In life, we are all students and we are all teachers.
Sometimes we teach not through our words but by our actions. And sometimes we teach through our energy and our very presence.
I share this story with permission.
Several years ago at a weekend workshop on accessing our inner wisdom, two themes emerged in the group. On the first day, it became clear we were working with our inner children, and we were learning to ask for what we needed to support us.
On the second morning, this knowledge was still rather theoretical – we hadn’t yet had a good teaching example unfold. But then, a miracle happened, and a teacher among us stepped forward.
We were preparing to do an activity to release the heavy energy blocking us from hearing our truth. One person in the circle experienced a swell of emotion and began crying. We paused and honored her tears by giving her the space to express herself. Through the tears streaming down her face, she shared that her little girl was afraid. Recently in her life she had released so much, and she was afraid if she released any more, she would have nothing left.
We continued to honor her tears, and when they eased, we asked the question: “What does your little girl want right now?” She requested tonglen meditation, asking us to breathe in her fear and breathe out peace and calm. We honored her request.
When she reached a place of peace with her inner child, she made the comment, “Wow. It feels really good to listen to my little girl instead of just ignoring her like I usually do.” Her statement rang with the power of truth. And everyone took it in.
The act of her acknowledging her fears, sharing her tears with the group, and then asking for what she needed to support her markedly shifted the energy of the coming activity for everyone.
We witnessed firsthand the power of surrendering and releasing. It gave each person in the group permission to do the same for themselves. In the activity which followed, each person went within and released the heavy energy blocking them. After the activity, each person felt free to ask for what they needed to support them.
Her actions that morning were a gift to everyone in the group. She taught each of us, not through words, but through her energy and her very presence in the circle.