Seeking knowledge and the importance of self-expression
As I sat in Manchester Central Library this week (I love to work from there!), I reflected on my desire to seek knowledge!
Within the library’s Great Hall – modelled on the Pantheon in Rome – there’s a beautiful quote that circles the inside of the dome. In big gold capital letters, it reads:
“Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom,
and with all thy getting get understanding.
Exalt her and she shall promote thee;
she shall bring thee to honour when thou dost embrace her,
she shall give of thine head an ornament of grace,
a crown of glory she shall deliver to thee.”Proverbs 4:7
I suppose that’s what I am all about! With all thy getting, thy should also get understanding. I have a deep desire to explore the world and make sense of things. I have a hunger, a thirst to understand. Because, to me, knowledge is freedom. And I desire freedom. A crown of glory.
So here’s me sharing my weekly dose of knowledge, because what good does it do rattling about my head? I am grateful to lovingly pass some of it your way too! And feel the joy of sharing.
What is Friday Feels about?
Each Friday, I’m sharing enlivening and illuminating tidbits of my world of coaching, meditation and breathwork, from music and articles, to practices and quotes.
So! *drum roll* Here are five inspiring things from my world this week:
1. Song of the week
The Power of Love is Here Now by Alexia Chellun (Spotify or YouTube)
This song featured at the end of my Wednesday online breathwork session this week. Sometimes, a small part of me cringes when song lyrics are very meaningful – do you ever experience that too? Hmm, I wonder what part of me is rejecting sincerity! Maybe I am afraid to be fully vulnerable still… Aaaanyway! Despite that reluctant part of me, this song really gets me in the feels. Can you allow the words to wash over you? And feel that power of love is indeed here, *now*?
2. Quote of the week
“Expression is the opposite of depression! Go for it!” James Nestor, Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art
My clients know I am passionate about embracing self-expression. To give yourself permission to BE yourself – to show up, speak up, wear what you feel good in, share your ideas, sing, move, dream with a sense of freedom! To be fully yourself takes a lot of courage and unlearning. When we EXPRESS ourselves fully, the release of energy can be so liberating and healing. As James Nestor says, expression is the opposite of depression. I’ll give that truth a long luxurious exhale! Show up as your bad-ass self and GO FOR IT! I believe in you x
3. Practice of the week
Meditation! With so much going on in the world, I have been craving more meditation; sitting in silence to just be with myself. I also listened to one of my own guided meditations too! A few people have messaged me saying that this 12-minute “Letting Go” meditation was particularly relaxing. Give it a whirl or bookmark it (is it weird that I listen to my own meditations sometimes?)
4. Article of the week
Do you grind your teeth at night? Also known as bruxism. This could be a sign of excess emotional energy in your nervous system. Check out this article by Dr Carrie Rigoni for more on the science of your vagus nerve (parasympathetic – rest and digest) and the trigeminal nerve (sympathetic – flight-flight-freeze). If you have experienced a lot of dental work, this article may be particularly insightful. Activities that strengthen vagal nerve tone include breathwork, cold water and singing. All activities that feature regularly for me! There’s evidence that increasing vagal nerve tone may help ease the bruxism over time (and anxiety!)
5. A client win I’m celebrating this week
“To feel OK in myself during a time like this… during a pandemic, that’s everything. To know how to feel OK.”
A client of mine shared these words towards the end of our coaching call this week. I nodded in deep agreement. With so much uncertainty in the world, it is INCREDIBLY valuable to be able to stay grounded and to feel OK in yourself. Because if you are feeling lost in anxiety or sinking into low moods and feeling down and lost, it is such an uncomfortable (and sometimes scary) place to be. I know because I’ve been there! Lots.
Practices around mindset, meditation and breathwork can help you regulate your nervous system and shift patterns of unhelpful thinking. This is so you don’t stay stuck in funks that erode your mental health and emotional wellbeing. Our thoughts are very powerful; they determine our mental and emotional states, which in turn drives our actions. As empathetic, relational beings, we of course feel the collective fear and suffering of others. So how can we learn to observe what is happening around us, but not let that overwhelm us to the point of being disempowered? Get in touch if you’d like to find out what working together can look like.
Are you interested in working with me?
Changing Shells Mindset Coaching
The doors to my 6-month coaching programme, Changing Shells, are open! You may be striving for bigger and better things in life. And yet by planning and future gazing, sometimes you can end up being deeply dissatisfied with the NOW. Not noticing the awesomeness of your life *right now*, just as it is.
Sound familiar? A gentle enquiry I’ve found so helpful is asking: what is it about this present moment that I don’t want to accept? Or rather, what am I not wanting to feel?
My coaching programme, Changing Shells, is all about personal transformation. We’re gonna be goal setting, planning big visions for the future and dreaming big, baby! But what good is all of that, really, if we can’t feel content now? What good is dreaming big, if we can’t be grateful for our lives in this moment? This moment matters too.
What if all that you desire in life is already here in some way? The seeds of your dreams are already all around you! Perhaps they don’t look like you expect them too – sneaky! This is what we’ll unpack together and so much more!
Find out more here and get in touch about joining!
1-2-1 Breathwork
I am super excited to share that I’ll have a gorgeous private space in the centre of Manchester soon! Book a 1-2-1 breathwork session with me, where we can explore different practices to optimise your breathing, practice emotional regulation and explore personal self-expression. As James Nestor says: “Expression is the opposite of depression! Go for it!” Get in touch to find out more.
Thanks for reading this Friday Feels post! 🥳
Have a smashing weekend!
Big love and a squishy hug,
Briony x
