Burn it to the ground: The Fire Element

The Fire element - Agni - is hot, mobile, spreading, clear, light, and sharp. It has the power to transform.

Think about how the sun affects our bodies, the plants, the animals, the waters. Yes? A burning ball of fire in the sky does so much. Fire is also related to proper digestion (literally and figuratively), to sharpness of mind, strong sense of Self, and the clarity that comes through after intense discipline, self-study, and courage (i.e. tapas).

You have that burning ball of fire within your being. And, yet…you’re likely afraid to own it. We’ve been conditioned to bypass our own worthiness, our strength, our own power.

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Think of it this way…wildfires aren’t all bad. Fevers aren’t all bad. After a wildfire, the soil can be richer and more fertile. After a fever, the body has burned off physical impurities. There’s a beauty, a clarity, a luster that comes after we go through the fire literally or figuratively. Note: I’m not saying loss of home/property is good, nor am I saying do nothing about a high fever, okay?

But, will we let it burn? Will you let it burn? Will you feel the intensity of fire and have the bravery to take steps in a direction that makes sense for you now, rather than what you already know? Or what other people tell you is right for you? Balanced fire in the body/mind system asks us to step out of our comfort zones, to take responsibility for the lives we’re creating.

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There are days when I’ve wanted to burn it all to the ground. Completely start over. Begin again. You, too?

And, in fact, I have. I am. Maybe not everything, but it feels like so much. Perhaps this moment in time is begging that of you, too. To burn.

It’s a Kali energy. Kali is the Goddess of Destruction and yet she’s also the Goddess of Rebirth. One cannot exist without the other. We must move through a fire to be reborn, rather than try to bypass it. Destroying, burning, fiery energy leads to clarity, transformation, and new growth.

As we begin counting down the weeks in this pregnancy towards meeting baby #2, I’m realizing that there has to be a rebirth.

Pivoting my business into mentorship, educational programs, and consulting came first. This just isn’t done in the yoga space. The yoga industry is built on low-priced drop-in classes or teacher training programs, and I knew I didn’t want to do that…that there was a different way to fully nourish myself, my family, and my clients and to create prosperity outside of traditional models. That’s a burn.

I’m consciously letting go of projects and relationships that aren’t working anymore. That’s a burn.

I’m letting go of any semblance of prenatal practice that I did in my last pregnancy, because my body is in so much more pain this time around. And, it’s hard. How attached are we to our exercise/movement programs? That’s a burn.

Everyday, I’m releasing the idea of perfection that has been so ingrained in us for so long. Perfectionism is an unconscious attachment. It’s not real. And, yet there are days where I crave it thinking it will bring me peace. It won’t. That’s a burn.

I’m starting to lean more and more into the unknown, allowing myself to be pulled by Kali’s energy and the Shakti (divine feminine power) that says I don’t need to know. It’s setting fire to the idea that we have so much “control.” That’s a burn.

It’s a recognition that mothering two babies will be different than mothering one, and I have no idea what labor, birth, my toddler’s response to a sibling, or what my relationship will look like on the other side. That’s a burn.

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You can allow yourself to burn, too. Like that sun in the sky, you beginning to dive into that fire element within you through yoga, Ayurveda, meditation, and reflection, will create a transformation that you can’t plan. And, yet it will be so good. So worthy. So enlightening. So unbelievably liberating. I want that for you. I want that for us.

It will not be easy.
It will feel uncomfortable.
It will require that you take risks.
It will require you to let go, burn it off, and make more space.

And, then…a clarity. Let your practice lead the way. Let the elements lead the way.

Allow yourself to burn it to the ground. Whatever it needs to go. Let yourself feel the fear and do it anyway.
What’s burning for you? Tell me, please.

With love,
Leanne

P.S. Burning also looks like changing it up, showing up for yourself with renewed discipline (i.e. rolling out a mat even when you “don’t have time”). Narrative is re-opening for a VERY limited time with a new format and I want you to be a part of it.

Each month, we study a different element through movement, meditation, and breath, and I’m even bringing in some phenomenal guest teachers to share more with you while I’m on maternity leave (at no extra cost to you). The elements are your ticket to living a life that is more aligned, easeful, and to understanding more about YOUR story in body/mind. In short, this knowledge is priceless and necessary if we’re to move forward in a way that is sustainable and connected to nature around us.

I’ll be sharing when enrollment opens soon. It’s just for a few days. <3