Oh fear. Patterns of fear have the ability to grip us so tightly, manifesting in our lives as anxiety, depression, self-doubt, illness, judgment and anger. When we do not address our own fears, the anger and negativity has no where to go but inward, becoming more destructive to self and others.
Today is my last day as an intern at Brunet-García, a bittersweet day for sure. I’m excited to be leaving for my last semester of college at the University of Cantabria in Spain. But there is an element of fear that can come with leaving familiar places and people to experience something entirely new and different. In a just a couple of months, I’ll have my bachelor’s degree, and I still don’t know exactly what I want to do – that’s perfectly okay. I have big dreams and no reason to think those won’t become a reality. They might not come to fruition in the way I foresee, but I do know if I live my truth and allow all of my actions to come from a place of love, everything will fall into place.
I suppose I could be scared right now. All of us probably have reasons we could be scared of our current situations, future plans or past actions. But I’m choosing not to. Maybe becoming comfortable in ‘not knowing’ is a helpful choice. If fear occupied my mind, it would only perpetuate separateness and subsequently the vicious circle of fear and darkness. Plain and simple, our minds do not need to be focused on fears in lieu of contributing positivity and light to others.
Each of our individual worries collectively produce the turbulence we see happening in the physical world today, that which permeates all of our relationships; environmentally, politically, and interpersonally. So how do we combat the negative forces? How do we reverse the damage of fear? Through the opposite of fear: love. Love is the portal to joy and fulfillment. We all need more love in our lives, but it is a process.
During my time as an intern at BG, one thing I’ve come to believe is that love is what strong creative work is all about. It plucks at those chords so deep within us, the ones we share with everyone – across language, race, and geography – touching something we all intrinsically know. It uncovers the truth and commonalities of humanity. It makes us feel connected and suggests we find the love inside each of us.
I once heard, “the creative adult is the child who survived.” Children are innocent, consumed by wonder, imagination, awareness and love. It’s a weird tragedy to loose that, to stop valuing the organic process of just being. As a yogi, I’m returning to my inner child. My yoga, on and off the mat, is my practice to cultivate inner stillness and peace, to be the light and to be aware of love.
Yoga means to yoke, to unite and that experience comes in many different forms and practices. I came across a quote from Jacksonville-based artist, Christina Foard, who finds her yoga through art, “Painting has become my closest confidante in an overrun schedule; my pacifier of noise; my partner for emotional accountability. While circumstances and relationships remain in constant flux, painting affords a welcome inner quiet and stillness.”
After becoming familiar with the practice of yoga, I realized I had known yoga my whole life. Because it is my inner truth, something we all share. When I was a kid, yoga was swimming underneath the surface of the ocean, listening to my Mom read me “Goodnight Moon,” and running barefoot through the mystical realm that was my neighborhood.
If you can find your light, that place that counteracts the fear, it gives your physical and spiritual body a place to let go, a place to heal, a place to strengthen, a place to live your most inner truth, and most importantly, a place to return to love.
