February is a container month; a container that we will eventually bust out of, hopefully with pride and glory, gratitude and confidence. Think of February as space, a pause, between the old and the new. March brings in massive new energy, and this pause in February is giving us an opportunity to gather ourselves again, sort through what we're ready to let go of, and gather strength for the upcoming crescendo. When we let go of what we no longer need, and pull our attention into our own cave, focusing on what is our business, rather than the outside business the world is calling us to focus on, a massive surge of energy returns to us that we can use to attend to what is ours business, that actually brings joy. What a concept! This is inside/out work. No one else can do it for you. You can choose to take up the power that is yours, or not, and the effects will result — whatever those are, based on what you're choosing to attend to.
Let me lay out a metaphor here to help you understand the energy that is coming, and where we are now. I recently read a story about a baby chicks birth. It had not occurred to me before, that a baby chick (or all animals birthed in a shell) actually go through two births. First, the mother gives birth to the egg. Second, the egg gives birth to itself. During the time the egg is preparing to birth itself, it needs nurturing, warmth, safety and rest to gather the strength to bust out of its shell and become an individual. This is what we are about to go through. The image that I saw when I tuned in for February was a container itself, the safety of the cave, the nest, the safe place to do your work, to ask the hard questions, to sob the tears, to let what needs to be revealed make itself known so that you can make conscious choices about how you want to handle it, possibly different than you have before. We are in a death/rebirth process. This is the time to clean your desk, dump out the old stuff that is no longer you, and dream into being where you want to go.
This is lower chakra work, sifting through the denser energies. The solar plexus is all about will, determination, boundaries, differentiation. And so, we have to know where we want to go, to have the will to get there. Think of strength training, but this is internal strength we're building. This has more to do with the internal war we have in our minds everyday. Who wronged us? Who's fault is it? How did we get here? What story are we telling ourselves, and how is that creating our reality? It's time to take responsibility for all of that, so we can drop the utter waste of time it is, and gain back the energy we have lost living this way. As the saying goes, energy flows where attention goes. Now we have to be honest with ourselves about how we're contributing to our realities and make some changes. This is where the reconciliation energy comes in. Assessing our lives thus far, and deciding to let it all go for greener pastures; forgiveness is a key ingredient. Great time to watch Rocky! Eye of the tiger, baby!
It's a bit of a combo month for suggestions, in that I want to guide us towards staying present with what is, but also letting it come through however it does. It's a bit of letting go of the left brain, to let the right brain lead. The unknown often has been answers than the known.
Suggestions for the month:
Yoga Nidra — I'm doing a teacher training for this now, so when I'm done I'll offer guided meditations and help bring you into the practice myself, but for now, check out insight timer and just search yoga nidra and see what you're drawn to.
Structure/Non-structure — It's hard to describe this one, but it's basically like creating a container so that whatever wants to come up in the container has a safe place to play. This is really a deep re-patterning and re-balancing of the masculine and feminine. The masculine provides the container, the feminine creates in it. In other words, blocking off time for nothing so that you can see what wants to come. Think puttering. I'm realizing how much I love puttering because magic always comes out of it, and it doesn't look anything like the thing we're taught to be so afraid of: laziness! It's entirely productive!!
Journal — Let the feelings come, however they do, but journaling is a great way to get it out of you and allow yourself to see your own growth, and what still needs tending.
The oil for the month nearly fell off the shelf. It's an oil I don't use that often but did have, and Spirit made it known, this was the one. Lemon Myrtle, a clarification oil. From Essential Emotions "It's extremely effective in cutting through the prevalent modern states of mental fogginess, dull senses, and living on autopilot. The nature of the modern lifestyle leads to overstimulation through the constant barrage of new information and experiences. Often individuals react by mentally shutting down or getting lost in circling and unproductive throughout. Lemon Myrtle can help calm and redirect erratic thoughts and invigorate the mind."