Riding life with intuition, in slow motion
This article was first published on Substack on The Alma Writer #7
For the past two weeks, I rode a bike to my writing studio. The journey took me anywhere between 45 minutes to one hour, one way, bringing my commute (and sports session) to 2 hours a day, instead of one by bus. The bike was a loan from a friend, a trial for me, and I already miss it dearly, excited to get my own bike very soon.
There have been flowy journeys and harder rides, mostly good weather, increments of hail and forceful winds, ups and downs the hills, paved roads and traffic, a couple of times getting lost. I have been a polite and timid driver, an agressive self-assured rider, a working-out-going-super-fast-getting-exhausted type, a whizzing-past-the-sea-and-the-bicycle-lanes to feel the sun and wind on my skin woman and a slow-go-with-the-flow cyclist.
While riding, I’ve been playing, with intuition, with the flow, with patterns and metaphors of my way of showing up in the world, in my writing and in my business. It’s been fun and enlightening. I remember getting to play with intuition again, as I haven’t let myself to in a while, asking which way to go, asking for the most flowy way to go back home, following its directions, and always getting the confirmation of my gut, avoiding traffic, red lights and obstructions when I did so. The thing is, it’s always about remembering to ask the intuition, to follow its guidance, instead of just thinking the mind knows better and getting annoyed at being stuck in traffic afterwards. Apply this metaphor to any area of your life, play and experience with it and let me know how it goes!
I’ve been finding my favourite route by going uphill, pushing myself, getting some cardio in, getting stronger, and getting to pass some of the most beautiful sights of Edinburgh, while being able to whizz through a pedestrian street and cross town in a jiff right after. The most difficult route might be the best way for me, for you, for reasons unknown and unexplainable.
I’ve enjoyed slowing down, taking in the scenery, the cherry blossoms, the sunshine, the buildings and the fog. I’ve played with the idea of slowing down, just to see what happens, when you are in no rush, no impulsivity, no agressivity, no “let me pass or else” energy. It allowed me to be less stressed, less rushed, less sweaty at the end and to witness the politeness and kindness of riders, drivers and pedestrians, telling me to go ahead. The slow way may be the fastest, most efficient and pleasant way.
I’ve fought against the wind uphill, much too many times to count. The thing is in Scotland, the wind comes from all directions at once, and if you have to get home at a specific moment in time, you can’t really avoid it. This metaphor might be a bit wobbly, just as I was riding against the wind climbing up to Princes Street. If you can’t avoid the wind, then you might just be fighting a loosing battle. But allow me to play some more. Fighting, persisting, forcing against the wind, walls, obstacles is exhausting and pointless. However, if you know this is meant for you, that the wall, the
"No", a portal to more...
no isn’t a redirection to something else, but rather a lesson, an opportunity for growth and strength, the final challenge to become yourself, the initiation you need to become who you need to be, to get to where you need, then go ahead, fight against the wind. Well, maybe metaphor wasn’t so wobbly after all.
And I’ve learned, once more, that in what scares me the most (riding a bike in a city has been one of my big fears and limitations in forever), I find the most pleasure, fun, purpose and direction. In your fears, lies your most fruitful expansion and joy.
I hope you will choose to ride, no matter how you go about it.
I know I haven’t written a letter in English in the past four months and I apologise. There has been a lot of restructurations of my being and my business, happening in the background and foreground, including the reunion of all my newsletters here, for both French and English readers. If you’d like to subscribe to the French section too, you can head to my profile and adjust your settings.
I’ve been working on my novel of course, and focusing on shamanic work, hoping to launch a beautiful offering for artists and aspiring artists in the next few weeks.
It’s been a slow year, a ride in slow motion, with intuition always. In numerology, this is my year 2, a slow collaborative year and I’ve really felt the shift in energy. If you are in year 2 as well, I feel you: it’s not always easy to align yourself to the waves and rhythm of that specific year. I’m also focusing on slow intentional projects and growth, rather than jumping again and again on the urgency bandwagon of creating. And I will keep on writing here when it aligns, without forcing a calendar anymore, trusting that I will find a time to sit down with The Alma Writer to write to you. Actually I know it will, as for my last letter in French, and for this one as well, I have been woken up at sunrise to sit down and write it, so I trust my body to lead the way. Everything in aligned timing and intuition.
The slowness comes also with a big setback with my presence and consumption of social media, mostly Instagram. I’m not saying it won’t change again, but for now, it feels good and resting to be away, as if the app was pertuating, amplifying my biggest fears and stress. You can still reach me there if you’d like and I’ll always answer to you happily.
I’m heading out on holidays to France in a couple of days, hoping for some sunshine and good vibes, before settling for a serious summer of writing and *fingers crossed* finishing of the novel.
I wish you all a beautiful spring and summer, full of sunshine, intention, joy, love and art.
Till my next letter, with much love,
Lucie