Barriers to Nourishment
We live in a wild world. There’s an abundance of everything. And most of us living in the Western world have access to an exorbitant amount of calories, pleasure, safety, entertainment, possibilities and options. We may experience a sense of scarcity throughout many arenas of our lives, and I’m not saying that isn’t real, because it is, but I’ve been thinking a lot about our barriers to being truly nourished by everything available to us.
A hot shower.
A warm meal.
A friendly smile.
A hug.
So why, with all this available, do so many of us feel undernourished? Because we’ve lost the capacity to take in the simple gifts right in front of us.
Never ending Unconditional Love is available to all of us at all times.
But most of us have not learned how to open the tap. And many of us wouldn’t let it in even if we did know how.
Because we haven’t worked hard enough yet. We’ve made too many mistakes. We’re failing here or there.
We’re trapped in stories we’ve inherited that say that Love, Salvation, Redemption, Enlightenment, and Inner Peace are all down the road, the long road, and we’ll be lucky if we reach them.
What if unconditional love isn’t something we achieve but something we finally stop blocking?
Like Dorothy, the sparkly red shoes that will get you home are already on your feet.
And there’s no place like home.
I speak this to bring hope. I share this to crack open the door just a little. I’m writing it as a reminder that you deserve to be loved.
It’s an invitation to create space and to take down your Barriers to Nourishment.
Right now, take a breath. Right now, soften your heart. Feel your feet on the ground. As you read these words, I invite you to receive them as a loving gift, as raindrops meant to nourish your Heartseeds. Think of the people in your life who love you and feel that love for yourself too. Let this moment, be a micro-moment of receptivity for love and care and appreciation.
Yes, you can sigh.
Notice what softens. Notice what resists. Both are welcome.
And how do you feel now?
And If the barriers seem too big, if you can’t find the door or the tap feels rusted shut, if those sparkly shoes seem like they belong to someone else—this is the work Rachael and I are here to companion you through.
With an Open Heart,
Noah
Upcoming Offerings
Dave and I are offering our first Day-time in-person Council of Fathers Cohort for dads who can’t join in the evenings.
We’ll meet every other Wednesday 12:30-2:30 at the Heartseed Gathering Space.
2/25, 3/5, 3/11, 3/25, 4/8, 4/22, 5/6, 5/20
I’m also hosting a Jewish Men’s Group in partnership with Bonai Shalom
Our friend Jenn Reilly is hosting Seasonal Motherhood Circles:
Info for the whole series can be found here.
Starting with:
WINTER: Boundaries Rooted in Wholeness February 13, 20, March 6, 13, 20
(6 weeks, weekly, 5 calls) Investment $555
Calls are Fridays @ 1PM ET unless otherwise noted
All calls are recorded and shared exclusively with the group.
SIGN-UP HERE
Winter is for knowing your edges while staying connected, and for tending the deepest roots of your wholeness.
This isn’t boundaries as walls or rules - it’s boundaries as the edges your wholeness.
We practice feeling the difference between a boundary that supports your aliveness and one that comes from fear or performance. We’ll dive deep into composting the stories around why boundaries are “hard” in the first place and rebuild an embodied connection to a loving no. One that is present, grounded, and intune with your capacity.
Together we’ll practice remapping how to say no without collapse, to hold your yes and notice resentment and how to take responsibility for our own resentment , to let others have their feelings while you tend to yours. This is the foundation everything else is built on.
Much Love,
Noah