Femme Rising is about helping you reclaim your body as a woman … physically, emotionally, psychologically, cyclically, sensually, sexually, spiritually.
And a huge part of this movement is about reclaiming our innate knowing. This knowing is based on our unique cycles and biorhythms, our sensual and sexual feminine energy, our inner wisdom, our unique lives and knowing what our bodies need.
This innate knowing is also intimately connected to nature: to natures cycles, rhythms and seasons and to our own monthly and seasonal cycles as women.
And perhaps the most intimately connected but unrealized connection between ourselves and nature is movement. Because nature is always moving. Unfortunately, most of us unconsciously deny ourselves the connection to our inner feminine nature and the expression of this essence through movement.
But feminine energy moves. Shakti, the divine feminine force of creation, creates by creating movement and that movement becomes a source of expression. Cells dance, ideas coalesce, bodies merge, new life (literally or figuratively) is born.
Today is a New Moon, a Super Moon (meaning the moon is at its closest proximity to Earth) AND a Solar Eclipse. So let me ask you … how are you feeling?
Are you feeling a bit off kilter, emotional, a bit cray cray? Our bodies are inextricably linked to the moon, and chances are, depending on what phase the moon is going through, you are experiencing a similar phase in your own life.
The key is to not suppress how you feel, but to feel it and to MOVE with it. Anything that emerges physically or emotionally presents itself to be realized and released from the body.
To help facilitate this awareness and movement, each month you can expect a new moon and full moon PLAYLIST popping into your inbox.
Because another huge part is reprogramming and reclaiming our relationships with our bodies comes down to releasing all the notions of how we thing we “should” be doing things - which especially includes how we “should” be moving our bodies.
There are really no rules here, yet, we have been taught theories of movement from cardio, to yoga, to dance, to high intensity … on and on. And because we’ve learned these modes of movement, these are often the only forms of movement we think we “should” do.
But, my question to you is, how do you *actually want* to move?
What does your body want to do? Does she want to dance, stretch, shake, jump, bounce, run, swim, climb?
BECAUSE YOU HAVE FREEDOM TO MOVE.
Freedom to move however YOU want to move. It doesn't have to look like anything you've ever seen before. It doesn't have to make sense, it doesn't have to "flow" ... It doesn't have to DO anything but FEEL GOOD.
The only rules are put the music on, move, and see what happens and how it makes you feel. Are you judging, accepting, in it, distracted? Does it feel good, uncomfortable, freeing? There is no right way to move, there is no right way to feel.
All you have to do is to MOVE + BREATHE + FEEL.
If you don't have Spotify (Why not?! It's amazing!) ... all you have to do is sign up ... it's free ... (and no, I'm not affiliated with it at all ... I just love it and use it myself)!
And ... if a prompt or intention is helpful for you, based on this lunar cycle of the new moon and the solar eclipse, my invitation for you to ask yourself is - what desires expression in my life?
What wants to be felt, seen acknowledged, experienced, expressed?
Be open to the answer - and the fact that you may or may not receive one.
As you may have noticed, nature likes to take her time. So be patient with yourself, your inner nature, and what the process of reclaiming your body means for you. All you have to do is start listening to the movement your body wants and see where it leads :)
((On a personal note of how movement evolved for me … until I found OYOGA, I kept saying, "I feel like I’m supposed to take hip hop!" I felt like there was something in the sensual and rhythmic movement that my body was yearning for … and that my body wanted to dance. I have no background in dance, I actually quit hip hop in 5th grade because it was too much too fast and I would get super flustered because I couldn’t remember the moves or keep the count … but my body remembered that movement … and so in my yearning for sensual rhythm in my life, my brain went to what it knew. But in actuality, my body didn’t want hip hop. It wanted something much more fluid, grounding and sensual. My body wanted a sensual style of yoga … and so this is an example of what FREEDOM TO MOVE means to me (CLICK TO WATCH). You can use my movement as a guideline, but please know, your movement doesn’t have to look anything like mine. The only thing that matters is how your movement feels for you.))
Whether you are just starting out or a seasoned in movement and expression, I’d love to hear how the process goes for you, what you think of the playlist in the comments below and if you feel called to share your own movement on social media, use the hashtag #FREEDOMTOMOVE so we can all raise each other up!
Love + shakti + booty grooves,
Ashly
And ... I’m *so honored* that you are here. Creating the site and growing this community of women has been a true labor of love, and even though the true work is just beginning, it’s a sigh of relief to be up and running. If you haven’t already yet, be sure to join us for daily inspiration and connection on Instagram and Facebook <3
