How can we hold uncertainty in life-giving ways?

This is a question I've been living for years. It feels more urgent now than ever before. Our future feels palpably more uncertain. Nobody knows how all of this will unfold. That's a lot to hold for all of us individually and collectively.

It's also true that life has always been uncertain. And change is the only constant.

As Pema Chödrön writes: “The root of suffering is resisting the certainty that no matter what the circumstances, uncertainty is all we truly have.” At least we have that certainty!

Accepting and embracing this can empower us to choose how to be with and respond to uncertainty. While it's still a work in progress, changing my attitude towards uncertainty has helped me better navigate this time of crisis.

What's also helped is dancing with uncertainty, both figuratively and literally. James Brown writes: “The one thing that can solve most of our problems is dancing.” Maybe it can't solve all problems, but dancing has helped me a lot.

I take dance breaks as a daily practice and when I feel triggered by bad news, a change in plans, something scary, ... It prevents me from going into fight/flight/freeze mode and helps me open to new perspectives, alternatives, and possibilities. It allows me to express and move through my emotions and cultivate positive ones.

Dancing with uncertainty helps me see there's always a way to move forward.

So, shall we dance?

Below are a few resources to support you.

With love,

Sarah-Marie

Resources

[PRACTICE] Dancing with Uncertainty

Purpose: To connect with your body, express and move through your feelings, and generate positive emotion.

Create a playlist with songs that bring you joy and dance to it by yourself or (virtually) with others for at least 10 min every day.

[POEM] by Rumi

"Dance, if you've torn the bandage off.

Dance in the middle of the fighting.

Dance in your blood.

Dance when you're perfectly free."