, not the time for keening in sorrow. It is time for swift feet and gentle fingers. Time for cracked open hearts and wild tears. Time for delight and determination to twine back together, eyes open to where we are and what can still be done.

We begin – like the crow daring to peck away at what confines us, cracking out of the shell, persistent in our knowing. We begin like the snake, feeling the tightness that no longer suits us, stretching beyond our edges until we shed our shape and become reborn. We begin with a smile, with tears, with blood and possibilities, we begin by listening to the whispers of our inherent capacity to rise.

Molly Remer from her piece titled Beltane, from We’Moon 2023

This human journey can be utterly confusing, painful and layered, and at the same time beautiful, tender and so very sacred, AND Every moment allows us the opportunity to begin again, with eyes and heart wide open.

Sending you Beltane Blessings, wrapped with so much soul support and love, as you begin

Till next time

Amber

Stay tuned for some future practice opportunities, as the tides wash in waves of inspiration, after a long healing sabbatical.

shallow focus photography of bird
Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com
Soul Seeds

Soul Seeds

Amber_Young

What does 2023 have in store for each of us? For some folks we look at the New Year starting at the end of October/early November – with Samhain, offering us the transition of autumn into winter; to let go, compost and rest in the season of hibernation – when our dreams start to take form. For others following the solar calendar, January 1st beckons us to a new chapter with greater clarity, a fresh canvas, welcoming in the energy of a New Year.

I’m not one of these people that’s going to ask you your new years resolutions, but I am a person that will ask you what pulls you forward, and how can you listen to the urgings of your soul.

The last day I worked, before my life took a bit of an unexpected turn, was ironically a day retreat about self love and self care – I think a wee bit of an omen for my own journey. An important and beautiful day, a day held in love.

Can you honestly say you love yourself? Your whole self?

Can you honestly acknowledge that you ensure your own needs are met first before looking outside of yourself? When you move in this way, you actually have so much more to offer the world and the potential to enjoy the journey more fully.

How often do you do things you love, just for the sake of doing something that feels good?

A very special group of souls gathered that day, on the land at Carp Ridge. We moved through the forest, walking mindfully and honouring the sun, we respectfully explored the way our breath and bodies flow and move, we journaled, welcomed in healing foods, held safe space nourished by sound and relaxation practices, and we planted some seeds of our own that afternoon.

I wonder, wherever you are in cycle, what feeds your soul? This isn’t just something we should consider once a year, at the threshold, but it’s something to anchor you on a daily basis. We planted 9 seeds that day and imbued them into a mala, holding the energy of our commitment to offer ourselves experiences on a daily basis that feed our souls.

What makes your life worth living??

What rituals or practices do you do on a daily basis that help you to remember that you belong, that help you to feel at home in your body, that connect you to what matters in your life?

For some these questions may be really hard to answer, hold that with gentleness. I urge you to give yourself space and patience to explore and understand what it is you need.

What experiences make your life worth living??

I wear my mala everyday, and hold my own seeds in my hand knowing that I have the power to hold them as simply great ideas, or to take action to welcome them into my life. To live with passion and wonder.

When did we get so busy in our lives? So distracted?

When did we stop having enough time for ourselves?

Since being diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer this past October, I’ve learnt alot – and yes, that learning will never stop. It shouldn’t take getting stopped in your tracks to TRULY start listening to the longings of your soul and to honour what brings you joy. Often it’s the most simple acts that feed us the deepest – as simple as your morning coffee or tea.

Now when I unroll my mat I do that with an increased awareness of every sensation in my own body, and every single sacred breath – it is one of my soul seeds, my daily yoga. That time everyday is teaching me to love my body and all the layers of my being, it is undistracted time to simply listen deeper within – and to practice the act of listening within first. My yoga practice has changed considerably since my surgery, and I think the most important change is the gentleness and tenderness I now tend to myself with – not for my students or planning my next class – but for myself. We are constantly evolving, and with that evolution the seeds that feed our souls, and the way we approach those seeds will also out of necessity change, remember that.

