Today feels like a perfect day to connect.
The weather is crisp and beautiful.
The wind is shaking loose the first of the changing leaves.
Fall is a wonderful reminder of the cyclical nature of change. It is a time to surrender, reflect and connect with our innermost self in preparation of what is to come.
One of the most beautiful gifts of my healing practice is the opportunity to witness the communal experiences we share at various times of the year. Lately, I am hearing over and over from people ‘feeling stuck’ in a state of suspension.
Many people are feeling a pull of change. But without clarity around what the change may be or how to bring about the change they desire, there is a general feeling of disconcertment that accompanies this transitional time.
It brings to my mind the concept of liminality which Megan Divine writes about in her book, It’s OK That You’re Not OK. Liminality comes from the Latin word limen, meaning ‘a threshold’. Megan writes -
Liminality is the quality of ambiguity or disorientation that occurs when a person is no longer who they once were and has not yet become someone entirely new and solid.
This is one place where that commonly used transformation of a butterfly is helpful: we could say that while it’s inside the cocoon, a caterpillar-butterfly is in a liminal state, neither caterpillar nor butterfly.
In the same way, we are neither one thing nor another.
Much like a caterpillar is internally compelled to prepare its cocoon, perhaps we too feel the pull of the thresholds of change in our lives. Learning to surrender and trust the natural process of this can alleviate some of the anxiety that surrounds these suspended states of being.
If you are finding yourself in a liminal state, rather than resisting or feeling anxious by the unknown, view it as a calling to cocoon. Use this time as an opportunity to practice self care. Quiet your ‘need to know’.
Instead, pause to reflect and to accept where you are right now. Listen to your quiet internal voice. Visualize what you’d like to welcome into your life.
Lastly, above all else, practice self compassion during this time of change.
In gratitude,
Dana