Reflect With Love: Reclaiming Wholeness
You were born whole. Whole in your identities. Whole in your place in this universe. Whole in your unique expressions of self. Even though too many stories around us tell us we are fractured - too much, not enough, caught between binaries, meant to be boxed, we know that we are whole exactly as we are. We are whole in all of our beautiful complexity.
Sometimes, it’s hard to feel this beauty when so many people, structures, and institutions are telling us we don’t deserve to be multitudes, that we can’t exist as we are. This week’s prompt is a guide for you in the moments when you don’t feel enough, when to honor all of yourself feels like a journey you are embarking on alone. You are not alone. We are here for you at Kneading Change and we will be doing this work alongside you.
JOURNAL PROMPTS
What does it mean for you to reclaim wholeness?
What contributes to your wholeness?
HOW DOES _______ CONTRIBUTE TO MY WHOLENESS?
Take a moment to reflect upon the aspects of yourself you find important- your gender, your age, your socioeconomic status, your hobbies, how you engage with the world, your race/ethnicity, your religion, your sexual orientation, your level of education, your relationships, your ability. How do each of these elements contribute to who you are? Notice which ones are most significant to you. Notice which ones would make you feel incomplete if they were taken away. Notice which identities you hold on to most strongly and whether you feel these are the aspects of you that are seen and valued by the world. Is there any difference between how the world sees you and how you want to be seen? What do you learn from saying out loud how you want to be seen in the world?
ATTUNE TO YOUR INNER WISDOM
Reclaiming wholeness is as much a response to the societal structures that try to contain us as it is an attunement to our inner, body wisdom. Taking the time to feel into how we are feeling truly, what we need and desire, and taking the time to nourish those needs aids in our sense of wholeness. Just like a baby cries when they need to eat, or engages in joy at the sight of someone they love, when we allow ourselves to truly feel and meet our needs we honor our wholeness. Honor your somatic wisdom this week, your body will lead you to exactly what you need.
SEE YOURSELF IN THE WEB
Take a moment for yourself and find a relaxing position to rest in. Sit or lie down and close your eyes. In your mind’s eye, take a moment to honor that you are a valued member in a web of connection. The web of the universe is not complete without you in it. Envision all those who have come before you, ancestors and others who have contributed to your being here, in this moment. Envision those who will come after and how you will contribute to their existence and ensure that they, too, can thrive. Notice how you are part of the systems that exist around you at the micro and macro levels. Notice your relationship to other life forms- plants, animals, waters, earth, sky and how you coexist. Be with this. Recognize how you in your wholeness, are part of the whole.
