Conscious Partnership with Yourself

BLOG By Andrea Elizabeth

What does Conscious Partnership mean to you? What does it look like?

We all hear messages of self care, self love, seek within, and so on. But is this messaging being received on a level that we grasp to be outside ourselves?  That to have an awakened partnership within is not tangible unless there’s an outside source? I believe not. Conscious Partnering is truly an inside job and not something that is a quick one–and–done. 

Transformation is ongoing and unfolding. Once we have uncovered and mastered our transformation, another layer is revealed; presenting an opportunity to create a solid foundation of relationship at Soul Level.

When you hear the word Soul, what does it feel like to you? Do you feel it deep in your heart? Do you want to roll your eyes?  Which patterns do you have/see repeating? Are you longing to partner outside of yourself? Do you keep yourself busy with work, working out, food, controlling others?  Do you find excuses for why you don’t have time for “rest is best” time which means sitting with ourselves and allowing our feelings to come up and be seen? Or does it hurt too much, or feel too vulnerable? 

Over time, these patterns will cause emotional hemorrhage. 

Our bodies hold our beliefs and patterns. Think about it. Where do you tense?  Is it your jaw, your glutes, or your neck? Our bodies are the last to process our experiences, good or bad. We hold emotions in our muscles, in our tissues, the cells in our waters and even in the blood cells that formed us in the womb. 

Self nurturing is another term for conscious partnering.  This can be a challenge to digest and apply on a regular basis. Pregnancy gives us an opportunity to apply this concept and to integrate a solid foundation of partnership with ourselves. Having this little human inside of us causes us to be mindful and hyper-sensitive to our emotions, to sensations in our body and gives us a chance to practice trusting our inner knowing.  Partnering with our little one in our womb inspires us to be attuned to all feels in our body. When we give birth, we activate instinctual intuitive energies that are innately within us. Having already planted those seeds of self nurture during those 40 weeks (give or take), can allow us an opportunity for a smooth transition into motherhood….and into our next season of womanhood. One might say, even into our evolution of life- postpartum. 

By setting your Intention before your movement practice and closing your practice with Savasana, you establish a sense of home, with peace and love in your own mind, body and soul. This enables you to strengthen the muscles of knowing you are Whole and Complete. 

Think of it as two bookends holding together the energetic structure we have formed with breath and intentional movement.  What is in between is discernment of our experiences. What needs to be acknowledged, or to be healed, with space for expansion of growth and the choices that need to be made in order for this to happen. You are creating volumes of your inner and outer work.  Chapters, pages within your own mind, featuring your body and soul’s work. 

This is the time to focus on what we want to pass down and what to let go of so that the new can be let in. When we set intention, we are giving ourselves permission to transform through our movement practice. It’s time for whatever bits and pieces of ourselves that are no longer serving us to dislodge. You’ll start to experience the changes physically, mentally, and energetically. Rest with ease and grace as you transform organically. 

Your bookends hold all the inner workings of how we want to heal. How we want to show up in the world authentically.  During the 9 month process of transforming to motherhood, you are being activated on a cellular level and igniting your intuition. Perhaps even echoing the patterns you had in your own experience within your mother’s womb. Your intention and settling into rest with Savasana can be your mind, body, and soul’s way of creating new habits of self partnership/self nourishment for Post Partum of life.

Setting intention at the beginning of your yoga/movement practice is a way of sending a message within yourself, saying – I am here, I am present, I am open, you have my undivided attention. Perhaps, this way of being, this way of settling into your body is new to you. That’s okay. It will help you connect, both within yourself and with your baby. 

Set the space for your movement practice.  Sit up on your sit bones nice, straight and tall. Eyes soften or closed.  Start by bringing awareness to your heart. Bring your hand to your heart and one hand to your belly. Bring awareness to your breath and the air around your body. Bringing all the parts of your day back to the present moment. Start to visualize your heart, focusing on the shape and the blood flow to your body. Next, start to draw an outline of your heart. If you have a challenge visualizing this, that’s okay! There is no right or wrong here…You can just stay in the place of feeling your hand on your chest. Feel your hand touching your heart and your heart touching your hand. Once you feel centered and complete, what message do you want to send to your baby? What message do you want to give to yourself? What message do you want to send to your body? This sacred message is only for you… all parts, baby too. What is it you want to transform through your practice of yoga. Breathe… in life and out life….

Now, you have come to the end of your practice. Time to rest and digest all what your movement and breath has offered you with Savasana. This can happen in a restorative shape or perhaps lying down on your side. Find what works for you.  If lying on your side in fetal position, you can use a pillow or blanket in between your legs and a pillow for your head for more support. Relax your face and jaw. Notice any tensing. Can you bring an inhale and exhale to relax and let go?  Start to bring awareness to the outline of your body. Perhaps you notice a color or a feeling. Thoughts will arise, let them. Perhaps you have a sweet whisper you want to send down to your baby. Perhaps you have a sweet whisper for the little girl inside yourself.  Or perhaps nothing is coming through you except for pure relaxation. Allow yourself to just be in the presence of home within your own body. Know that you are whole and complete, no matter what. You may release a tear or even a warm sensation in your body. Let it come.

Conscious Partnering is truly an inside job. There is a well of wholeness and completeness that is our very own source of peace, love and wisdom. When we build this trust within ourselves, we remember our inner knowing. By healing ourselves within this conscious partnership, we heal not only ourselves but the generations before us and the generation ahead of us.  May you continue to unfold in your building of self nourishment and soul partnership from within, for both yourself and your baby.