Crafting a Life of Care

Dynamic Opposition:One system moving in two directions simultaneously.It’s what makes stretching feel so goodRoot to Rise in yogaFeeling the feet pressing into the earth and the crown risingIt has all kinds of purpose and impactIt promotes growth, balance, stability, alivenessWe do it every day without thinking about itI’m trying to let that be my guide as I meet my opposing emotional forcesCalm center, open heart, curious orientationRage over pervasive injustice, powerlessness, self-judgment, griefWe are complicated beings in a complicated timeI think the fairy tale ending “and they lived happily ever after”Has done us no favorsIt feels very linear and unilateralIt sets up expectations that there comes a moment from which point problems ceaseI have yet to meet anyone for whom problems have ceasedYet, I’ve met resourced people with great attitudes who meet their problems tenderlyI can even do it myself on good daysMaybe “and ever after, they felt met and supported in joy and in sorrow, crafting a life of care”Something aspirational but not delusionalSomething acknowledging the cyclical nature of life and time and relationshipsSomething that met and channeled the truth of the human conditionThat we belong to the earth as we reach to the starsThat opposing forces exist in us and can work together to strengthen and support usI think ‘happily ever after’ polluted notions of what peace looks like as wellRealistically, peace is a state of consistent deep communication, care and creativityHappily ever after implies that once an evil is vanquished, life is effortlessMaybe I’m revealing my own limitations, but an effortless life feels vapidI think we want to apply effort and care to things that matter to usWe want to use our creativity to engage with the world and evolve something newWhen I am present to the cyclical nature of life, I can be patient with my current situation, curious evenWhen I get the idea that life is linear, I can’t help but feel I’m failing, flailingPart of the tension lies in the fact that Nature is cyclical, and Society (while also cyclical) thinks its linearAnd I’m caught between themIt may be that I’m in a moment of transition, like when you first start stretchingThat dynamic opposition can be painful at firstBut as we tend to proper form and relax into the releasethe stretch becomes pleasurable, nourishingIncreasing blood flow and nurturing mobilityPerhaps this phase is like my post-surgery physical therapySucks in the moment, but leads to long term wellnessVery worth doing.And so I continueRemembering this too is part of the cycle of life This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit fallingtenderly.substack.com