Special Guest Post with VBY Ambassador & Author Amber Niven

In 2014 I spent four months hiking on the Appalachian Trail, climbing mountains, encountering bears, and fording raging rivers. I didn't know it then, but I was practicing the Yoga of Resilience by overcoming obstacles and getting in tune with my breath, nature, and myself. I returned home with a deep connection to the natural world and a sense of "I-can-accomplish-anything" type of confidence. I felt resilient. So I followed my heart with a newfound purpose and decided to quit my job, move to Asheville and pursue a life I loved by starting my own creative venture. Leap, and the net will appear. Right? That's what I was taught.

The Unraveling

Little did I know that there was far more to this leap-of-faith, net-catching thing. Once I risked everything with the belief that I would softly land in a collective net created by my ancient ancestors, I woke up. I woke up to the hard reality that sometimes the net does not hold and that this meant I would be the one to repair the damage if I ever wanted to leap again. (insert Resilience at their finest moment) 

I found myself amidst deep depression with a crumbling foundation. Thankfully, I came across some people who guided me back to my truth. The truth that we are all born resilient with the power to create. We may not be able to change our circumstances, but we can tap into our creativity and imagine our roots growing deep into the center of the Earth and suddenly feel more grounded. We can embody the warrior energy of Virabhadra as we imagine ourselves on the battlefield of our life while we stand solid in Warrior Two. My Yoga practice became alive as I explored my inner landscape and questioned everything. 

My time on the Appalachian Trail taught me that everything is connected. I drew strength from memories of getting water out of streams and collecting wood for a fire. The trail had brought me to this very moment, and I had to trust that it was where I was meant to be. 

Breathing & Weaving

I set out to re-weave my net by picking up one string at a time and mending them with love and intention. By accepting each one as a part of me, I slowly repaired the weathering from life's storms and reclaimed an even greater sense of safety and creativity. The ones stained with lies and limiting beliefs of being small and separate were washed clean with tears and poems.

Donna Farhi states in her book Bringing Yoga to Life that "it is the purpose of Yoga to destroy this limited sense of self so that we can discover the joy not only of being alive but of letting life be who we are."

This type of surrendering is crucial on the trail of Resilience. As Vira Bhava students, we know that when we root deeper, we rise higher. We are taught how to live courageously in the face of adversity and are encouraged to live a life of deep connection, not just with ourselves but with each other, humans and non-humans, including others we don't understand or agree with. We practice surrendering to life's flow, expanding our web with each life experience.

By staying present during hard conversations and finding Sthira and Sukha in discomfort, we learn how to ride the waves of life. When our trauma responses are screaming, "fight," "fly," "freeze," or "appease," we respond by settling into those "sticky-spots," and we breathe, and as we breathe, we weave. 

We get curious, and as we get curious, our imagination opens up to new possibilities. Suddenly, we are weaving faster and stronger until tested once again. Whether we get the choice to jump off the cliff or life throws something our way that causes us to stumble, we will fall onto our net, and we will notice. Is it a soft landing for our dreams? Or does it need mending? (spoiler alert: it always needs mending)

We patch any holes with tears, more poems, dancing around a fire, anything our heart calls. We clean off the muck with deep breaths and tea with friends. And we keep showing up. 

Remembering We Are Divine Trailblazers

We have heard it over and over recently; we are living in radical times. But, do you know that the word "radical" comes from a word that means "from the root"? It sounds as if we are being invited on a trailblazing journey back home to ourselves, where we will walk through the threshold, reunite with our creative gifts and remember that we are here to imagine a new world into being together.

I encourage you to heed the call. Please keep showing up and pursuing a life of Creativity and Resilience. You are a light for those in the darkness, those who have forgotten their true nature. 

Keep hiking, swimming, climbing, and diving. Keep weaving. Please show us what it means to make a mess Holy. There are so many people on Earth right now who feel like they don't belong. They are escaping, frozen in fear, and going to great lengths to end the suffering. 

Be the Hope. Continue on your path of Resilience and engage with your sacred imagination as a way forward.

I love you,

Amber

You can read more about my time on the Appalachian Trail in my book Discovering the Appalachian Trail: A Guide to the Trail's Greatest Hikes. If you are curious about tapping deeper into your creativity, I invite you to check out my 6-week course themed around the ground-breaking book The Artist's Way: Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity.