A message from Elizabeth
To my Mighty community,
I have felt so supported and loved by you always, but especially these last 2+ weeks. And I want you to know that your notes, letters, intentions and energy are felt deeply within my heart and soul every day, almost constantly.
It is such an honor to be a yoga teacher because in this capacity I get to observe you and collect your energy. And so often I have felt as though you are my teachers – healing me when I needed it. And now you are so much more. You are rays of sunlight breaking through the clouds, you are colors of the rainbow embracing my weaknesses, you are coals of a fire sharing your heat, you are newly bloomed flowers offering vitality.
I am beginning to realize that this hardship is actually a gift. Getting sick has already taught me to see with bigger eyes, to love with a bigger heart and to let myself be vulnerable both to this illness and to my community of family and friends. Since the surgery I have had to learn to breathe fully again without fear of pain. I have been pricked and I have been cut and my practice now is to learn love – and use – and move a body a little different than the one I knew. And perhaps one of the hardest lessons is learning to receive – realizing thatI – strong, stable, independent ME – actually need your gifts, your compassion, and your strength is not easy at first.
In the end, this will be a short chapter of my life – of our lives. I know I will be fine. I am healthy, young, strong and have so many people (dogs, birds, sheep, plants, sunshine, winds and more!) on my team to get through this. And I won’t let you down!
This poem came my way and it’s resonating deeply, so I’ll share it with you:
Blessing the Boats
by Lucille Clifton
may the tide
that is entering even now
the lip of our understanding
carry you out
beyond the face of fear
may you kiss
the wind then turn from it
certain that it will
love your back
may you open your eyes to water
water waving forever
and may you in your innocence
sail through this
to that.