Transitions: What teachings lie in the micro-moments?
Whether the transition is graceful or chaotic, planned or unexpected, movement and dance is at the heart of all transitions.
Perhaps at a personal level you are in the midst of a transition right now. You are moving into a new stage of life, leaving a job, ending a relationship, moving into a new home. Perhaps a part of your identity is in transition as you heal past wounds or more fully step into your true self.
There is also the transition of the seasons as nature cycles on. Here in the Northern Hemisphere we move towards shorter days and darker nights. The trees prepare for hibernation as their leaves change colors and release to the ground.
And there is also transition at a greater scale. A teacher and colleague of mine, Duane Elgin coined the times we live in as one of Great Transition: a process of moving through turbulence towards becoming a a mature planetary civilization.
So often when I’m in the midst of transition I notice that I want to be on the other side already. I want to be done with the dance, to be on solid ground. I hold my breath and power through with my sights set on what’s ahead. While it’s an understandable approach, I wonder what I might be missing?
The invitation that comes to me in this reflection is to see if in the midst of transition I can slow myself down enough to notice the micro moments within it all? Can I practice being present with the sensations and discomfort that come with being pushed and pulled within the change? And if I can, what does that offer me? What teachings lie in the micro moments within transitions that are key to where I’m meant to land next?
Transitions is this month’s theme here at We Heal For All. You are welcome to join us in our monthly Circle or online community to explore:
What is in transition in your life now? What is changing or transforming?
What is it like to be in a transition? What words do you use to describe it? What does it feel like in your body?
What are the most challenging aspects of being in transition (even ones that promise new beginnings)? How best do you support yourself or support the process of transition?
What wisdom comes from staying present during a transition? What does that offer us as change makers and as a world today?
Hi, I’m Liz Moyer Benferhat. Writer, facilitator, coach, and development practitioner dedicated to the subtle interplay between how inner transformation feeds the outer transformation we need in the world. Welcome 🌿