Friday reflection

Your inner fire

Hello,

I wonder, as January winds down: How is your inner fire doing?

By “inner fire,” I mean, the spark that fuels you, that sense of inner passion and you-ness…your life force. The dancer and choreographer Martha Graham said it so beautifully:

“There is a vitality, a life force, a quickening that is translated through you into action, and there is only one of you in all time, this expression is unique, and if you block it, it will never exist through any other medium; and be lost.

- Martha Graham

While Graham was speaking to artists, specifically, I believe that we all have this inner fire. Maybe yours comes out in the way you love your family, or pursue your mission-driven work. Maybe you aren’t sure HOW it expresses itself, but you know that sometimes, you feel more alive than others, like when you’re staring up in amazement at a huge, old tree, or listening to music, or contentedly communing with your dog.

Sometimes, when I practice yoga, I pay attention to what theme comes up for me, and sometimes it’s an intention for the rest of my day. A couple of days ago, what came to me was, “inner fire.” And then I read the artist Austin Kleon’s newsletter this morning and he linked fire to, of all things…focus.

First, he shared that the word “focus” in Latin means “hearth”…hearth, as in the place where the home fire burns… then he mused on this connection between focus and fire in a way that I love, and that think will be resonant for many of you:

I have had trouble focusing lately, and it occurs to me just now, at this very moment, that maybe the reason I haven’t been able to focus is that I don’t have a fire inside.

Sometimes a fire is forced on us from the outside, as with a house fire or a wildfire. (In the writer’s life: a personal tragedy or triumph, a chance encounter, or merely the need for sustenance will light a fire under one’s ass, so to speak.)

But more often than not, our fires inside have to be built.They have to be started, and fed, and maintained.

And you can’t just dump wood in a big pile and expect it to burn. You have to be mindful of the structure of the pieces, to give them proper space and air.  

Perhaps, instead of worrying about focusing, I need to worry about building a good fire.

- Austin Kleon

Are you expecting your inner fire to burn, without building it, or feeding it properly?

I do that sometimes. Ok, I do that a lot. Often for long stretches. Then I remember, “Oh right: yoga. Oh right: Writing.” I get mad at myself: “How did you forget?! It’s so obvious.”

…But obvious doesn’t mean easy, so here’s some kindling for you:

• Get out a journal or a piece of paper, or just open a notes app on your phone or a fresh document on your computer. Set a timer for five minutes. Now consider: What feeds your inner fire? Write without judgement or pause, whatever comes up is right, there is no “right,” just write.

• Next, pick one way that you will feed your inner fire TODAY, even if only for five minutes. Post a comment to tell us what it is.

• Afterwards, get that journal /app/document back out, set that five minute timer, and write whatever comes up for you in response to this question: “How do I feel right now?” Pay attention not just to the thoughts in your head, but also the sensations in your body. Where do you feel warm, or cold? Loose and open, or tight and clenched?

• If you’re stuck, take inspiration from Kleon’s newsletter and try sitting by a literal fire, if you can, or even spending five minutes watching video of a fireplace. Does it activate any fire within?

Imagine how beautiful the world will be, when all of our fires are lit.

You are a mighty force -

Amanda