… but the rainbow always shines within you!
Some days are better than others. There will be days, weeks, or even months you just can’t figure out how the hell you’ll get through. I can particularly remember many times I felt this way when my kids were very young and I still have some days where I experience this now.
This is our crazy life and no matter how much we try to paint rainbows and sprinkle glitter for these so-called “outlookers” deep down inside only you, “we” know what you’re, “our” reality is. You! The one and only… You!
THIS IS LIFE! Guess what? IT’S OK TO FEEL THIS WAY!!! THIS IS OUR WORLD. Life happens!
Yes, I speak all about gratitude and positive affirmations.Yes, I truly believe we can attract good energy, if we live our days feeling and expressing that energy within ourselves. I still feel this is the way we should strive to live our lives… to have a positive, grateful attitude… Reality though… We are ALL human!
We all have that friend or relative that will throw a positive spin on everything and anything. Great, more power to that person! Now lets take that smiley mask off and be raw for just a moment. Just because a person needs to cry, vent, or argue doesn’t mean they are a negative Nancy. Please… we need to feel, cry, scream, curse, run, whatever it is. It’s healthy to feel all our emotions, and let it all out. Do whatever you need to let it all out.
FEEL ALL THE FEELS and FEEL IT FULLY! Sometimes negative things are going to happen but, we can’t sit and dwell on these emotions. It’s so important that we talk about it, most importantly, it’s so important to watch our thoughts too and keep that positivity within ourselves. We need to feel all the feels…so we are able to shine the light within us. 🌈 It’s so important to find some stillness, some presence within ourselves so we can find the rainbow within the strom, within that difficult time or transition that we are going through. Your rainbow will be there through the darkest times as well as in your moments of tranquility. Let it shine above you, but also inside of you. It’s so important to remember that some days it may be dimmer that other days depending on what you feel, but it will ALWAYS be there, right inside you. ❤️ YOU and only YOU are the rainbow in your storm! During your most difficult times…even when it feels like you are the storm itself, YOU are the rainbow. Life isn’t about waiting for the rainbow at the end of the storm its about learning that YOU were the rainbow in the midst of your storm all along. ❤️❤️❤️ Thank you to all of the teachers of Pranotthan that have made me feel this within myself. Now, the tools of BRWFA…
I’d like to share the practice of BRWFA with all of you. One that will help you on the mat, but most importantly, I hope will help you off the mat and in your everyday life when you need it.
This was a lesson that I have been able to teach to each one of my children and one that I pray they will incorporate into their lives when they need it as well.
B.R.W.F.A, ( Breathe, Relax, Feel, Watch and Allow ) These words that make up BRWFA were taught to me during my first training weeked. It was taught as I learned to hold a difficult pose for an extended period of time. Most importantly though, I was taught to feel a greater sense of awareness within my body as I held those difficult poses. ( Breathe, relax into the pose, Feel the sensation, Watch your thoughts, Allow the moment to just be. )
Since the devasting passing of my dad, my life has been in a period of transition and change. I have had moments that I felt like I have lost my way. I have been riding the rollercoaster of feelings: confused, sad, overwhelmed, tired, depressed, angry, afraid…anything but relaxed. Little by little, I found my way and somehow returned to an emotional balance. Yes, in the first few days I felt stuck, all I could focus on was taking deep breaths. After a week, I was able to come back to the practice of BRWFA that I was taught. It brought me back to a relaxed state where I was able to find a little peace and clarity without drowning in my emotions.
Now, as I experiece yet another transiton and change in my life… I realize, it is something that we are ALL experieceing together... this pandemic, the coronavirus pandemic. It’s important for me to come back to the positive thoughts. It has made me see “we are not alone” “we are all in this together“. During this self-quarantine, social distancing…WE ARE NOT ALONE. We somehow believe as a society that “we can do it ourselves” yet, now we know more than ever, we can’t…we are not alone. This sickness, this illness of China & Italy is our illness as well. I can only pray that we learn from this time: for the future of our children, families, and for the future of our world.
I am sure, as a whole, we are ALL feeling these feelings of emotions in some sort. Our whole world is experienceing this pandemic together. For this reason, I’d like to share the teaching of BRFWA fir you to use off the mat. I find myself coming back to these words yet again. “BRWFA is the practice of being being present.”
Breathe: A wave of emotion comes over you, slow down your breath. Be present with it, feel it flow in and out.
Relax: Your mind and body will begin to relax as you slow down your breath. Let go of any menal or physical tension. Soften your muscles.
Feel: As you relax, you are able to soften into what you are feeling. It’s so important to stay open to the emotions that are moving through you in this moment.
Watch: While feeling, you watch your experience closely. Do not push away what is painful or difficult. Do not hold onto the pain, Feel it fully!
Allow: As you watch, allow the process to unfold as it should be. Accept yourself and your experience exactly as it is, drop the need to change it in any way.
A note to my kids… You are the light. It is always within you. We all have days that are not sunshine and rainbows. Relationships are hard, life is hard. We have to remember not to let those not so good days, those hard days get the best of us. Take those feelings of sadness, anger, frustration to a mom or dad, aunt, uncle, sibling, a person you can trust, and of course to God. Because every day that we are struggling, I want you to remind yourself that God has a plan through any difficult time and to always remember that you always have a bringt light, a bright rainbow always shining within you. Love, Mom ❤️
Sending you LOVE & LIGHT, Stacey
