Introduction: Nurturing our gifts of wonder, inquiry & reflection
Moving from the noise of attaining into a space of caring for who we are, what we have, and what we are part of.
Hello and Welcome!
Welcome to A Space to Meander, Wonder, and Reflect by me, Charlene McAuley. Excitement, nerves, and hope as I publish my first Substack post, something I’ve been considering for months and now feel ready for: ready to work with my doubts, trust my intent, and offer something that is deeply personal containing a mix of my experience as a Yoga practitioner, trainee in Gestalt Psychotherapy, and many years exploring embodiment and my relationship to the world around me.
1. From the noise into the space to reflect
I’m craving for a space to write without needing to feed a caption-led algorithm that tells me how to sell to my readers in the opening sentence. I’m yearning for a space to honour the satisfaction that comes with crafting a message that contains context, anecdote and is devoid from the over-simplistic prescriptive messaging restricted to short, snappy sentences. I am here because I want the space to reach the bodyminds I already know and those I do not with writings that are rooted in reflection, inquiry and wonderment, a wonderment for this one-time journey of living as deeply connected beings all drawing from the same source of consciousness.
I also like that my long sentences are welcome.
2. Community is not built on prescription
I sometimes feel alone in my conflict of wanting to share, but not wanting to play by the rules of a social media game that demand a dumbing down and telling people what to do in order to attain likes and reach. Every teacher, every book, every approach, every person I have been inspired has the common qualities of depth, complexity and contradiction. I want to create a space that isn’t about neat lines and how-tos, but about art of living. By ‘art’ I don’t mean mastery, rather, art in the real sense of creating, mistaking, trying, doing, and expressing. We are all creating in every single moment the art that is our life, and like every piece of art that has ever moved you, this is transformative not through its replicability but the messy humanity it conveys. This is what I wish to honour here: A community built upon common humanity that honours what connects us as we each craft and express our unique works of living art.
3. What to expect
I’ve loved the slowness of magazines since being a small child, pouring over the regular features that allow for the novel content with the trusty framework of what to expect. With a first in Journalism and Politics, a distinction in International Relations and Globalisation - sense the self-celebration I’m nurturing there?! - I want this to be a space with a feature structure you can rely on, where I can sharpen my skills as a writer and embodiment explorer, with content that piques your curiosity, perhaps encouraging your own embodiment in relation to yourself, others, and the natural world. Every other Monday you can expect:
‘Meander’, where I share what is most prominent in the blend of my Yoga, Gestalt psychotherapy studies, and life. Heartfelt and non-prescriptive, my endeavour here is to share with you the insightfulness of Gestalt Therapy, a 70 year old psychotherapy modality that places the Self firmly in relationship, offering some of the most compassionate and dynamic approaches to healing I have encountered so far. With its foundations in Zen Buddhism, Gestalt weaves effortlessly with Yoga, so ‘Meanderings’ is delving into what makes me tick, curious and sharing this!
In ‘Wonder’ I want to spread the expansive power of taking notice of what is right in front of us without needing to attain anything. With embodied inquiries to bring your wonderment to life, I sincerely hope this will spark your imagination and reinforce the quality of wonder we are all gifted with.
‘Reflect’ is the space to drink in the creative and loving sincerity of poets who through their reflexive capacity generously pour their souls into words and stanza to go beyond the cynical and obvious, carrying us, if we so wish, into the mystical messiness that is relationship.
4. How to subscribe
I’d really love for you to be part of this community, so if you’re not already on my Yoga mailing list, hit subscribe and you’ll receive your free newsletter every Monday. If you’d like to stay on my Yoga mailing list but unsubscribe to Substack, please click ‘unsubscribe’ or write me an email at hello@this-yoga.com.
For my weekly classes and other offerings, please visit sensesbeyond.com.
Until next week,
Charlene
Image by me taken in Trieste, Italy