Blessings to each and every one of you during this season of introspection and hibernation, so grateful to be on this wild human journey, filled with mystery and opportunities for growth. Thanks for sharing my thoughts.

‘Till next time

Love Amber

Photo by Pixabay

Just a note to remind you that all community classes and healing sessions are temporarily on hold while I navigate my own healing journey. Stay tuned for updates, I look forward to holding healing space for you in the not to far away future.

In The Blink Of An Eye

In The Blink Of An Eye

Amber_Young

Unstoppable they called her, but I saw her stop

I saw her stop many many times

Sometimes I thought she had stopped for good

but no, she always found a way to resurrect

To rise again

Not the same, never the same

Each time a little more determined, and a little less vulnerable

Unstoppable they said, but I think it was in the stopping

that she found her power.

– Donna Ashworth

A very dear friend sent me this just this morning, it seemed kind of perfect to sit down and write this update today. I know it’s been a while since I’ve arrived in your inbox, and for many good reasons.

Life hands us challenges that sometimes we feel are insurmountable and impossible to see our way through – when the path gets a wee bit blurry. We can lose sight of the strength we contain, the ability to rise, as well as the way we are being held in seen and unseen ways.

It’s been hard for me to get on here, and to write this.  But I have been feeling a strong call to connect – and perhaps depending on your life circumstances offer you the reminder that you to are not alone.

The last few weeks have been a whirlwind of emotions and medical procedures – which continue in the coming week.  I’m still processing the fact that I had spinal surgery, never mind the additional diagnosis of cancer – in the blink of an eye, our lives can change and do change, remember that.  I very suddenly started losing the ability to walk (interestingly the day my eldest son and I sat with an owl in the cedar grove – whispering wisdom of slowing down). My body had also been speaking to me in quiet and loud ways over the past few months. October 5th I was admitted to hospital and underwent emergency spinal surgery for a tumor in my spinal canal, on the spinal cord from T7 to T11.  

The tumor that took up residence in my spinal canal was found to have malignant cells and they were unable to remove the whole tumor in surgery – due to its location it was partially inoperable.

In the meantime, I rest in this liminal space, protective of quiet time and connecting deeply with what is being asked of me in this healing. I am sooo grateful to recover from step one here in the forest.  

Relearning to walk, supporting my spine as the bones mend and the dura heals, healing mentally, emotionally, physically and spiritually – while at the same time building my reserves for next steps.

My family and I are keeping pretty quiet, this is needed right now for so many reasons – my deepest need is to cocoon.  I have been viscerally reminded of how fragile and truly precious life is – In many ways I’m only now just realizing how truly precious and sacred life is.

An unexpected turn on the path, one that will only bring greater strength and compassion.  Perhaps a forced sabbatical, finding my own way on this life journey.

I wonder what helps you to rise when you fall – perhaps that’s a person, or a place. Make a list, right now if you can – written or in your mind, what helps you rise when you fall?

With so much love and respect, ’till next time

Amber

gray owl perched on a tree stamp
Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com
Transitions

Transitions

Amber_Young

It always amazes me, how there seems to be a quickening of the summer as we approach mid-August. I wonder what this time in cycle is like for you?

I feel lots of movement, it’s like this inherent knowing that soon we’ll be back in the routines of fall. Deep inside there seems to awaken this urge to clear space, get my hands in the dirt and reassess.

I’m a mother of 2 young boys, my summers are filled with MUCH less structure and a very different energy, which I love, but feel it deep in my bones when I know that our routines will once again be shifting. The summer offers a welcome disruption and break in routines, which has the potential to give us a little more clarity.

This time of year I also seem to notice that whatever was left neglected in the spring seems to raise a red flag of needing to be acknowledged, well or ignoring I suppose is another option – but while easy, ignoring doesn’t make it go away.

Self care seeds for the fall begin to whisper as well, we change with the seasons, remember to give yourself permission to check in with how your self care needs perhaps are asking for a shift as well. This is super important to reassess throughout the year.

