announcing my 2020 word of the year . . .
RHYTHM
(as in, getting mine back ?)
i decided to create a collage, with pictures of myself that bring up memories of feeling happy, in sync, full of energy. that exude my natural RHYTHM.
as i said last week, i’d been having a difficult time choosing my 10th word this year. but then on 1.11.2020, the universe sent me 4 clear signs:
- a friend wisely wondered if cadence might be my word (after i used it in last week’s blog post). i told her i really like that word, but for me its connotation seems regimented (military precision comes to mind when i think of it). i pay pretty close attention to the way words make me feel, and that wasn’t quite what i was looking for. RHYTHM is similar, but i think it allows more freedom. she agreed, adding: “cadence does have a feeling of outside influence while rhythm seems to come from within.” >> i liked that
- i started watching a video about mindful movement that i’d come across that morning. the instructor began by saying “today’s class is going to be about RHYTHM . . . rhythmic breathing, coherence. we’re calling it feel your rhythm“
- another friend sent me a message that said “i hope things are settling down back into a normal RHYTHM for you”
- i’d been waiting for the release of selena gomez’s new album (after enjoying its two early singles), and the first song i listened to that afternoon was “dance again,” which seemed pretty fitting to me six months after my dad’s death. then i heard the pre-chorus: “i kickstart the RHYTHM, all the trauma’s in remission, no i don’t need permission”
and finally, to wrap things all up with a nice pretty bow, this 5th sign three days later:
5. during a 20-minute online qigong practice with lee holden, my long-time mentor/teacher: “feel the RHYTHM of the movement like the rhythm of your heartbeat. qi moves in rhythms as well as vibrations. you can feel energy moving as a buzzing and tingling (vibration), but it also manifests into rhythms like your breath and heartbeat. when qi is flowing, these rhythms feel very natural. they restore and circulate energy. small rhythms like breathing and heartbeat, larger rhythms like waking up and going to sleep. yin and yang.”
and there you have it.
i’m ridiculously excited about my 2020 word, and it’s already begun inspiring me!
i’ll be here, untangling the complexities of my RHYTHM and healing myself in the process.
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