The Pause — Fieldnotes

Taken while walking through the 180 metre burial chamber of Pharaoh Rameses III, located deep inside the mountains within The Valley of The Kings. This particular site (KV11) is known to be a particularly well-preserved and vibrant tomb - decorated with reliefs depicting the life and validity of the Pharaohs leadership as well as customary protective spells to support the navigation through the underworld. On face value the image is very uplifting for me, one that invites the eye to see the blooms upon this feminine figures head - blooms of the minds’ eye ‘garden’ turned reality, watered by their very intent and actions followed through as gestured by the vessel and cup held. This sentiment has served as inspiration for my recent monthly letter that explores the power of the mind, shared as an enthusiastic compilation inviting us to ‘shape’ ourselves through the malleable nature of our mindset - (receive the July edition here).

|| Welcome to THE PAUSE — Fieldnotes.

Field notes weave threads of observation with contemplation through a weekly practice of intentional pause for me and for you. A segment that dares to share an unresolved inquiry, as if pausing mid-thought or stating a misplaced sentence. Inspired by self-practice deeply rooted in mindful living through integrating diverse traditions of healing arts, intentional travel, astrology and yogic teachings, I hope you enjoy this new weekly rhythm for rest and reflection - this universal place of presence the act of writing invites to all.

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‘ I hope you will go out and let stories, that is life, happen to you, and that you will work with these stories…water them with your blood and tears and your laughter till they bloom, till you burst into bloom.’

~Clarissa Pinkola Estes | Women Who Run With The Wolves.

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Thanks for being here,

This weeks Pause works with the timeless wise words shared through what I believe is an essential compendium,Women Who Run With The Wolves. One that may refreshen the lens of anyone seeking a colourful, well articulated source of counsel that intelligently weaves the realms of healing depths to be found in story/folk-lore/psychology - whilst expressed poetically and boldly.

Taking into consideration the ‘astrological weather’ of these times inviting a window for deep personal reclaiming, review, or restructuring, it may be of service (self-service) for us to take a moment and reflect upon the existing ‘stories’ that reside in our minds and how they influence the behaviours and bonds we express and share towards ourselves and other. To shed light on the ‘inner dialogue’ of stories that may be seeded in our minds from weeks/months/or decades ago. That when watered frequently and tended to repetitively and unquestioningly enough over time have had the power to directly impact the lens of reality through which we perceive our experiences - our lives through.

My first inquiry colours into the notion of ones’ life experiences (messy and non-linear as they are) being akin to ‘Parts & Chapters’ found in a story book. When I read the words of Dr. Clarissa Pinkola Estes it feels like I’m listening to a voice of support and encouragement from a wisened wild-woman, an elder, or as she is known as in latin traditional terms for a ‘custodian of ancestral knowledge’ - a cantadora (keeper of old stories). Her words consistently emit as an audacious announcement, one that howls and beckons the reader to what I perceive as guidance for the reader to dare to Live in awareness unafraid of ones’ own process of bud, blossom to bloom :)… by daring to - claim the given right of authorship for ones’ life (!)…to bravely take action towards the directive pull of ones’ soul desires (!)…to make ones’ own meaning of the events unfolding in ones’ life (!)… to position ones mindset so that each experience never leads to a state of loss but to instead sit with each experience as an opportunity to learn…(!) to trust the lessons that both pain and pleasure may provide whilst walking the path- whilst living out ones’ story…(!)

How does this excerpt sit with you ?

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How could the process of “working with these stories…” be like ?

As bold as the excerpt passage may read, I also feel a softness within it - one that highlights a space for invitation. An invitation to first surrender to the stories - in order to experience what lifes’ reality is presenting. To surrender, a relinquishing the need to control what the ‘moral of the story’ will be before the body of work has been truly investigated ! To live through the story of experience as consciously and with full-bodied awareness so to make space for a more multi-faceted finale of ‘effects’ formed from the initial seeds of ‘causes’ that began the book to be.

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If we were each to take a moment of pause to fully inhabit this present moment, slowing down to journey within the spaces between the rhythmic breath that serves as background for our inner dialogue…we may adapt the breadth of inquiry stimulated by Dr. Clarissa Pinkola Estes, and ask ourselves;

What embedded / pre-conditioned stories play on auto-pilot or repeat in our minds and mouths? How do these stories influence the moment or the state upon which we are showing up ?

What embedded / pre-conditioned stories are outgrown / are ready to serve as endings to concluded chapters of our lives however recent, and that make way for a clean page upon which to direct our mind-body towards, daringly ?

What chapter of the bigger book of my life is in process of adventuring through currently ?

~ with gratitude,

Frances.

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***[ It’s lovely of you to be here :) To further explore the nuances of how Intentional Travel, Mind-Body Practices, Writing and Self-Awakening enriches and expands daily life - you can receive my ‘Monthly Letters’ for your self-paced exploration » here ].