I strongly believe that everything we need to thrive is available to us through the gifts of the earth, including witnessing the wisdom in the changes around us through the seasons. This requires deep listening and patience. This year I seem to be even more aware of this truth, and intend to welcome in more space for quiet time in nature, simply listening, and reconnecting – I know this is sometimes easier to say than experientially do. I’m personally setting this intention pretty solidly. I know in my heart this teaches us to live with a little more flow and harmony, and this is certainly something I welcome. 

white petaled tree during daytime

With lots of love on your wellness journey

Amber

I’ll be teaching a few outdoor classes over the next few months.

This Thursday night from 5:30 – 6:30 pm under the oak in Almonte (contact: undertheoakyoga@gmail.com)

Saturday morning we’ll be joining in the forest with our sacred gong from 9:00 – 10:30 am up near Clayton (this class is presently full).

Through September I’ll be offering a sound and yoga forest immersion Thursday mornings from 10:00 – 11:15 am, and to honour the transition from Summer to fall, October 1st I have a day retreat of self love and self care at Carp Ridge EcoWellness Centre (our day retreat is full, but I am starting a list for a spring retreat).

These offerings feed my soul, and are part of my responsibility to help support folks to come back into balance and remember our relationship with our breath and our Mother Earth.

To find out more or to join me send an email to amber@suryadaya.ca

My next online offering of Because You Matter starts Monday, October 17th, you can find out more details here.

For those of you who have inquired about massage therapy, my bookings for the fall are almost full. I practice at Carp Ridge EcoWellness Centre Tuesdays, and do home visits / mobile sessions Wed – Friday. I do have a waiting list, and am focusing my care on complex care, breast health, and palliative care. Email me at amber@suryadaya.ca if you’d like more information.

The Wise And Well Voice Within

The Wise And Well Voice Within

Amber_Young

“There will never be a voice outside of you that is wiser than your soul-voice or holds more authority over what is best for you.  You need guidance and support not to follow someone else’s truth but to remain loyal to your own.  The voice that will guide you to your highest potential is within you.“

– Meggan Watterson

This quote gives me goosebumps, and every part of me shouts YES! I’m about to take a wee technology break (which I am SO excited about), however I couldn’t do that until sending this post. These words strongly wanted to be shared and I am guessing that’s because at least one of you needed to hear them.

I didn’t grow up learning to listen to that voice, did you? But I am learning, and I am also learning the spectrum of reasons where much of the guidance I did receive was rooted from. I hold it all with compassion.

Finally now, in this chapter of my life, I know this truth deep in my heart. I hope I can teach my children to start here, within themselves, to trust their intuition and the wisdom they hold deep inside.

You are a wise being and you have come here in this body, for your own unique reasons. Sometimes we have to move through the muck and the entanglement of vines, the darkness and the obstacles, to live our way into those reasons – I am understanding this is part of what it means to be human.

Listen with compassion, first to your self. I believe the more we can do that, remembering our humanness, the more easefully we can dance this ebb and flow of life.

I won’t be online much for the next few weeks, taking some needed time to reconnect with the Earth, our great Mother.

Know I hold you in my heart,

With Love, Amber

xo

Soul Wisdom Self Reflection cards, a little extra heart centered support on your journey.

August teaching:

I’m so excited to be teaching Under the Oak (in Almonte, Ontario) from 5:30 – 6:30, on Thursday, August 18th – email them directly for more details and to register: undertheoakyoga@gmail.com This is a weekly class held throughout the summer. Lindsey and Alex are dear friends, and hold this weekly space, I’m honoured to join them!

 Saturday, August 20th, from 9 – 10:30 I have a special forest yoga planned! Space is limited. If you’d like more details send me an email at amber@suryadaya.ca. 

September and October bring a 4 week forest series, the return of in person/zoom classes, and a day wellness retreat held at Carp Ridge EcoWellness Centre. Lots of soul nourishing offerings to support you to connect with the earth, your sacred heartspace, and the wise and well voice within.

