Butterfly Spirit - Transformation is Beautiful!
If you have taken a Yoga class with me, you know that I LOVE my card decks and setting a communal intention at the beginning of our practice. The reason why I love picking cards is that no matter how many times you pull a card, you will always get something new from it. Just like we can never step off the mat as the same person we stepped on, because there are always shifts, no matter how small, the cards' messages will just hit us differently. This has been a beloved part of my teaching practice, and I love it when these cards lead to beautiful post-class conversations and connections when the messages deeply speak to students.
The card I picked on Wednesday night at my Mindful Vinyasa class has a deeply special meaning to me. When I was up at Kripalu Center (if you have not been, I cannot say enough good things!) for the first time, it was a weekend that was going to be very hard for me. I had just gone through a devastating life change, and to be honest, I was truly a shell of a human, still dealing with grief, heartache and extreme disappointment, and hurt. I knew during this time that I had two choices - I could just continue down the path that I was walking and certain parts of my life would be very different, but I myself would stay the same, or I could start fresh and really build myself up, transformed, and step into the life I always knew I was capable of leading. Step into the woman I always knew that I could be. That trip to Kripalu and the choice to surrender fully to transformation changed the trajectory of my life. So when I went back the second time a year later, in a totally different spot in life, I figured I would have the same results and the same experience. I was naive to think it would be the same, but that doesn’t mean it was not just as impactful, transformative to life-changing. The place had remained the same; it was I who had changed, and I was able to experience its beauty through a different lens. While there, I picked up this card deck, Colette Baron Reid’s - The Spirit Animal Oracle. I was drawn to it for two reasons: the beautiful artwork of the cards and the fact that the dog spirit card was an amazing image of a border collie, the dog that my partner and I hypothetically decided we would get when we talked about our future life together. The joy of thinking about getting a dog was part of a larger dream of envisioning my future and new phases of my life, so I took it as a sign.
Since then, I have taught over 100 Yoga classes and have picked cards from this deck in most of them. I wanted to share the message of that card with you. Hoping it will reach out at a time you may need it. It reached me this week at a time when things have been shifting faster than I have had time to process, but in ways I could never have imagined. A reminder to lean in, learn from the signs that the universe sends, and stay grounded and focused on what my heart feels is the right path. Things that are easier said than done, but I am working to build them as habits. So, back to the story of the deck. Once I picked this deck, I went back to my room at Kripalu, meditated and journaled a bit, and picked my first card - #11, Butterfly Spirit - Transformation is Beautiful. And when I tell you I cried, I CRIED. There were too many synchronicities and signs to ignore. My birthday is an angel number 1.11, so I have always been very connected to the numbers, even before I truly knew what they represented. 11, has always been my lucky number. Butterflies had been coming up a lot for me in my healing as signs, so whenever they showed, I knew it was the universe co-creating with me. The message around Transformation was exactly where I found myself - especially the specific line - “Indeed, you will go through some unforgettable stages as you let go of the forms of your life that no longer fit the new you.” It is hard to truly understand that you have to give up parts of yourself to step into a new stage, but that is the only way to come out the other side. I hope that if you’re reading this that you take this as a sign to celebrate your wins and how far you have come, and remind yourself to be kind to yourself in whatever transition you may be in: empty nesting, postpartum, grief, career change, whatever it is, you’re more powerful than you know. Read the full card description below, and know that I am sending you so much love and positivity wherever you find yourself.
Butterfly Spirit - Transformation is Beautiful #11
Joy and the beautiful lightness of being alive and creative in the world are the focus when the Butterfly Spirit flutters before you. Transformation is inevitable as you grow into your most beautiful, empowered self. Indeed, you will go through some uncomfortable stages as you let go of the forms of your life that no longer fit the new you. Even relationships must go through shifts to match your new emerging self. If you focus on the beauty and not the challenges; stop taking yourself too seriously and choose to be playful, loving, and joyous, you will soon know the miracle your soul wants to experience through you. Today is a day for joy, so alright! Look around and see the beauty that is everywhere and in everyone, including you.
Make it stand out
Transformation does not have to be as traumatic and dramatic as things may seem to be right now. Remember, change is the only true constant; when you resist it, you create a tension within you as you refuse to accept the inevitable. In this moment, you might have forgotten the beauty and joy of life as it moves through its seasons, as nature dictates. You are being faced with a choice now. You can struggle with the current conditions, refusing to surrender and see through the lens of lack and loss, or you can surrender to the grace that is calling you to allow life to take its course, moving through the sadness and disappointment. Surrender will soften you, inviting you to bask in gratitude and see through the lens of curiosity; these are the keys to tuning into the infinite potential available to you now. Butterfly Spirit knows the beauty and delight you are on the brink of discovering. Let go and trust that it is there for you.
