If we’re lucky, we can bring to mind a shining example of at least one woman in our lives who embodies the best qualities of power. It may be a mother, wife, sister, daughter, partner, colleague or mentor.
What are some adjectives that arise as you reflect on your ideal? What is the essence of their power?
As I go deeper into my mindfulness practice and the MBSR teacher pathway, the qualities that resonate most for me are integrity, compassion, skillfulness, resilience, and a commitment to serving a higher purpose.
One of the reasons that I love El Camino so much is that it gives a multi-faceted way to embody many of these qualities of power.
While climbing the Pyrenees in the rain on my first day of my recent journey, I experienced a visceral moment of challenge and despair.
How could I possibly go on? I was physically spent.
Well, I went on because I had to.
Step by step, until this too shall pass. Before I knew it, I reached my goal and was in a warm, dry refuge with a café con leche. And in a place of awesome natural beauty.
In that moment, I had made the choice not to sink into despair but to choose the experience that I wanted. I chose skillful resilience and integrity with my intention - to be powerful instead of sinking into disempowering thoughts.
That lived experience gave me the strength to face any other moments of challenge that arose, because I physically, mentally and emotionally embodied my power of choice.
This too shall pass.
The beauty of El Camino is not only in these personal moments, but also in the broader sense of community support.
On the last night of our journey, we stayed at a 13th century church hostel run by a nun who had climbed many of the word’s most difficult mountain peaks earlier in life.
In her wisdom years, Mother Marisol was devoting her energy to this small parish and to supporting others in their journeys.
She mentioned with wonder that, for the first time in nearly 20 years, our group of pilgrims that night was all women.
This powerful woman guided us to individually climb the church tower to ring the oldest bell in the province of Navarra.
The first ring of the bell was to represent a release from the past. She suggested we allow ourselves to experience the full length of the struck bell’s vibrations. The second ring of the bell was to signify calling in what we desire for our future.
After a communal dinner, Mother Marisol brought us up to the ancient choir loft of the church, where she guided a sharing circle. We offered brave stories of:
✨ Women taking charge of their lives by choosing to make this journey and powerfully create new intentions.
✨ Women serving others in their moments of transition.
✨ Women raising powerful voices in song and celebration.
And we all left the experience feeling inspired and connected as a result of our choice to be vulnerable together. As we shared our challenges, we realized we are not alone and this too shall pass.
Personal power and resilience in facing challenges can be cultivated no matter where you are. MBSR practices offer the guidance of the 9 Attitudes of Mindfulness to develop these skills in your everyday life.
They nurture your own embodied belief that this too shall pass.
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Wishing you a powerful week full of inspiration!
Let your wisdom lead,
Robin
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