Soul Wisdom Self Reflection cards, a little extra heart centered support on your journey.

Because You Matter

Because You Matter

Amber_Young

Weaving The Threads Of Our Breast Health Through Our Whole Body Wellness

I want to very gently remind you that you matter; every part of you matters – your beautiful whole matters, and you are deserving of care and supportive attention. 

There are many things we can do to optimize the  health of our breasts and our overall wellness, as well as empower ourselves, this is a step on that path. 

Our breasts feed and nurture life in our infants, have an extensive role in our lymphatic system and offer us wisdom and insight into our hormonal health.  When we look specifically at our breasts, they have a simple anatomical design and quite straightforward needs; however they are often neglected in the overall care of our bodies. This neglect can create; pain, discomfort, lowered self-confidence and often fear. Emotionally our breasts, with their proximity to our heart and our lungs, hold some of our most profound emotions.

Statistics show that many people experience breast concerns at some point in their lifetimes, and that the number of folks that will report these concerns to their primary care giver, or to anyone, is quite low…why?  Perhaps because most of the time breasts don’t receive healthy attention as an important consideration in a persons overall care.  Breasts are often sexualized rather than respected, which gives many people a decreased sense of confidence in voicing any concerns they may have about their breasts.  

As human beings, I was reminded during a program I completed with Sat Dharam Kaur, we have the capacity to tune into our higher consciousness and use our inner light and wisdom to guide our thoughts, words and deeds.  We can choose to be stewards of our health, the health of our families, the earth, other species and future generations, or we can misuse and contaminate our bodies and the resources we’ve been so generously given.

It is an honour to weave the teachings of Debra Curties and her work with breast massage, the work of Sat Dharam Kaur, teachings on self compassion and mindfulness, and my 20 years of learning through workshop facilitation, one – on-one care, yoga and massage with people on their breast health and overall self care journey, into this empowering 6 week experiential program.

Through this process may you become a little more conscious, and walk with greater appreciation, harmony and care in your sacred body on this precious planet, our home.

I would like to acknowledge that as a little girl I lost one of the most important and special women in my life, my Nana, to breast cancer, I also lost one of my dear friends to breast cancer in February of 2022, at the tender age of 37. This offering is created in their honour, and in honour of all the women I’ve been privileged to work with over the past 20 years – your strength and courage are my biggest call to action.

I’m super excited to announce the next session for this 6 week Integrative program will be offered this October, 2022.

Why should you mark your calendars?  Because you matter, your whole body matters.

This program is primarily geared towards breast health, but explores different facets of our overall health and the ways we are woven together through body, mind and spirit.  There is an accessible movement and yoga practice recording sent out each week, in depth handouts for self study, meditations, and a different discussion focus at each live session over the course of the full program.

What can you expect? 6 weeks of focused self care and self love! Our live sessions will be offered virtually though the zoom platform.

  • We’ll also be discussing the connections between your breast health and your whole body
  • Learn and practice yoga and stretching specifically for your hormone and breast health
  • Learn self breast massage and other self care techniques you can put into practice immediately
  • Learn about different oils that help to support your breast health
  • We’ll explore the lymphatic system and how you can optimize the ways it supports you
  • Explore nutritional considerations for our breast health (with a guest speaker)
  • Discuss the emotional aspects of this sacred part of our bodies
  • Connect with community in a safe way
  • Weekly check in/practice sessions
  • Support through reflective practices, exclusive weekly downloadable videos, electronic worksheets, and handouts, and a live 90 minute (optional) weekly discussion where we’ll move our bodies and dive deeper into the material.
  • Ongoing support during the 6 weeks, as well as unlimited access to Amber’s live zoom classes for the duration of the program.

Enrollment in the full program is necessary, as each week we build on the previous weeks material..

There are a maximum number of spots for each session, to maintain a safe space supporting you to show up exactly as you are.

