be patient with me as I shed this skin.
S H E D D I N G
SHEDDING
-To get rid of something unwanted or unnecessary; to let something fall off
This year on my birthday I made a vow to myself to Travel LIGHT and to stay LIT. More often than not my intention is to no longer carry what is not mine and to continue to stay inspired by the work.
We have this beautiful gift of seasons here in Michigan. We can visually see how change is not only necessary but inevitable.
Colors change, seasons change, people change, preferences change, schedules change, time changes, bodies change
I am learning that holding on is futile. It is like holding your breath.
Consider allowing what is to arrive and welcome it as if it was a famous guest filled with wisdom just for YOU. Then allowing it to leave and being grateful for the lessons it taught you. There is nothing more tragic than holding onto the pieces that do not fit any more. Shedding can be both painful and freeing. It can hurt and also create space for new growth.
—Acceptance and Surrender—
“Acceptance is the ultimate forgiveness because it gives you the freedom to move on and live your life as you choose to.”
-Tanya Markul
This season I am purging what no longer feels like mine. I am making room for more authentic alignment for myself. I am celebrating what I learned from these things and with a deep gratitude and then releasing them. What if you could actually care more by not carrying so much?
How are you letting go what is heavy this fall?
What will you do in the space between what is no longer and what is to come?
Take good care and trust in the empty spaces...just like trees spend the winter bare to make room for the green leaves in the spring...new is coming. Maybe, just maybe, you can deepen the connection to the root, the ground— the soil that holds you tightly. All is well, trust the process.
Anchor in…
With Love,
Kelli McMullen
HOW TO BE ANTIRACIST
BOOK CLUB REVIEW
By Amelia Ritter
Over the past few weeks, I had the opportunity to facilitate a book club where members of The Space read Ibram X. Kendi’s How To Be An Anti-Racist together. We met virtually from different states and with different life experiences. We divulged that we had not previously discussed racism in this capacity. This is heavy work. It’s uncomfortable to confront your own privilege, but it’s incredibly important. Through the six weeks that we read together and met to discuss, we came to some key conclusions; it’s okay to admit that you’re wrong, it’s okay to change your mind, and, in many cases, these things are absolutely necessary. As we consider moving forward in society, we must get comfortable shedding old ideas and standards. The most dangerous thing we can believe is that things should stay the same because they’ve always been this way. When we open ourselves up to be vulnerable, to feel embarrassed, to feel shame, and to recognize the areas of our life where we’ve experienced privilege over oppression, we can begin the long process of releasing old belief systems and making room for new and inclusive ideologies.
In his book, Kendi writes, "It is best to challenge ourselves by dragging ourselves before people who intimidate us with their brilliance and constructive criticism. ...I wanted to run away. They did not let me run away, and I am grateful now because of it." As a group, we considered how we can open our hearts and our minds to sit with this new information about intersectionality and anti-racism and we came to the conclusion that it’s okay to be wrong, as long as you’re not willing to stay wrong. When we commit to growing by describing, dismantling, and identifying the injustices in our world, we begin the (long, important, tedious, evolving) journey to undoing the societal cancer that is racism. I am so grateful to have had a safe space to digest this incredible book and take part in laying a foundation for what will hopefully become a powerful commitment to anti-racism in our community.
Stay tuned for our next book club offering!
Creating Space in November
30 IN 30
with Liv Monte
Cleaning house— the good ol purge, has been a ritualistic practice for decades. Who ever coined the term Spring Cleaning was brilliant. Give people a reason to release, let go, clear spaces within their homes. I think what we typically fail to recognize is the release actually comes in our mental homes as much if not more as our physical homes, our vessel feels better. We all need it. Permission to let go of whats no longer of use to us. While the Spring is a great time to let go— we often forget that the Fall is all about releasing. The trees begin to change and it feels like there is a new energy in the world, for a matter of weeks— then the trees remind us of how beautiful it is to let go.
Earlier this year I read Greg McKeowns Essentialism and one of the most powerful lessons in the book was about how we value something more when we already own it. He says thats why you never clean a rental car before giving it back (I lol’d, too true).
I love how McKeown talks about approaching if we really need to hold on to something.
Pretend you don’t own it yet: don’t ask “How much do I value this item?” but rather “If I did not own this item, how much would I pay to obtain it?”. You will be surprised what actually holds value to you.
Last spring I had seen the 40 things in 40 days challenge floating around on various socials and flippantly said “who wants in!!!” on my instagram and I had 30+ people say ME! We got to day 30-something, COVID happened and we forgot. But it was inspiring to me how many people were actually involved! We crave releasing! We all want to feel mentally lighter. Everything in life holds energy, physical things become emotional/mental things.
This month is a month of releasing what we have gather along the way, allowing space to enter in as we creep into hibernation. Removing without replacing is an odd, and tough thing to do. Typically when we make space, it’s done so with an intended thing to replace the space with. “I will donate these shoes, because I want to go get new ones!”. We typically remove to replace.
What if we committed to one item a day for one month. 30 days. Closing out the year a little lighter, because why not. Want in?? Join our facebook group for accountability!!! All are welcome. We are stronger together— be inspired, step in. This is absolutely free to all and a connection to make with our community.
Let’s go!
the Space for Release
New music from us to you. Get in your body. Get out of your way. Release.
Love, be patient with me
As I shed this skin.
As I lie old patterns at these feet
As I burn and sweat
As I’m fed by this stream
I can be fierce while this vulnerable
I can seem far away
As these wounds I lick
As I writher, moan, cry and hiss,
And awaken within this
River carrying me home
As I take in this last breath
Generous was this passing death
Praise be the person I was
As I gasp life into
The warrior
I am now
//Tanya Markul
