On the Verge. Cara Bradley

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СКАЧАТЬ It directs you to slow down and pay attention or encourages you to lean into your boundaries and seek new horizons. Either way, this energy pushes you gently, and sometimes not so gently, to wake up, show up, and participate in life right here and right now.

      You’ve had moments of high-voltage energy; you may simply not have recognized them at the time. Here are a few examples of what high-voltage energy feels like for me:

       Seeing the brilliance of the sun as it hits the top of the trees in the late afternoon

       Hearing the giggles of my neighbor’s kids in the backyard

       Tasting the crispness of a green apple

       Listening deeply to my friend recount a recent crisis

       Belting out a song during my commute home

       Flying down the hill on my bike

      Here’s a Snapshot offering you a variety of ways that you may experience high-voltage energy.

       SNAPSHOT: HIGH-VOLTAGE ENERGY

Excited	Powerful	Charged
Determined	Available	Enthusiastic
Strong	Connected	Fearless
Confident	Curious

      Brand-new students walk through the doors of Verge Yoga every day, often with a hint of apprehension as they step onto a yoga mat for the first time. As class begins, they try to breathe deeply and move slowly. The sweat starts to flow, their bodies relax, and their minds settle. At the end of class, they take the final pose, savasana, a sweet five-minute rest.

      This final pause, in stillness, allows students to let go and relax. In this space many students experience sensations they haven’t felt in years. It often brings them to tears. They feel their body come alive, buzzing and tingling from head to toe. They directly experience a profound sense of ease and peace.

      This experience is not random. These students are meeting themselves beyond distraction and drama, and the next time they practice, they will likely experience it again. You can experience this too, and you never need to step onto a yoga mat to do so.

      Mount Cardigan

      There’s no mistaking high-definition, high-voltage living; experiencing it often stops me in my tracks and makes me pay attention. One such full-sensory encounter happened years ago when I hiked up Mount Cardigan in New Hampshire with friends. Unbeknownst to me, we took the “most challenging” route. Lagging behind the group, I found myself face-to-face with a steep wall of rock, on a cliff no less. Attempting this climb without gear was above my level of expertise, but being the knucklehead that I am, I decided to go for it anyway. As I placed my hands and feet on the sheer rock, my body visibly shook. Step-by-step I climbed, never daring to look down. Although the climb didn’t take long, it felt as though it lasted forever.

      Finally, I made it to the top and dropped to my knees, dramatically tossing my backpack out of the way. My friends, who had obviously been there a while, casually glanced at me and smiled. It was clear they had no idea what I’d just endured (and I wasn’t about to tell them either!). Still shaking and panting, I stretched out on my back and tried to recover.

      As I settled down, I noticed a pulsing, a sort of tingling in my arms and legs that spread to my spine and shoulders, then to my head. I felt this wave of energy pulsating from my feet to my face! I felt the sun on my skin, heard the whistle of the wind. I smelled the sweet scent of early spring floating in the air. My body was a symphony of sensations buzzing at high voltage. My senses had lit up, in high definition. I felt fully alive.

      When Do You Feel Fully Alive?

      High-definition, high-voltage living is right here in this moment, and in this moment, and now in this moment. It’s a matter of recognizing when you feel alive. I don’t know what makes you feel alive, but you do.

      What makes your skin tingle, your heart sing? What makes your mind focus like a laser beam on a target? What transports you beyond your thoughts, drama, and distractions? What makes you feel clear and bright? Is it music, nature, sports? Work? Being with your kids? When do you experience high-voltage energy? What makes you feel fully alive?

      I don’t know what makes you feel alive, but you do.

      I posed these questions to my Facebook friends when asking for help with this chapter. I received dozens of answers, wonderful slices of the everyday human experience. Here are a few responses:

       Walking to take in the sun and nature’s beauty

       When I just have to sing

       Hiking with my dog

       Telling the truth

       Knowing my kids are happy

       Connecting with people of other cultures and religions

       Pushing the final minutes of my run

       Sunrises

       Giving a compliment to someone I don’t know

       Feeling the wind

       Hearing children’s laughter

       Feeling in love

       Giggling…crying…touching

       Laughing until I cry from laughing so hard

      As I read through these comments, the words “ordinary” and “available” came to mind. These were everyday experiences. It was remarkable how many comments included water, beaches, nature, and children. None, and I mean not one, of these comments included having more stuff, more money, or six-pack abs. Best of all, these moments of being fully alive were all free of charge and commonly available to most of us every day.

      Gut Checks

      Welcome to your first Gut Check. Gut Checks are inquiries to help you notice what you’re doing and how you’re living. Found throughout this book, they help you investigate and identify where you’re open and available and where you’re still stuck in your stories and beliefs. When you come upon a Gut Check, please just do it. The only way you’ll truly benefit from what I’m sharing is to roll up your sleeves and get curious about your experience right now.

GUT CHECK: WHAT MAKES YOU FEEL FULLY ALIVE?

      Please take a moment, just one moment, and jot down three ways you feel fully alive. Refer to the examples on the previous page for hints. Use the lines below or write them in your journal:

      1. _______________________________________

      2. _______________________________________

      3. _______________________________________

      Try this every day for a month. Before closing your eyes at night, recall three moments or three ways СКАЧАТЬ