I have a propensity to get ahead of myself.

In Qoya Inspired Movement classes, Qoya’s founder Rochelle often states how our modern world operates at the pace of mind.

The mind is a beautiful aspect of who we are as human beings. It has this amazing capacity to dream and imagine, to jump forwards and backwards in time, to travel from the here and now to lands far, far away in an instant.

But we are not only our minds.

Eric and I spent the last week fostering a four year old pittie mix named Reba (pictured above). We had no idea how it would feel to have a little four-legged in the house again. (As it turns out, Reba infused much joy, energy, and zest for life into our days!) The week was wonderful. It was heart medicine that reminded us that our love of dogs remains and will blossom once again.

But now that the week is complete and the house is quiet once again, I am relishing in that as well. Taking my time in the mornings, slowly sipping my coffee and journaling. Being with, and listening for the wisdom of my heart and my soul.

It almost didn’t go that way, though.

When I suddenly got the idea that we should foster a dog, I ran with it. Full speed ahead! I was imagining a long-term foster (which is typically from 3-6 months) and even thought of taking in a pregnant mama about to have puppies. In my mind, it seemed like a great idea. A new challenge! A way to be of service!

Luckily, my husband is wise and helped to slow me down.

Because while my mind was ready for a new beginning, my heart and soul were anything but.

They still linger over photos of Sophie, wanting me to brush my fingers over the surface of the photographs and remember what her fur felt like. My heart lights the candle by her ashes on our bedroom dresser, while my soul continues making the scrapbook of our lives together.

My body isn’t ready either. She longs for rest. For me to move gently through my days (which is not possible when you are caring for a wildebeest!). To give space and time to unwind from not only the grief of losing Sophie, but also all the anxiety and anticipatory grief from the last several years of watching her get older, dealing with covid, etc.

I need to slow down and make space for all the different, and sometimes contradictory, aspects within me.

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We might live in a world that operates at the pace of mind.

But when the mind becomes untethered from the rest of us, the needs of our bodies, hearts, and souls are easily overlooked. These slower aspects of us that like to saunter, linger, and circle back on the spiraling dance of life, are left behind in our quest for linear forward movement.

To embody the Wise & Wild Woman is to be in relationship with all these facets within. To make time and space to listen to them. To love them and their soulful wisdom, and to take action from this place of deep connection.