“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven." Matthew 5:14-16
I have been putting my light under a bowl for years. Putting yourself out there, on display for all to see can be scary. Standing up in front of a room of people to teach yoga is intimidating...if you don't believe me--try it! But here's the thing. All this time I have been waiting for the insecurity and fear to vanish on its own. If anything, it has grown deeper roots in my life. The longer I passively bury my skills and talents out of fear, the more the roots of fear take hold of me. Sometimes you just have to put yourself out there, even if it doesn't feel good. The fear and insecurity aren't going away anyway. I might as well enjoy my life and lean into that feeling, fully experiencing it.
This past Sunday morning I attended one of ten Code Orange Revival days at Elevation Church. There the lead pastor of Hillsong Church in New York, Carl Lentz, delivered a powerful message along the same vein. He encouraged us to embrace the fact that we are all a work in progress. Even to share that process so that God may be glorified in the ways He works in our lives. This served as a powerful reminder that being in progress is not only okay, but potentially helpful to others.
The world needs us. All of us. With all of the uncertainty, violence and fear in the media. The racism, terrorism, viruses, politics, natural disasters. The world does not need more fear and insecurity. The world cannot afford for any of us to sit on the side lines. Any of us who hear the call to do a bit of good in the world simply need to do it. Don't wait to 'feel' like it. You won't. You will never feel like doing something out of your comfort zone. Sometimes we have just got to hit the emotional override button and do what we know we must even when it is hard.
What does any of this have to do with hips? Well, as we discussed yesterday, tight hips can store emotional trauma, fear and insecurities. Opening the hips creates openness in your life. Hip opening encourages greater self awareness and self expression. It can also give you courage to go places you have never been before. The pain and sensation in a deep pigeon pose or Virasana (pictured above) can equip you with the skills required to confront and surrender to the difficult situations that arise in our lives off the mat.
What situations are you hiding from? How are you avoiding the promptings of your heart? Take it from me. The time is always right to let your light shine and offer love to our hurting world. If you live from a place of authenticity, humility and peace, your process can be a source of inspiration to countless others.
Happy hip-opening and namaste