 Risk and opportunity are two sides of the same coin. -Yvan Byeajee
Dear Friends, A couple of weeks ago a dear friend and I met up at the Billy Goat Trail in Great Falls for a hike. I had been there the day before and had seen a sign that stated the Billy Goat trail was flooded, but that particular day, as we came in the opposite direction and I didn’t see a sign, I assumed the trail was fine. Turns out, it wasn’t…it definitely was not fine. The trail was flooded, with a couple of crossings that, while the water wasn’t running fast and was safe to cross, it was also definitely deep…way deeper than we expected…but on we went, perhaps ill-advised, but with joy and adventure in our spirits. It was a wonderful afternoon, full of laughter and connection and unexpected surprises on the trail…and was a wonderful risk to take. Now, had that water been unsafe to wade through, we should not have taken that risk, but seeing as it was slow moving and gentle, it made for just a fabulous and surprising afternoon. I’ve been thinking a lot about “risky and wonderful” since our blog post a few weeks ago, and about ways in my own life where, if I want something wonderful to happen, I have to be willing to take a risk. There are spaces in my own life where it feels easy, even if anxiety-producing, taking that risk. There are other spaces in my life where the thought of taking a risk feels really hard and scary, where opening myself up and taking a risk for the chance of something wonderful on the other side feels daunting to me. I hope, this week, you are able to see clearly the spaces where you should take a little more risk for the chance of something wonderful, even if that risk feels scary and hard. Have an amazing week, my friend. Love Krista
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 Dear Friends,
It’s that time of year…that time where, if you look real closely, you can practically see the leaves growing on the trees. The world around us is turning brighter and greener by the second, the world around us is in the midst of rapid change. I was walking through the woods earlier this week noticing the vast difference between last week and this, between yesterday and today…change is happening. There are some personalities, I think, that thrive on that rapid onset of change. Folks who crave the new and different, where that rapid onset of change is life giving. There are others with whom that rapid onset of change is completely destabilizing, and really throws them for a loop…where change is hard, it might be necessary, but it is hard. I wonder how it might feel, for those of us with which change is hard, to find some steadiness, some surefootedness even in the midst of that inevitable space of rapid change in our own lives. I wonder how it might feel if we really lean into our spaces of steadiness and surefootedness when change inevitably comes. Change is inevitable, my friend, and there are times in life when rapid change is unavoidable…but even in the midst of the inevitability of change, I think we all have the ability to look at, see and lean into those spaces in our lives that feel stable and sure. I hope you have an amazing week, my friend. Love Krista  *Photo by Andrew Mason, 4/8/2024
Comparing what you see during an eclipse to the darkness at night is like comparing an ocean to a teardrop. – Wendy Mass Dear Friends, This past weekend my boys, myself and some friends embarked on a road trip to Ohio to see the total solar eclipse. If you’ve never seen an eclipse in totality, it truly is, in my opinion, an amazing, transcendent experience…one that I have no words to describe other than that I, personally, am willing to travel and sit in traffic for the chance to experience that transcendence for 3 ½ minutes even when both my boys need to get to their respective homes early the next morning for unmissable school activities. But here’s the thing, we’re always taking a chance. We run the risk of being thoroughly disappointed when chasing after eclipses, because there will always be a chance of clouds…there’s a chance that, no matter where we go, our experience is going to be covered over and shrouded. We simply have no control over the weather. Last weekend my boys and I and our friends were not disappointed. While there were clouds in the sky, they were high and thin and didn’t obstruct our views at all, which was amazing, transcendent, wonderful…risky and wonderful. Sometimes in life we have to take a risk, even when we know there’s a good chance we’ll be disappointed…but sometimes, even with that threat of disappointment, that risk is worth it. I hope you have an amazing week, my friend. Love Krista  *Photograph: By aeonWAVE / Shutterstock | Totality during the 2023 Australian total solar eclipse in Exmouth Gratitude bestows reverence, allowing us to encounter everyday epiphanies, those transcendent moments of awe that change forever how we experience life and the world.
-John Milton Dear Friends, We all have those big moments, those life changing moments, those experiences in life that create an undeniable sense of awe and wonder. This weekend my boys and I are headed to Ohio to hopefully see the total solar eclipse, should the weather cooperate with us. We were in North Carolina for the last total solar eclipse with zero expectation of what the experience would feel like and I, personally, was absolutely blown away. That experience was, and continues to be, one of my top most transcendent moments of my life. When the sky got dark I screamed and then started laughing fairly uncontrollably. My uncontrollable reaction to that experience was so deeply unexpected to me. It was, and continues to be, an absolutely amazing experience. Those moments of undeniable awe are amazing and spectacular…but I think John Milton was on to something when he said gratitude allows us to encounter everyday epiphanies…because, let’s be honest here, life isn’t made up of those moments of undeniable awe…they do happen every once in a while, and can be life changing when they do, but they don’t happen on the regular. Even so, I do think life can be made up of everyday epiphanies. We all have the ability to notice, to slow down, to find awe as we move through the everyday. My dear friend, I hope, this week, you are able to find a little more awe in your every day. Have an awe-filled week. Love Krista |
Hi, I'm Krista!Krista Mason is a movement instructor based in Washington DC. She founded an online strength, yoga and movement studio, teaches group classes, hosts both local and overseas retreats, hangs out with private clients, and absolutely loves the work she gets to do. Archives
September 2024
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