Invitation to a Shift in View

This spring seems like a real doozy of “both/and”: The world feels out of control AND the daffodils are coming up right on time. I’m sad my oldest will be leaving home soon AND I’m so excited for the next adventure. How would you fill in the blanks of   oh no!   AND   oh yay!   in your own life?

How about the optical illusions above? What do you see? I think optical illusions are fun and I hope you do too! AND, I’ve been finding these two to be helpful metaphors for holding two things at once: The young and old ladies exist in the same image. The candlestick is right there, next to the faces. Two things can be equally true simultaneously.  They don't negate each other. 

I’ve been visualizing these optical illusions in moments when I get bogged down in absolute certainty of how horrible things are. The old/young lady pops into my head as a reminder to see if there is more to a situation than first meets the eye. Can I look again to metaphorically find the candlestick in the faces – to find more options, more balance, more equanimity? Obviously a work in progress for me, but I’m sharing in case this metaphor also clicks for you and offers some spaciousness when things get tight. 

And, because this spring is just a lot, here are a few more grounding, restorative resources to help us balance: 

• 26-minute Yoga Nidra practice from Shawn J. Moore for connection back to yourself

• This poem, "Meanwhile," by James A. Pearson, that articulates the spaciousness of spring's "both/and" nature

• 60-seconds of nature sounds  

• (Dog-friendly) Westchester hiking trails 

• And, of course, I'd love to have you join me at any of the upcoming workshops - all entry points to balance and stability in the reality of our lives.