Celebrating You ~
In the midst of life challenges, we can forget to see the small things that can prove to be milestones amongst the weight of living an embodied life in this sometimes crazy world. When I was ill, taking a short walk outside was something to pat myself on the back for. Taking a shower without help, being able to stand long enough to cook a meal for myself, or being able to visit with a friend without my disabling symptoms being a huge obstacle were beautiful wins! Baby steps (literally!) in physical and aquatic therapy were moments to celebrate too.
Major life events aren’t usually a joyful process, but we can take our power back by choosing to relish the moments of joy and victory, despite these challenges. When we settle into these moments, we can begin to see that our goals are indeed tangible and within reach. When we begin seeing even slight progress through life challenges, it motivates us to envision even more possibility. We might even be able to sense the possibility on the other side of that obstacle.
Recently, I celebrated five months post-op from my total hip replacement — the second surgery on my right hip since September 2024. I’m still celebrating being free of a year and a half of agonizing pain, limping, canes, and greatly reduced mobility and agility. I’m celebrating the hard work I’ve put into being regimental about my physical therapy, participating twice per week since June. I am also back to my daily exercise program which includes strength training on the even day and yoga on the odd day. I committed to going to a great hot Yin Restore yoga class on Friday evenings with friends, which has also allowed a lot of the scar tissue to heal and has supported even more flexibility. I am not where I was pre-injury, but I still celebrate how far I’ve come.
Now, I can do upward facing dog!
We tend to shy away from patting ourselves on the back for the seemingly small but meaningful moments of victory over the obstacles in our lives. But focusing only on the obstacles robs us of the opportunities to be fully present in the joy and gratitude of the moment. As we experience challenges of life, we may tend to measure ourselves against others’ achievements instead of marking our victories. We forget to take into consideration the amount of effort we have put into in the face of these challenges. When we do these things, we disempower ourselves.
Celebrating ourselves can be as simple as asking ourselves what brings us joy and peace, such as a walk in the woods, basking in the sun on a winter afternoon, drawing ourselves a luxurious salt bath, or curling up with a good book and a cup of tea.
Ask yourself what you appreciate that is powerfully unique about you. Ask yourself how you might celebrate the triumphs you’ve made recently. These triumphs might be small, and that’s the point. In a world of lack, you can choose to be rebellious and find as many opportunities as possible to celebrate yourself.
In the Northern Hemisphere, we are approaching the sacred time of Winter Solstice… a time of celebrating the returning of Light in the darkness. This is a perfect time to celebrate the power within you by acknowledging how unique of Light you are in this world. In the spiritual worlds, everything is seen as having value, worth, intelligence, and consciousness. The spirit of snow, the spirit of ice, the spirit of wind are all beings we can commune with.
I encourage you to light a fire (or candle) as you celebrate the Light within and without.
