“ … There was a time in my life, back when I was really little —

— Little like me, Mama?

Yes, just like you, Sweetie…when I can remember the sounds of your grandmother’s fragrant voice, singing “Gilda’s Song” from The Wizard of Oz.  Do you know it?  ‘Wake up, wake up, whereeeevvver you are, and meet the young lady who feel from a star’ … ”

Consider this a lullaby.  Like a soft, warm blanket used to cover up the girl who stirs from her slumber, afraid of the ‘monster’ or the ‘dark’ or the ‘whatever-it-took-to-get-mom-into-my-room-for-a-back-rub.”  And you see, the story worked (this time).

We are all storytellers.  It’s exactly what our lives are made up of:  information we gather to know something, to believe in something; lessons learned of family traditions passed from one generation to the next.  They can be created to a point of urgency (as noted in the above excerpt to get your daughter back to sleep at 3am).  Sometimes the stories we tell are merely lovely; perhaps they are composed due to outright necessity.  Consider the refugee who relays imperative knowledge to his son for physical safety and survival.  For the chance to live for another day.

And yet:  what we tell ourselves is often true, but not always accurate.  By way of our collective experiences had throughout our lives, self-talk for example, might only serve us in its exact moment of expression – even when it’s irrational.  With clients who endure grave anxiety or poor social boundaries, we’ll explore the reality formations to which they identify presenting problems.  “I know he doesn’t like me because I am too much of a pest.  I bother him by asking him to call me each night.  I guess I’ll be alone forever.”  In reframing the issues, sometimes in offering an additional perspective or a contextual intervention to help normalize their experience, supports the opportunity to also challenge the client on his/her accountability in the interaction.  Conflictual reactions can occur internally, or among interpersonal relationships, such as with one’s boyfriend.

Personally, I am often contemplating vrtti, or, “the modifications of the mind-stuff” as described in the 1^st book of the Yoga Sutras.  In this way, we are constantly encountering ‘disturbances to our peace’ (re: think, self-talk) which can ultimately compromise our ability to feel steady or balanced, especially if we are paying too much attention to the fluctuations or passing judgment in even thinking of them.  Don’t give them all the credit!  You have the whereabouts to manage your “mind-stuff.”  You may want to use a few strategies in order to reign it all in.  Meditation is just one way that has proven to help lessen judgments on the self.  Helping to quiet the mind, while not muting it all together.

And here, the very goal of EmBodyed Tides is to represent a space where you as readers, myself as writer, and us as community, might be able to cohesively and honestly reflect on this “mind-stuff,” to see that in the end, it’s all a story.  We each have the talent and opportunity to write out the story of our lives by way of individual choice and action.  Don’t fear the edits, or the revisions.  They all add to the comparative experiences of you honoring your truths, exactly as they arise.  Be kind to trust in your story, while recognizing that another’s version is not wrong.  And if you get stuck along the way, without solely the assistance from your friendly thesaurus, you can always voice concerns to a close friend, family member, or professional, who just might be the listener needed to support your prose, and your life.

Author’s note:  As this program develops, so does our Contact info!  If you, or anyone you know has questions or topics that you would like to be discussed in the blog, feel free to email them to embodyedtides@gmail.com.  Thank you.