Polarities

'So what is a polarity? A polarity, or paradox, is a situation in which opposing forces within a system, pull at each other to keep things balanced. But, like inhaling and exhaling, each “pole” can’t exist without the other.'

- Larry Clark

What do you think of when you think of polarities? Life and death, north and south, east and west, push and pull, this way, that way, my way, your way? Polarities exist everywhere within our landscape and once you start noticing them within you, it's hard to not notice them. This is definitely something I am present with at the moment. There is a lot going on in my life. The ending of a relationship, selling our family home, moving and that all brings up A LOT, especially when it comes to polarities. End the relationship, don't end it, wrong thing to do, right thing to do, want to sell the house, don't want to sell the house, want to move, don't want to move...

Whilst doing my workout with Joie (The Manifestation Workout), we went through a process of speaking the opposites of who we are, 'I am a mother, I am not a mother.' 'I am a woman, I am not a woman', 'I am happy, I am unhappy', 'I am human, I am not human' and I think this was the beginning of the awakening of my own inner polarities, speaking these 'I am' statements out loud and recognising that I am all of this and none of it at all.

During another workout session, I think it was the 6th one, my back went into spasm. Now we pretty much do the same series of exercises for each session with the purpose of working particular muscles to move energy and expand ourselves, so, I was like 'what the F, why have I hurt myself?' I tried to stretch out the spasm and realised that wasn't the best idea, but also wanted it to GO AWAY because I was in the middle of my workout and wanted to continue. This little battle lasted about 5 minutes until I decided to surrender to what was happening. Now, I went through a stream of consciousness after I decided I needed to rest which went a little something like 'if I don't do the workout, I'm not going to shift what I need to, if I've hurt my back, I'm not going to be able to continue my workouts which means no shifting for I don't know how long. If I don't continue my workouts, I'm going to fail at life. If I fail at life, well, oh, no, that's not going to happen...' and so I sat with that for a moment and realised I was in a perfect polarity of ACTION and SURRENDER. This was something I was actually talking to Joie about just two days previously, I was asking how we find the balance in the action and surrender because I struggle with that and then lo and behold I was physically struck with that challenge. I was given an opportunity whilst in action and obviously in the mindset of 'I NEED THIS WORKOUT TO SURVIVE MY LIFE' to completely surrender to the opposite and to see how I felt in it.

We are not all or nothing, we reside in the in-between and it is how we reside there that is the key to unlocking these polarities. How can we find the perfect alignment between what could be perceived as the light and dark, the good and bad within ourselves? Allowing one in and pushing one out certainly doesn't work because we are both. We need the tension of the two to create the energy and one side of a coin cannot exist without the other, but it's how we accept them both and equally that truly matters.

By surrendering whilst I was in action it allowed me to pause and reflect and see that the workouts I am doing are amazing but they are not the making of me and neither is the me who just sits and rests and does nothing. The making of me is the SPACE BETWEEN, the GAP, the PAUSE, the moment that the breath exhales and holds for just a moment, that is where the gold lives, the treasure we all hold, that is where we find the inner state of peace that allows us to be who we are, to align with our truth, so that no matter what happens we can sit in that gold and know that what is happening for us does not define us, it simply is just happening and the balance and fullness we are searching for exists within the polarities of all things.

How do polarities show up for you? Are there any that you are learning to balance at the moment? I'd love to know!

Much love,

Lauren xxx