Just like the groundhog hiding in my shadow, I could still see him.  He was still visible. It reminds me of how many times we often don’t see how we hide…

and those closest to us see it. They see us hiding in the shadow, and patiently wait for us to step into the light of vulnerability and to truly see ourselves, in the wholeness of our being. Because the truth is, we are whole, and beautiful just as we are.  Creating new ways of being is not to make us a perfect human or better in any way, it’s that there are behaviours and narratives that simply do not serve us and at times cause harm. There is wisdom and nutrients when we plant ourselves into truth, trust the process and love the heck out of ourselves, we continue to seed our garden, and grow deep roots so that we can continue to stretch out our leaves to be visible by the sun. 

If you have landed here perhaps the groundhog has a message for you as well.

Thank you sweet groundhog for sharing your beautiful message, I would like to invite you to also connect with groundhog medicine.

As you read this story, notice your senses, and what is coming through for you as you connect with this transmission.

While walking down the street I came across this little cutie.  The groundhog did not notice me at first and when he did, he ran into my shadow to hide, giving me enough time to grab my phone for a quick video and pic.

On the walk home I continued to connect to the powerful messages of this encounter and connection with the groundhog hiding in my shadow.  

It had me asking…

What are the ways I hide? 

How are these ways serving me?

Can I invite myself gently into the light? What does this feel/look like? 

What am I being invited deeper into right now?

What initially came to me is how I hide in busyness.  If I am busy enough I don’t have to look at all the emotions that reside or flow through the body.  If I am busy enough I can continue to hide and spin my wheels in doing instead of being. 

This is an energy I’ve been observing for many years now and noticing the balance.  Discerning when I actually need to be in busyness and when I am hiding is still a practice for me.  It sure has gotten a lot easier to recognize yet there are sneaky ways I notice how I hide. 

The groundhog invited me into the intention I set this year of deepening my relationship with rest. It’s so interesting to see what’s coming through this intention.  There have been many moments and ways nature’s critters have expressed their wisdom and invited me to visit many aspects of rest and my relationship with this concept and behaviour.

In reflection, I can see how this type of hiding in the busyness was a great way of bypassing, spiritually and emotionally. 

I do spend a lot of time in nature and in my energy, letting emotions flow through and nurturing my soul.  Yet there are still aspects of myself that hide, and that’s okay.  We are not here to judge, we are here to observe, and be gentle as we call ourselves back home into being.

I’ve also discovered that I have come far in breaking this cycle, and pattern within. In saying that, it’s not like I won’t participate in this within subtle threads.  Pattern breaking is not a linear process. We weave in and out learning of all the textures within the fabric of the pattern. 

There are so many ways we hide…

How about you?

As I share is your awareness guiding you to the masks, or behaviours that you hide within?

Perhaps it’s hiding your narratives like ‘im not enough’ within the hamster wheel of perfectionism. Or giving to everyone but yourself…you can see where this is going right?

To be seen invites us into vulnerability.  One thing I hear all the time in sessions with folks is, ‘that I don’t know how to be vulnerable or it’s just too hard.’ It begins with ourselves.  With honesty. And to understand that our brains are sneaky, and many of these aspects are hidden from us to keep us safe.  We are wired to protect ourselves. So the next time you discover an aspect of yourself that you hide within, be gentle, and nonjudgemental. This is your invitation to learn, to receive from this wisdom as you let the walls crumble and the ways of hiding decay into the fertile soil to be transformed into nutrients as you plant the seeds for new pathways of being. 

So here is the question again,

There are so many ways we hide…

How about you?

Remember to not go digging for it, let it come, and if it does not come today, now is not the time for you to have a conversation about the ways you hide.  Let it come naturally.  If reading this brought awareness of the ways you hide, play in your garden of awareness, and remember you are not alone on the path, if you seek a guide to support you, I am here and we may be a fit, so reach out.  There are powerful containers I offer that support the embodiment of your medicine and rejuvenate your deepest wisdom.

Much love,

-Natalie Parsons