Hanging up my Cape
A while back, I dreamt that I was offered a job as a superhero.
It was very sexy. The job title was vague and the costume was shiny, blue and full length. There were knee high boots and of course a long cape that I got to wear as part of the gig. I wasn’t really sure I wanted the job, but I took it because it was offered to me. Who says no to being a superhero? Plus, I wanted the outfit.
My first assignment as a superhero was to chase down a large, heavy truck on the freeway. The task was to run alongside it, jump into the back and save the people who were trapped inside. Did you know that if you google large truck there is an article titled “Why You Should Never Drive Alongside a Large Truck”? Did I mention I was to RUN alongside the truck.
I put on my outfit and off I went. Super Jen. Saved the people, saved the day and all was well in superhero world.
When I woke up the next morning I could feel the sensation of emptiness in my stomach and cloudiness in my head. Vapid confusion.
As women in this society, we are urged to be superheroes, and what does this lead to? Vapid confusion, fear, disconnect, anxiety and a variety of other ailments not in line with our true divine essence.
We are persuaded by trends, make-up, diets, colleagues, family and friends to work hard, not to say no, to apologize often, and to make sure it’s all coming from a size 4, nicely lipsticked mouth, and well manicured hand. I’ve never been that girl. I am wild, untamed, unapologetic, loud, not afraid and secure, and until my mid-thirties, I thought there was something wrong with me.
The real question is, what has gone wrong around us to make us think that we have to be super heroes? And how do we re-claim our own power? I’m going to let you in on my secrets and give you the ingredients for how I moved through the external bullshit and into the empowered truth of who I am:
Body Awareness – our bodies speak louder than any system out there and learning about your own map and how to track your body sensations (not emotions) is the most valuable information you can have. This provides you with the blue-print of you.
Nature – there are so many rich messages in nature, try having a dialogue with her.
Mythology – here we have stories that give us the ability to write our own stories. Brilliantly gorgeous.
Travel – immersing ourselves into other cultures provides us with a direct in about how many different ways there are to be. It also gives us permission on how people across the world celebrate size, knowledge, communication, differently than the western world.
Meditation – our own answers exist in stillness.
Self-Care – honoring ourselves, learning how to say no, and learning how to relate from a place of grounded and receptive strength is our responsibility as women to owning our own liberation and helping others own theirs.
Being a superhero may look sexy but it comes at a heavy price of disconnection to our own sense of power. The above list are things I practice every day.
There is not a day that goes by now that I don’t give thanks that I am a wild, untamed, unapologetic woman who is here in this body and living the truth of who I am.
Storykeeper: Jen Ross
Jen is a Body-Centered psychotherapist in Boulder who holds her MA in counseling psychology and another one in education. She draws upon her deep studies and trainings in 500-hour ISHTA yoga and Restorative yoga, Reiki, Somatic Psychotherapy and SomaSource. Her natural gift as a shape-shifting empath and her travel of the world to inform the work she does with her clients daily. Jen is a devotee to the natural world, and a threshold-crosser who holds a studious passion and knowledge about seeing ourselves and the universe through the fractal lens of Hindu mythology. Jen holds a profound space in which others of all backgrounds, cultures, and preferences are empowered to fully access their own soul expression. To learn more about Jen, visit www.liveyourfreedom.com.
