Become aware of your hands. Are they tense or relaxed? Closed in a fist or soft? Are they gripping tightly or open to receive? If our hands are a metaphor for our lives, then the fist, the gripping, could point to:
- holding onto ideas, plans, jobs – perhaps for too long
- trying to control people and situations around us
- refusing to change, staying in the known
Alternatively, soft and open, “palms up” hands could invite:
- letting go and inviting change
- spaciousness and readiness to receive
- willingness to collaborate with a wider world
Experiment with me now. Close your hands tightly in clenched fists. Breathe in deeply. Scan beyond your hands and notice your entire body. Do you find your entire body clenched? Imagine how difficult it would be to navigate life from this place. Now, open your hands and rest them, palms up, in your lap. Take a deep breath. Scan your body. Feel the difference?
Many of us hang onto what we know out of fear of the unknown:
At least I know what to expect here. The pain and suffering I know is better than what I don’t.
Yet, life is constantly in motion and changing. We must take risks. Today, imagine living with open palms and letting go into possibility, joy, delight, abundance. Trust that a step into the unknown, even a small step, just might be vital to your larger vision and life purpose.
When you find yourself afraid or defensive, use yours hands. Make a fist. Feel the energy in holding on. Then open your palms and breathe again. Dare to unclench your grip.
What are you holding onto now?
What do you notice as you loosen your grip?
What step will you dare to soften into?