Amber is beyond excited to be offering this very important program and she looks forward to this journey with you…..

Dates: 

Fall Registration open

October 17 – November 21st, 2022 – Monday mornings from 10:30am – 12:00pm EST

Book your spot by clicking on this link

Optional evening offering and next cycle will be held March/April 2023 – Dates will be posted soon

Cost: $180 (+HST)  Includes all materials, downloadable practice videos, handouts and worksheets, weekly live sessions, an unlimited pass for access to Amber’s Live zoom yoga classes valid during the program dates.

Payment is due on registration to hold your spot as spaces are limited.

Refunds (minus 20%) available up to 7 days before program start date, and subject to a 20% admin fee.

In an effort to make this support accessible for all women, I am offering 1 full Scholarship and 1 spot at 50% off of full cost in each session (needs based). Email me at amber@suryadaya.ca for more details and to find out how to apply.

Please help spread the word!

Optional day retreat: A full day of self care practices and time in nature; Saturday, October 1st 10:00 – 4:00 (more details to come)

Cost: $65 (+HST) for paid participants of full program.

$95 (+HST) If space is available, for day retreat only.

Would you like to practice yoga together? My next session (both in person and on zoom) is scheduled for Saturday mornings; July 9th – 23rd,from 9:00 – 10:15 am EST. We’ll be exploring heart focused sequences, and self care to support us through the busier summer months. Registration is necessary, head on over to my schedule and simply click on the dates you’d like to join to reserve your spot!

Testimonials from past participants of Because You Matter

” I can’t sing the praises of this course enough!  It has transformed the way I treat myself and my health, not only through motivating me to take on healthier practices and habits, but also through establishing a stronger mindset on the importance of self care.  I truly looked forward each week to seeing Amber and the others in my group, and cherished that time I could spend with them.  After each class, I always felt rejuvenated, relaxed, and happy.  The reading materials were informative and extremely helpful in incorporating Amber’s teachings and explanations, and the videos helped me to practice at other times.  I’m grateful for this because it allows for the feeling that it doesn’t have to end – that I can continue these healthy habits and involve them in my daily life for a long time to come. “

Jasmin, Almonte, Ontario

“We need more of this!”

CW, Ontario

“This is a robust course with so much valuable information to digest, and after 6 weeks of looking forward to seeing Amber, practicing breathing techniques, and learning how I can improve my habits to nourish my own health and well being, I didn’t want it to end!  Needless to say, it was not long enough!    During the class, she is patient and kind, she teaches and also listens, and offers a safe and trusting environment to allow all the members to feel totally comfortable. But for all intensive purposes, the overall balance of the teaching material, mixed with meaningful discussion and practice, created the perfect environment for me to start some excellent habits and motivate me into caring for myself!  I believe the long term benefits will be immense!”

JM, Ontario

Solstice Blessings To You

Solstice Blessings To You

Amber_Young

Happy Summer Solstice Blessings !!

A time we celebrate the light, our inner fire, the obstacles we’ve overcome, our community, our power, our gardens as they grow, all the animals emerging, and we commit to taking steps to nourish ourselves and one another. 

Summer Solstice is a time we also honour the tilting of the earth wrapping us in the longest day of sunlight of our solar calendar year.  We move through the cycles of seasons and witness our own rhythms as they ebb and flow. 

I feel like over the past few years we’ve been reminded in numerous ways to not live with regrets, because wow, the unexpected can occur at any moment. 

Did you know that taking some time to; move your body – moving energy through you and also sitting in stillness and quiet on a daily basis, without any distractions, offers the potential for a greater sense of ease and clarity on your life journey. This feels important, for each of us. This little reprieve of movement and breath, even for a few minutes, brings you more deeply into the presence and reality of your life in this moment, and an awareness of what’s actually important to YOU. First however, we need to commit to our self care to have the space to hear that guidance. 

