Exploration

Exploration: ‘the action of exploring an unfamiliar area.’

Originally when I thought of writing about this theme, I thought it would be about exploring in the physical sense. Maybe I talk about travel, exploring new places. When I looked up the meaning of the word: I felt into it even further & thought wow, we’ve pretty much all experienced a level of exploration this year, not we’ve not really ‘travelled’ anywhere.

Whether it has been exploring & witnessing what a global pandemic can do to you & your community/family. Exploring what life like is without work, without family, friends around, without financial security. Exploring life when working from home & juggling kids home-schooling and exploring your own expectations of that life. Exploring how it feels when you watch the news and see the panic when people think necessities like toilet paper could run out.. I mean that was nuts.

For almost 10 months we’ve all experienced some level of exploring something unfamiliar.

For me, I explored many things: I explored how to best use my time, when work was on hold, and explored giving myself space to learn & up-skill. I was able to hold space for myself & ask those questions, “If you could do any offering & get paid what would it be?’ & ‘if I couldn’t fail, what would work would you bring to the world?’ I explored what my passions were & how I could give that back to my community & the world.

I explored my own feelings of deep loneliness like I’ve never experienced before: allowing me to really see, feel & identify with my heart & soul what is really important to me, and WHO is really important to me.

I explored in fun ways: new ways to exercise.. ahhh yehhhh I did & still do a retrosweat workout each week, nothing like a grapevine to music from the Top Gun soundtrack. I explored my bucket list, what things were on there that I could do, resulted in me dancing in my own lounge room & learning a choreographed dance. & through that experience with The Strut Club (look India up.. amazing) I explored my own inner thoughts of my body, how I treat her & how to connect further with my body as a beautiful, powerful being.  

I explored showing up in a virtual space & loved it, Holding Women’s Circles online with women across the world. I held space for 1:1 clients and supported women through their own explorations of this time. So powerful & beautiful to witness.

Through allowing myself this chance to ‘explore’ all these things, I grew. I grew in ways that I didn’t think I would..

it’s never easy when you’re exploring unfamiliar territory. But the pay off is worth the uneasiness.

What about you? What did you EXPLORE this year? Share with my here or on socials.

I’m also happy to share: I did do some exploring in the physical/nature sense, visiting a local National Park, many times.. A chance to get outdoors with my sister & friends to connect, chat & explore nature, fairy gardens & magical waterways.

This isn’t how I met Jess, although physically getting into nature with Jess opened my eyes & heart to the magic of the trees. We met through karma yoga at my fave yoga studio. We instantly connecting, chatting essential oils, Instagram & sacred practices. Jess has many gifts, but 1 of them is getting herself & family into nature, to explore and just simply slow down & be. Here are some words from Jess, and look her up, You’ll love all she has to share.

Living with chronic illness means slow is a necessity; but it’s also a choice. 

We are so dialled up these days, we rarely get the opportunity to pare back and soak in the simplicities of life.

Stepping into nature is about just that. 

It starts with a conscious decision to notice. It could be as small as a tree in your backyard or as grand as an overland camping trek.

The best thing about nature is that it doesn’t make demands of you. You don’t have to be of a certain class or live in a certain neighbourhood. Nature is always there; it’s what we are made of and it’s always accessible. We just need to remember to tune in.

Jess is an active mother balancing home life and adventure with creating intentional social media solutions for small business. Her consultancy, Slow Socials, will launch in early 2021. To follow Jess on her journey head to www.instagram.com/slowsocials.