A heavy heart and expanding horizons

Greetings!

I hope this newsletter finds you well as we approach the spring equinox.

On some days, days like today, I have the task of holding the weight of my heavy heart. It is a physical experience: a heaviness in the chest, a shallow breath, a furrowed brow. And it's often accompanied by a desire to hide. The reason for this seemingly burdensome feeling today is hidden from my mind, which is frustrating to the part of me that seeks a clear reason for this experience. It is even more frustrating to the part of me that wishes all of my newsletters were filled with words of inspiration. But today, rather than waiting for the upswing towards a better mood, I choose to embrace what is here and express it to you, dear reader, and in doing so, I already feel things lightening a bit. More and more, my daily commitment is to navigate my sensory experience with openness and equanimity, and not pretending I’m impervious to the emotional challenges of being human. I have become a big fan of making friends with my reality, and even on days like today when emotional heaviness is difficult to befriend, I feel a deep-rooted satisfaction and freedom through simply allowing it to be here, without resistance. Already, my breath is starting to deepen and I feel humbled by the simple fact of being alive.

The past year has been transformative as I've found myself fully immersed in an enriching and challenging new career path. In some ways it feels as if I've been catapulted into this new venture, but it feels more fitting to say that I've been called to it, and that I've felt the call for a long time. 

One facet of this path is a practice that has become very dear to me: meditation. My daily practice over the last 18 months has evoked a fascination with the nature of awareness and yielded an increased capacity to metabolize anxiety. I experience the practice as a gift and have an intuitive understanding that I’ve barely scratched the surface in terms of the long term benefits. For the second time this year, I am offering a 6-week mindfulness course based on the Unified Mindfulness system. It starts on Thursday, March 25th from 6 - 7:15pm MDT. Classes will be held at the same time every Thursday through April 29th and the entire course is offered on a sliding scale between $45 - $85. For more details click here or simply respond to this email if you're interested in signing up. The class size is limited to 10 participants and I expect it to fill up. 

My coaching practice is also evolving. I have been continually shapeshifted and transformed through the simple and complex art of supporting others. In so many ways, my clients have become my biggest inspiration. I see coaching as a practice in being unconditionally open to the full spectrum of the human experience, ever stepping into the unknown with my clients as they courageously look, with honest eyes, at their vulnerability and fecund potential. Witnessing and supporting this process in others brings me straight into my heart, over and over again. Cultivating my capacities as a coach has become very important to me. Currently, I'm studying adult development and shadow work at the Yugen Institute which has been highly rewarding.

I am continuing to offer Dyad & Council groups once a month. Consistently, these groups have been nourishing for me and for participants alike and I would love to have you join!

Also, I’m happy to announce that my recent musical releases are now streaming on Spotify, Pandora, and Apple music. Please spread the word!

Gratefully,

Michael