Welcome to this Messy Space

Also, my first substack post

Why Substack, Why Now?

The easy and quick answer to this is that a lot of people have been asking about my podcast (Just Be Your Bad Self), and I haven’t felt up to starting it back up again, but I DO still have a lot of thoughts that I don’t mind sharing. My thoughts tend to come pretty long form, and neither Facebook nor Instagram seem quite the right format, so I’m going to start jotting them down here.

Disclaimer:

I have no intention of making this space a highly edited and curated one. If you’ve followed me for any length of time, you know I have issues with perfectionism and it is easily triggered, so I like to publicly announce my messiness up front. I’m giving myself permission to show up even if that means spelling mistakes, rambling thoughts, and occasionally sounding crazy or being down right wrong (oh, the horror). If that doesn’t bother you, and you for some reason have an interest in the pure chaos that sometimes comes out of my brain, then WELCOME! Feel free to subscribe and connect or whatever floats your boat!

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The first of many thoughts coming your way…

I read a few years ago that we are leaving the "Age of Information" and entering the "Age of Embodiment." Since reading that, I have watched as AI has become more and more sophisticated, misinformation has become more readily available and harder to distinguish from actual information, and I have found much of the information given to me in my growing up years by our systems and cultures to either be extremely biased or blatantly false.

Meanwhile somatic healing practices, mindfulness (which ironically doesn't have a lot to do with being in the mind), meditation, yoga, and the embodied arts (dancing, painting, singing) are proving to be more and more significant in our search for "wholeness." The question is shifting from "Is this RIGHT?" to "How does this feel in my body?"

I'm currently reading a book called "The More Beautiful World Our Hearts Know is Possible," (thanks for the incredible recommendation, Elodie), wherein the author talks about "The Old Story of the People" being "The Story of Separation."
He teaches that the way forward is into the "New Story of the People"--a "Story of Interbeing." I can't help but think that part of this Story of Interbeing includes reclaiming the bodies that many of us have rejected--and recognizing them as the incredible and intuitive gifts that they are rather than something to be "overcome."

For as long as I can remember, I have been a highly cerebral person--If I could have left my body behind and become a floating brain, I think I would have done it (especially if it would have gotten me out of PE in high school). I love figuring things out in my mind, making meaning out of EVERYTHING, and connecting seemingly unrelated topics. But I have reached a point in my journey where my mind doesn't feel sufficient. It leads me down pointless rabbit holes and follows question marks into dark alley ways. I'm finding that I need more guidance--more grounding--and I feel that the way I'm going to find that is by tuning into my body. What a foreign concept! Maybe my body doesn't separate me from spirituality, enlightenment, transcendence (whatever you want to call it)--maybe reuniting with my body will help me find that feeling of "oneness" that I've been searching for all along....

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