The Feminine Urge to BURN IT ALL DOWN
For whatever reason, a lot of ladies have been describing this compelling urge they have to literally burn their whole lives up, and build again. And I gotta tell ya, I feel like at some point we females can all say we’ve at least had the urge. Not all of us have actually gone through with it. And by it I mean more of a humongous life shift, not any literal damage.
But this concept, this urge, is so interesting to me for several reasons.
1) Flames are destructive. There’s literally some fire behind this concept, and in my mind… a sense of rage. Something we’re mad about. I don’t think it’s any surprise that I mostly hear this from women. It’s as if we have gotten to this point, and we just realize the entire life we have created is so far from who we are that something has got to go. Ultimately I see it as a great sign. One of clarity. Anger is the emotion behind having your boundaries broken. The feeling of injustice. Of absolutely not. And for many people it is quite unacceptable. As a result the lives we have created around us are truly made out of unspoken no’s and polite yes’s. We have settled, and agreed to so many things that we almost don’t even recognize ourselves. And it’s infuriating unpacking why, so… why not just.. start over?
2) It shows me there is this wild, untamable (thanks Glennon), urge that is pulling you to immediate action. And while verrry contrary to society’s slow and steady, make a plan, measure twice cut once type vibe, I’m personally a fan of striking while the creative iron is hot. It’s not everyday we feel inspired to action. And often we use our brains to talk ourselves out of these impulses. But what if we honored them? What if we listened? Not to make it all about the gender binary but when science and the woo collide we get information regarding the many different, and I mean DIFFERENT systems in our bodies that are truly different in men versus women. Women have a 28 day hormonal cyle, where as a man’s is a 24 hour cycle. Just like we can’t get pregnant at all times, we also aren’t intended to create at all times. Destruction, after all, is the first step in creation. Just like the seasonal wild fires that are absolutely terrifying and so sad to see, but are natural and necessary. They are there to remove the old, and create new. It’s quite beautiful these cycles and systems.
3) I believe the desire to tear it all down, allows us to reevaluate where we’re at, and take action towards aligning ourselves with who we have discovered ourselves to truly be.. in this moment. I know a change is coming my way when I hate all of my clothes and have nothing to wear. Or when I start moving around furniture unplanned at 7pm at night… It’s just time for a.. redesign. I want to feel good in my body, in my spaces, in my mind. Just like we meditate or journal when things are feeling mentally cluttered or a bit spicy… there are so many ways to adjust the energy in our lives to better reflect the person we are feeling ourselves to be in the moment.
4) There’s a reason we love a wardrobe refresh show, a home takeover makeover show, or seeking out new recipes. There’s something about a good purge and refresh that not only allows you to energetically feel alive, present and aligned, it also is a reminder that we are capable of change. Again, science meeting the woo- neuroplasticity. It was previously believed that we were essentially programmed upon entering adulthood. I got a kick out of learning your sacrum isn’t even fully fused until your late twenties back in Yoga Teacher Training and teasing my younger classmates to ‘get back to me when they’re fully fused!!’ But the fact that we have the power to actually rewire out brains… it’s amazing! Not easy, but pretty incredible.
If you have felt that urge, either of wanting to start over, wanting to throw everything out and start with a blank canvas… I hear you. And I can help. No, you don’t have to quit your job and move across the country as I did… But I can assist you to make digestable steps, that are more on the excited side of the spectrum than anxiety inducing… and allow you to slowly initiate and live out the changes that are truly calling you. Ayurveda has the keys.
