Thank you so much for this reflective question, Jennifer, and your wonderful personal insights! I recognized every word in myself, though a different song for me, maybe! :)
I struggle with the social and communal vs. solitude. There are rare moments when I feel almost natural in a social setting, but they are still followed by that emotional letdown and exhaustion. Your essay (and my own somatic therapist) reminds me that it's ok to listen to my own cues, if I can learn to interpret them.
I was also reminded of the days I danced in my kitchen to my 90s rock and grunge, but that's another balance for my nervous system now.
Yes, it's that permission to listen to (and, as you say, interpret) our own cues rather than question them that has felt so essential and healing. Thanks for your comment!
This is delightful.
Thank you so much for this reflective question, Jennifer, and your wonderful personal insights! I recognized every word in myself, though a different song for me, maybe! :)
I struggle with the social and communal vs. solitude. There are rare moments when I feel almost natural in a social setting, but they are still followed by that emotional letdown and exhaustion. Your essay (and my own somatic therapist) reminds me that it's ok to listen to my own cues, if I can learn to interpret them.
I was also reminded of the days I danced in my kitchen to my 90s rock and grunge, but that's another balance for my nervous system now.
Yes, it's that permission to listen to (and, as you say, interpret) our own cues rather than question them that has felt so essential and healing. Thanks for your comment!