| By Sarah Walker of Soulstice Yoga and Bodywork |
| There’s something about summer that has felt profoundly relational. Maybe it’s the fire of connection — conversations that crack open something long-held, or the quiet heat of being seen in a way that’s both tender and disarming. Maybe it’s the Earth beneath it all, holding the complexity of it with steadiness and compassion. I just returned from a training that explored the late summer season through the lens of Chinese medicine. We dove deep into the energy of Earth — the element of nourishment, belonging, and support — and how it dances with Fire, the element of the heart, joy, and the shen, our spirit. One of the most powerful questions we explored was this: What happens to “me” when I come into relationship with you? What parts of me soften, awaken, constrict, or transform? We sometimes carry this illusion that healing happens in isolation — that we must figure ourselves out before we enter connection. But the nervous system doesn’t develop alone. It forms in relationship. Through co-regulation. Through attunement. Through rupture and repair. And it’s in relationship — to others, to the Earth, to the parts of ourselves we’ve tried to push away — where so much of the sacred process of healing unfolds. In pelvic mapping and somatic exploration this weekend, I kept coming back to the tenderness of being with — of not needing to fix or change what arises, but simply honoring it. Letting it have space. Trusting that it belongs. That this, too, is part of the unfolding. It reminded me of what I often forget: We don’t always need to know why. Sometimes we just need to listen. To honor what’s showing up without rushing the process. To trust that what feels tender now may be part of what makes us whole later.This is what makes the process sacred. The parts you can’t rush. The parts you can’t make sense of yet. The way your nervous system slowly learns it’s safe to be in connection again. The way your body, like the Earth, holds and metabolizes it all.As we begin to tip toward late summer, the Earth energy invites us to come back home — to ourselves, to our relationships, to the sacredness of process. You don’t need to be fully healed to be worthy of connection. You don’t need to understand everything to be on the path.You just need to be here. In it. With yourself. That’s enough.Gentle Somatic PracticePlace one hand on your heart, one on your belly. Breathe slowly. Ask your body, What part of me is still learning how to be in relationship? Wait. Listen. Let it speak without needing to explain. |
| Whether you’re in the middle of something tender or simply ready to reconnect with your body and spirit, I’d love to support your process. You can explore my offerings or book a session by clicking here. |