Three Things
“Some circumstances will always be easier.”
I heard this first from Julie Henderson, my principal teacher in Zapchen Somatics. Julie’s teacher, the 36th Vairocana Tulku, gave the wisdom to her many years ago.
“Some circumstances will always be easier.”
When I hear this inside my head, I think, “yeah, it’s true: some circumstances always will be easier.”
For me, it’s a wisdom that takes a bit of the edge off whatever the current difficulty is: Whether it’s plunging a clogged toilet; hearing the dogs next door bark nonstop because they’ve been left alone for hours (poor puppies!); or, being called out by a stranger for wearing a mask.
It’s endless. The things that throw us, that nudge us off course. Shit happens. We wake up on the wrong side of the bed. My Dzogchen teacher, Lama Lena Yeshe Kaytup, calls it a “pee in your shoe day.”
Some embodiment practices I’ve found helpful when I’m having a “pee in my shoe” moment or day: somatic breathing, Zapchen Jiggling and Zapchen Rocking. All of these practices move us towards being aware of our bodies, aware in our bodies, and aware as our bodies.
When we practice somatic breathing, Jiggling and Rocking as a set of practices we support ourselves as bodies in three ways: increase pulsation, renew ground and restore alignment.
These three things – pulsation, ground, alignment – return us, as bodies, to being as whole bodies alive and aware. As whole bodies alive and aware, we experience well-being.
These three things also invite healing, and are hallmarks of trauma recovery. Peter Levine speaks to these aspects in his groundbreaking book, Waking the Tiger: Healing Trauma.
I just finished teaching an online class where we practiced somatic breathing, Zapchen Jiggling and Zapchen Rocking. Afterwards, I experienced sensations of feeling connected and whole. And that me, as body, relaxed into a bigger body that was full of ease.
It felt kind to do for myself. I felt kindness arise in me. The difficulties had dissolved. At least for the time being. Hahaha!
Give one, or all, of these practices a try. Better still, we can do one together. Right now. I’m including a video teaching for somatic breathing; just click the play button on my photo below.
Get in touch, and let me know what happens for you. I’d love to hear from you.
From my heart to yours,
Marla
