The Messy Part

Building Intimacy

Levity is ours. In this episode, Adeline and Linda define levity; levity is proof of weightlessness, levity is learned, levity is ever present; levity is change. Levity is there if you reach for it; levity offers release; levity offers pause. Levity is a muscle; levity is an exhale; levity is the liminal space. Levity exists in the midst of things; levity is gentle; levity is kind; levity protects us. Most people choose to work through hard things by laughing and that is a form of levity. Levity is sweet. Levity isn’t always visible; it requires our trust, intuition, and attention. The weight we give the things we can see we owe to the things we can’t. Invisible harm hurts as deep as a physical pain and it is worthy of acknowledging, tending to, and honoring just the same. We hope this season brings you levity. Mantra #37: Let levity in. Don’t wait to exhale. For Your Consideration: Where can you call levity in?

No Time for Boredom

We can clearly talk to each other about anything. In this episode, Adeline and Linda find their way to intellectualizing boredom. They spend time exploring what holds their attention, only to discover how much passion their life is filled with. Their takeaway is that boredom is information to pivot and realign. Boredom asks you to reflect on how you spend your time and what fuels your energy. The opposite of boredom is being fully engaged in your life. Take what resonates, leave the rest.  Mantra #36: I remember my agency. There’s treasure in the in-between. Good things come in small.  For Your Consideration: Do you spend your time living your passion? Is passion a motivating factor in your decisions?

Terrible Times are Temporary

People aren’t their worst moments. In this episode Adeline and Linda learn a new word together; equanimity: steadiness of the mind across circumstances. They spend the rest of the time grappling with what that looks like in practice, from the chaos of reality TV to a memoir they’re both reading. They learn there’s a distinction between finding the truth and telling the truth; verbalizing truth can offer release. They end up somewhere interesting: Grateful that their worst moments can’t be played on a loop for entertainment and with deeper empathy for what non-attachment and language can offer. Mantra #35: I can speak my truth.  For Your Consideration: Who can you share your truth with?

The Pursuit of Discipline

You are not a robot. In this episode Adeline and Linda unravel their idea of discipline, disconnecting it from rigidity and control. Instead of something forced or performed they began to see discipline as a relationship, one that asks for attunement, honesty, and care.They spend time exploring their natural rhythms and flows, by asking themselves what discipline has looked like for them. They discover that their definition of discipline has nothing to do with punishment. The kind of discipline they’re rejecting is one that expects you to show up no matter what. The discipline they are seeking is a more discerning one that prioritizes safety and sustainability first. Mantra #34: I can give my body what it needs, even if it’s not what I want. I listen to my body and pivot as needed. My highest form of discipline is restarting.  For Your Consideration: In what ways does discipline serve you? In what ways does it harm you?

You Have No Shame

The body knows, the body protects, the body is always a witness. In this episode, Adeline and Linda stop beating around the bush, and finally face their college experience.(Hint: The DRAMA) They have spent years building safety and trust in their friendship. As a result, they felt safe enough to lean in and untangle something intimate and violent. They explored all the ways that trauma changes you and can show up as a shadow next to you. They affirmed for themselves and hopefully all of you that there is no shame in delayed realizations and reactions. There is no shame in not reacting as expected.  Trauma can take a lifetime to uncover, verbalize or reconcile. They practiced staying gentle with all the versions of themselves that have survived. They giggled and held each other through this episode. Joy has always been medicinal. They landed somewhere soft; trauma reveals itself over time and we can choose to sit with, nourish, avoid, deny, interrogate, confront, resolve, transform, grapple with it all for as long as we want and need.  They return to the original intention of their podcast, to say things out loud to other people. We say we do hard things and here we are yet again. TW: Sexual violence is discussed in this episode. Mantra #33:  My body can recover with time and community  May my body hold me steady always  May I stay protected as the world gets hectic  I am also a warrior  For Your Consideration: What are the words you do not yet have? - Audre Lorde, our bestie