room within yourself
What a day. If you are friends with me on Facebook, you see my weekly posts of my notebook with drawings/words/scriptures from sermons or bible studies. Many people love them. I actually had students two or three years ago see my notebook one day on my desk and tell me how amazing it was and that I should be sharing my work. Thus, I created my "Faith Studyblr" album and began to attempt to save them into the same album. Fast forward to today, at my current church, The Welcome Table in Arlington, the congregation is extremely supportive of my work; they are always coming up to see it after service, liking or loving it on Facebook, and asking me if I have thought to publish because they would buy any of my work.
One of the men at the church told me a couple weeks ago he was one of the many who requested my "sermon sketches" be added to the weekly online newsletter. I've been very flattered by the support and encouragement of this community, so when someone offered to sit down and help me organize a mock up to be submitted for publication I knew it was time for me to take the leap.
How did I know?
In the deep stretch class this evening, the sunflower instructor shared with us that in her yoga practice this week she has been focusing on space versus constriction. And in class we spent the entire hour and 15 minutes opening the various spaces in our bodies that hold onto to tension sometimes created by the stresses of our life.
Yoga has been the best medicine for my anxiety. As a practice, it gently finds its way into the spaces on my body and spirit to relieve the pent up and knotted together stress. Opening yourself up to being led through poses and stretches that are 100% NOT comfortable (the deep stretch class is not for the faint hearted) encourages your spirit to open to others subconsciously.
Journeying through this last year, relationships have ended, my world has evolved, my faith has grown, my spirit has interacted in new ways, and my surroundings have shifted. I believe that when you are more intentional about the spaces you open within yourself for self-care, the more you are able to build spaces around yourself that are healthy for you. It is because of this that I knew it was time for me to take the next step with my sketches. Will it go anywhere? I don't know. But that isn't the point.
We don't live each day working to a goal we know for a fact we will achieve. Life isn't designed that way. It isn't enjoyable to know the outcome. But it is definitely required for you to self-care in order for you to work toward your purpose and your eventual goals. The warmth I cultivate in yoga helps me to cultivate new and inspirational relationships. What are you cultivating?