Pass Me The Snorkel
I am coming up for air
Shelagh Murphy
Last week I went to a concert, and I was right in the mosh pit. I loved it. Granted, it was fairly tame - it wasn’t a Heavy Metal band.
There is a hard to quantify energy when you are up close and personal to the band and to a bunch of other randoms who are there to listen, be in awe of amazing musicians, and to tap into a source of an energy that is ineffable and wondrous.
Music is an emotional thing. We also use it to soothe us in sadness, rattle our bones free of anger, be our companion when alone. It is through the words and music of others we enter into a dimension where we find connection personally and universally no matter the genre. We are tapping into an all encompassing deeply emotional, psychological and physiological experience.
Life is a little like going to a concert. There is the mosh pit - a heaving mass of humanity getting jostled, the tempo determining the intensity. The seat section gives you an immersive experience without all the chaos. Then there are the peeps on the periphery - those that stand around the edges watching, not moving. As someone who has to dance as soon as I hear the first couple of notes of a song, no matter where I am, I am fascinated how people manage to imperceptibly jump on the inside.
There is always a time for observing and time for being in the thick of it. Sometimes we need to stand back, or up high to get a broader perspective.
Every day, every year, offers up its challenges to us. When we are in deep, we might feel trapped, overwhelmed with obstacles which hinders both direction and momentum.
The last few years I have been drowning in aged care. Navigating the lives of people who are dependant on you is a heavy burden to bear & navigating a system to access support is a minefield. It’s not like children who grow and become more independent. Managing ageing parents is a beast, that can bleed you dry, particularly when you are doing it on your own.
And I gotta say, many times I am not gracious about it - I’m not proud about being not gracious either… hello all you shadowy emotions like impatience, guilt & shame that coming knocking on my door as a consequence.
I try.
But it’s hard.
Yoga practices encourages us to cultivate compassion and kindness toward ourselves and others. Having a foundational system or framework to lean on when the world wears you down can be invaluable—a way to reconnect with your inner GPS, your guiding value system.
How can we do aging better? For ourselves? Our families? For society?
It is confronting seeing people you love having a long life, but with questionable quality. We all need to ask ourselves how do we personally want to age and how can we take responsibility for ourselves as we do so - because we want to live, not just exist.
Frustration fuels my drive to challenge systems and a world that often seeks to disempower and consume us. I focus on providing support, information, and tools to help others reclaim their agency. For me, living a "Moore Nourishing Life" is a fundamental right—but one that requires my active participation.
The key is in embracing mindset, attitude, rituals and community to foster an existence that supports functionality, mobility, engagement, and longevity so we can look back from the pointy end and say “that was a bloody great ride.”
So, why did I start this whole ramble with a concert? Because we need to make time for the things that lift us up. It’s so easy to forget that when we’re feeling overwhelmed.
Lately, I’ve been exhausted—completely caught up in a role I didn’t anticipate, didn’t ask for, and can’t really share. It’s pulled me away from the work that truly matters to me, with my time constantly hijacked by things I can’t control.
But do you know what? I’ve also been neglecting myself. I haven’t been turning on the music I love, haven’t been stepping out of the endless loop in my head. I haven’t been getting out into nature, writing, or even just giving myself permission to rest. All the things that help reset my system and fill me up.
Life isn’t a waiting room where we sit idly, waiting to pass through to the other side We can’t rely on others to create a meaningful life for us. Instead, we have the power to live extraordinary and purposeful lives at any stage. Staying active, having goals & something to look forward to, connecting with nature, eating well, building relationships, and continuing to cognitively challenge ourselves are all simple yet impactful practices that anyone can embrace.
Imagining what your ideal life might look like at any age can be motivating to start building the foundation for that life today.
Setting ourselves up now, wherever we are through mindset, motivation and momentum through some insight and thoughtful planning. We owe it to ourselves and to those who will be left to deal with us if we don’t.
A Mantras for this year that I am embracing:
Life fluctuates in all different ways. Its not always pretty, but being with things as they are is an invitation for less struggle and more ease. Yes, I know, for those of you who regularly read these emails, I am ALWAYS banging on about this. I either never seem to learn the lesson, or that is simply a constant with life.
I guess it’s a bit of both.
Life is a dance. Sometimes we will be in the mosh pit, sometimes in the stands, or on the periphery.
Wherever I am I want to continue to find my groove and roll with it a bit more.
Want to join me?
Love
M
On Instagram this week. I also did a PLAYLIST. It’s a real mixed bag.