I invite you to light a candle today, and honour your connection to the light.  Move your beautiful body, and breathe a little deeper. Get your hands and feet in the dirt, and honour your connection to the earth. Honour YOUR strength. Honour the goodness inside of you, and the impact you bring forward with your actions – especially the seemingly small acts of kindness. 

Happy Solstice, from my heart to yours,

With love

Amber

Do you want to practice together? My next series (both in person and virtually) starts July 9th. You can see my schedule (and find out more details) here

Soul Wisdom Self Reflection cards, a little extra support on your journey.

How do we show up with our whole selves?

How do we show up with our whole selves?

Amber_Young

As we deepen our relationship with our self care, we consciously start to  respect that our physical body is the medium we move our gifts through and out into the world.  We need to tend to our physical needs on a daily basis so that we’re able to do what we do in the world – and that is considering our creativity, our passions, our personal pleasures, the ways we’re in service to the earth and the greater collective, as well as our professional, working and personal life responsibilities. When we cultivate more balance in our lives and care for ourselves emotionally, mentally, physically and spiritually, our inner and outer worlds begin to easefully move into alignment.

Consider how you can stay true to your inner world as you move in the outer world, it is common for folks to shift and change depending on the company they keep – can you be true to your authentic self always? I’m beginning to realize the responsibility we actually have to show up, fully as ourselves in all situations.

Historically, and even now in our present day world, simply being who you are and speaking your truth is certainly not always easy. Moving in an authentic way has led people to bullying, persecution, isolation, ridicule, loss of family, loss of home, and even death – I know this continues seen and unseen, in small and largescale ways. This reality is heartbreaking, and I know we all carry the wounds of our ancestors and of the collective. How do we cultivate more acceptance and understanding of one another to do our part in helping to break these patterns? This is much bigger than we can dive into in this offering, but definitely a pause for reflection. It’s easy to say “just show up, be who you are” – but this is so layered, and it’s important to not bypass the layers.

It takes courage to be true to who you are now, and to stand up for what is meaningful. As we learn to step more fully into ourselves in a grounded way, we to help to heal the past. What needs to change in your external reality to fully honour who you are now, perhaps starting in small ways to step more deeply into your truth.

In your practice today I invite you to explore cat/cow in your body. A seemingly simple movement which holds within it so much potential on our healing journey.  Anatomically this movement is important as it allows the nourishment of cerebralspinal fluid to support the integrity of your nervous system, it helps to maintain flexibility through your spine as well as fluidity in your body – supporting the nerves as they make their journey through your body, and moving in a conscious gentle way will help to decompress your vertebrae.  

Cat cow can also help to release deep seated restrictions in your muscular body, which supports a greater sense of freedom internally. This movement is also energizing, and helps to release congestion and create deep internal space coming into a greater place of balance.  Cat cow invites us to connect with the waters of our bodies, as we move through the wave along our central canal. The more we can find fluidity and space inside and connect to our core – the easier it is to move with authenticity in this life journey.

If you’re working with a journal, I encourage you to grab it before you begin.  Take a few moments in silent observation and simply note the areas of your body you’re holding a little tighter, perhaps experiencing physical discomfort.  When you attune to these parts of you, what are the thoughts or memories that arise?  How can you offer them compassion?

When you move through cat cow, either on hands and knees starting in table top, or in a seated position with your hands on your thighs or shins – we want to initiate the movement from our sacrum (the bone at the base of the spine), moving very slow and subtly to begin – vertebrae by vertebrae – a slight movement forward on the inhale as we create space around the heart, and a gentle movement arching back as we create space between the vertebrae. Staying mindful moving vertebrae by vertebrae, like beads along a mala. Move with the fluidity of water, avoiding hard edges and compression with this movement, but rather welcoming in softness and space – and to learn to listen to what our body holds. Honour the power in the smaller, slower, more subtle movements, this is often when we feel the most profound effects in our practice.

I encourage you to reflect on how you’re feeling after spending some time moving through this exploration.

Please know my support is here, holding you in my heart.

I am grateful you are taking this time to care for your self.

