IOTW (Intention Of The Week) Jan. 21-27

Am I fiercely independent or stubborn as hell?

There's a line somewhere and I'm tiptoeing on it.

I like to work alone; teamwork isn't really my forte. Even in school the one sport I played was tennis — and I was a singles player, not doubles.

But sometimes, I could use some help. From an extra set of hands to change a dirty diaper to a set of arms to catch me when my whole world collapses.

The trouble is, I'm not the best at asking for help. Or accepting it. That's not independence, friends. That's stubbornness.

This week, continuing on the month-long theme of "FOUNDATION," my intention is to trust that I have all the support that I need. And use it.

It goes a little something like this:

Identify and name what I need.
Ask for it.
Accept the support.
Use the support.

Sometimes I think that first step can be the hardest: Identify and name what I need. It's easy to feel frustrated and just sit around waiting for things to happen to us instead of making things happen for us.

I'd prefer to make things happen for me, which requires some awareness. What do I need?

This doesn't just mean asking others for help, either. This also means knowing how we need to support ourselves.

Do you need a self-care ritual like an almost-too-hot bubble bath? (One of my faves.) Or do you need something requiring more discipline like saving up your money so you can further your education? Or do you need help from an outside source, like a respected friend to give you feedback about your ideas?

On the mat, this looks like a lot of mindful muscle or prop recruitment — asking ourselves in each pose which muscles we need to engage or soften or which props we need to use to feel supported. As well as some root chakra work — trusting that we are safe and supported, and softening of our traps — which carry a lot of tension for those of us who have a hard time letting go of control.

Ourselves. Our tribe. Our community. Our earth. Most of us are fortunate in that we can find all the support we need. We just have to seek it out and get over our stubborn selves enough to accept it.

Mantra: I have all the support I need