What’s yours and what isn’t

A few weeks ago, I gave a workshop to the largest group I’ve ever spoken in front of — ~60 women. I gave them a condensed version of one of my retreats, where I take everyone through a process of connecting into our inner world.

One of the highlights of my retreats is an exercise where I first guide the group through a practice, and then everyone writes down some core needs and feelings that came up for them. Then a woman stands up in front of the group — she picks a random piece of paper. She doesn’t know whose it is or what the context is. She stands up and mimes what her experience is.

As everyone in the group watches her, I invite them to notice what needs and feelings arise in them as they watch.

And a fascinating thing happens every time we do this exercise: what people see is always a reflection of the witnesser’s inner experience, rather than the experience of the woman who is miming. So it actually doesn’t matter what’s written on the paper — we see in others what our own experience is.

So why do we do this? What is the benefit?

When we can start to discern what’s ours and what is other people’s — by doing the deep inner work of investigating what our feelings and needs are, what is going on in our inner world — that is how we have better relationships with everyone around us. Whether you’re sitting with a client in session or navigating a difficult conversation about money or boundaries in your business, when you know what’s yours and what isn’t you can actually show up clearly.

And this is especially true right now, as we enter the month of Av — a time of destruction, and then hopefully rebuilding. One of the ways we can do this rebuilding is by connecting to our inner worlds — tilling the space within us. Practicing what is ours and what is not, so that we can view everyone around us through a clearer lens and a clearer vision.

This is what we do together in Soul Tilling.

If you want help refining how to listen to your inner world, join us in Av for Soul Tilling.

Want a feel for what it’s like? [Watch a short clip here.]​

Mondays: July 20, 27 | August 3, 10​
5:30 AM NY / 12:30 PM Israel
10:30 AM NY / 5:30 PM Israel

~60 minutes | Live on Zoom | Not recorded

Join for a trial class — $40​
​Join for the full month of Av — $100​
Financial aid available.

Registration is open until we begin next Monday, July 20.

​[Register here]​

Warmly,
Rena

P.S. Don’t forget to connect with me on WhatsApp. I share visual reminders to anchor these ideas and link to new content weekly.

This week’s book recommendation: If this email resonated with you, I recommend When I Start My Business, I’ll Be Happy by Sam Vander Wielen. The title is the whole thing — that forward projection, the idea that the business will eventually get built and then life will settle. Vander Wielen writes from inside the experience of online entrepreneurship, and the book is practical: legal foundations, early pitfalls, how to keep growing without losing yourself in the process. Where most business books hand you a strategy, this one asks you to take yourself seriously as the person running it. Order a copy here — this is an affiliate link which doesn’t cost you anything extra and helps support my work.

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