I am grateful for the wisdom of your body, and mine.

I am grateful for the fluid that surrounds and nourishes my brain and my spinal chord, and that I know how to tend to it to support myself – through breath and movement.

I ask you now, what are you grateful for??

Sending you so much love

Amber

close up photo of white petaled flowers

Enrollment is now open for our upcoming fall session of Because You Matter, to find out more details click here

Taking 3 Sacred Breaths

Taking 3 Sacred Breaths

Amber_Young

Time in silence has been calling loudly – but rather with the intention to simply listen and bear witness. How often do we do that for ourselves and for others? Sit in silence and bear witness.

I have been teaching alot these days, both online and community classes, immersed in hands on healing sessions, as well moving with 2 groups of incredible and inspiring women through my because you matter women’s health program. It feels good to have this time now, to sit with all of you with a little more spaciousness.

How are you doing? Take a moment and offer yourself this window to check in. I urge you to not modify your answer, or change it to a more desirable response – this is for you – how are you doing in this moment? If we don’t give ourselves regular little check – ins, we contribute to a quicker potential break down.

Sometimes I find it helpful to simply take a few minutes and move through 3 deep breaths. Meggan Watterson offers us a reminder as we breath into our bodies with our first breath, landing into the physical. Our second breath anchors us into our heartspace – connecting to this well of compassion that lives inside each of us, and the deeper authentic parts of you. With our third breath we can ask our question – how am I, this will bring forth a more accurate account of how you’re actually doing, the answer your soul needs you to hear.

I recently came across a beautiful piece in Embers, by Richard Wagamese, which also speaks to this importance.

Me: You always repeat things three times.

Old Woman: Just the important things.

Me: Why? I hear you the first time.

Old Woman: No. You listen the first time. You hear the second time. And you feel the third time.

Me: I don’t get it.

Old Woman: When you listen, you become aware. That’s for your head. When you hear, you awaken. That’s for your heart. When you feel it becomes a part of you. That’s for your spirit. Three times. It’s so you can learn to listen with your whole being. That’s how you learn.

When we come to our breath and awareness with our whole being we support a full and authentic life – that’s a good thing, and that’s the point. Sometimes we spend so much time trying to please others that we don’t even know what the authentic voice that lives inside of us sounds like anymore.

Carving out windows to take 3 intentional breaths is so incredibly important – whenever you remember.

Teaching because you matter has a deep undercurrent of understanding our breast health but it became clear through these past few months, how it’s a program with an even deeper intention to remind us of all the parts of us that are deserving of care and loving attention. Taking those 3 sacred breaths as we settle into our bodies, holds so much potential. The more we can learn about ourselves grounded in compassion, the more we’re able to offer ourselves the care we truly need – and the less likely we are to overstretch ourselves in ways that aren’t supportive. Such a powerful journey, and I am so grateful to the openness of the folks that moved through this first offering with me. I hold the laughter, movement, introspection, tears, deep breaths, sacred stories, and holding safe space for one another so dearly in my heart. Still taking lots of time to reflect and integrate everything I learnt through the process.

This past weekend I said goodbye to the sweetest soul, and as I lay beside him on the grass with the sun shining, witnessing, as he took his last 3 breaths, I was deeply impacted by the reminder of the importance of those 3 breaths. We have a limited amount of time here, in this body, I urge you to listen and to live with your whole being, and know you are very loved.

Before I close, I wanted to share a video with my sweet Solomon. I looked through to find a wee session with Sol and found this shorter practice, made in February of 2021 (so please bear in mind it was from a while ago). A short 10 minute mindful meditation practice, supported with Solomon. Many of you knew him, he was in our family for 16 years, and was the most cuddliest loving cat. I’m grateful for all he taught me, and all he brought to our family.

To all of those we’ve loved, and the threads woven through our lives,

Much love, Amber

xo

Do you want to practice together? You can see my schedule (and find our more details) here.

Soul Wisdom Self Reflection cards, a little extra support on your journey.