What helps you feel grounded?

We hope you are having a restful week. As much we love organizing retreats and traveling, I definitely need time to slow down afterwards, to rest, recover and process. As I get older, I feel a deeper sense of appreciation for times of ease and rest because they can feel so elusive, almost unattainable. As I am navigating some life transitions - searching for a new home in LA, my husband starting his first attending job - we are both trying to find ease in a time where we are feeling unmoored.

One of the books I value in times of uncertainty is Kaira Jewel Lingo's book - We Were Made for These Times. It's a book we've cited often around here - mostly because the lessons and teachings help me feel centered and grounded every time I read them.

My husband and I have been trying to read a little from her book each night before bed to help us find some stillness and grounding (particularly as we meander our way through the craziness of the LA rental market). We both feel uneasy if where we are going to live is unsettled- perhaps because a physical home, for us, is such an integral part of feeling stable and a privilege we don't take for granted. In these moments, I've loved Jewel Lingo's reflections on home, not as a physical entity, but as a space inside of us that we can serve as an anchor at any time. She describes the practice of mindfulness, or being present, as coming home to ourselves. She shares, "the home inside of us is a home no one can take away from us, and it cannot be damaged or destroyed. No matter what happens around us, if we can find this time inside of us, we are always safe."

I've been reflecting on what it takes to build a stable home inside of myself, one that I can return to in moments of uncertainty and anxiety. It can be a courageous act to believe that we inherently enough, that we don't need external factors or physical places to give us a sense of grounding and stability. Yet, I truly believe that each of us holds the strength and courage to navigate what life holds and this is only fortified when have the chance to be in community with each other. It is through practice that we can remind ourselves (and each other) that even in our scariest, most uncertain hours, the home we are searching for us is always waiting inside of us.

What helps you feel grounded in times of uncertainty? What brings you a sense of feeling at home?

We'd love to hear from you!

With gratitude,

Anu & Laura