navigatingchange

When you’re anxious about the future and craving stability

/ Julia Aziz / Leave a comment

Rootedness
Stability
An Anchor

These are words I’m often hearing when folks talk about what they are longing for. The question is, in this time of rapid change and uncertainty, what can be relied on?

As I was contemplating this question on a walk last week, suddenly a big hawk flew over and landed on a fence right in front of me. It checked things out for a few minutes, then looked me straight in the eye, shot out a big white poop, and flew on to a nearby tree. 

You might find this story gross, but I think it’s a pretty great response to the question!

“Release that shit and move on,” is what I hear. 

I think this process itself could be the anchor. We keep digesting, keep eliminating, and keep going.

Maybe we’re not truly designed for constancy anyway. Trees are so well-rooted, birds can fly from one to another, perching on any strong branch. Maybe we too can trust we’ll find what we need when we need it.

I think of the moon cycles too. We see the moon full for only a night or two each month, but in reality, the moon is always whole. She is a steady companion. Even though, from our vantage point, she seems to always be changing.

What I hear is nature saying:

Root in the practice of letting go and moving on.

Stabilize on what’s already here and grounded.

Find dependability in the cycles.

If you’re feeling anxious about the future and not sure how you’ll deal with the trials to come, here’s a little gift. It’s a simple song meant for the shower, the road, your community, or anytime you need a little help trusting yourself and the bigger picture: “When The Time Comes”: A Singalong for Anxious Times by Julia Aziz. It’s been good medicine for me, and I hope it will be for you too.

Wishing you a new chapter of curiosity and adaptability, with lots and lots of love,

Julia Aziz

PS- I made a choice some years ago to be consistent with certain offerings, to create a rootedness in practice and ritual. If you could use a space to rely on during these times of change, please check out the variety of offerings on this site. Or you can read these reflections in your inbox once in a while and get updates about services by signing up for my mailing list 💛

Changes that feel uncomfortable, inevitable, and not quite here yet

/ Julia Aziz / Leave a comment

“Things feel uncomfortable, uncertain, surreal.”

“I know something is changing, but I have no idea what’s next.”

“I’m not sure what’s happening, how I feel, or why!”

I’ve been hearing these themes a lot lately. Some feel they’re at an unfamiliar crossroads; others are grappling with existential questions. In this Great Unsettling, it seems as if one phase is shifting without us knowing what the next one will be. Like driving through a fog and missing all the signposts, it’s a vulnerable time to be moving through.

What’s exhausting you could be your vehicle of transformation

If we accept the truth of what’s happening now, we can “offer up” our weariness, confusion, and existential uncertainty. Offering means we let what is hard for us become sacred. We acknowledge that the road ahead runs precisely through the territory we like to avoid, and we take that road in the spirit of soul growth, with courage. Surrendering some resistance, we may feel more open to receive from unexpected directions.

Changing the questions we’re asking

When we can say “I don’t know” honestly, with open curiosity, “What’s the point?” may no longer be such a heavy question. There’s something about admitting lack of control that frees up the mind to see things differently. We come back to what’s in front of us right here. Rather than “What do I do?” we might ask, “What do I do next?”

Remembering where to find the inner compass

I’ve never been one for roller coasters or winding mountain roads. I feel that instability deep in my core, right away! Maybe you’ve got the stomach for turbulence, though you still may not feel thrilled by the ride of personal and collective change. It helps to know if there’s a voice inside saying “Aghhhhhhh!!!”, there’s also one that’s good at handling things. It’s the part of us that shows up for other people when they need it. That competent, fierce, adaptable part has a better sense of direction than the tired and frightened inner child. In this new terrain, we might intentionally ask the inner adult to take the wheel.

New rules to the game? 

There’s not just one insight that changes everything, and then we’re good to go forever more. So much spiritual seeking seems to have this flavor of “if I just change in this one way, I’ll be golden, and then I can finally coast.” Who came up with this silliness? Everything alive on this earth is in some cyclical process. Life is temporary; the mystery of life is always. 

Upwards Spiral image

If you’re struggling to find your way, I hope you reach out and ask for some help. We’re really not meant to be doing all this life stuff alone. When there’s too much constriction to let in support, clearing some things out can make all the difference. Change, of course, requires some creativity–and undoing.

Wherever we go, I’m glad to be on this wild ride with you,

Julia Aziz

PS- Here’s a little off-the-cuff, less than two minute audio to support you in these strange times: Get the “Rapid Reset for Instability” practice audio.