When I was a teenager, I often heard my mom say, “It was bashert.” Saying it seemed to finalize a conversation with head nodding and a collective “oooh.” The loose translation of this Yiddish expression is “meant to be.” It was used commonly to denote two people finding one another—finding their soulmate and to mark a fortuitous occasion or a series of events. In my own vernacular, I would say it was like going with the flow. If all systems are “go,” the world is aligned and everything runs smoothly, we would experience a perfect, easy situation like water rolling downstream. What a great feeling it is to have no resistance and feel the power of the energy of the universe. You know it when you experience it. It could be fleeting—we only wish we could constantly live in that state of being.
The Perfect Day
In contrast to my hectic, over-planned schedule, I recently had a perfect day. I was half an hour late to drive to Brooklyn to my great-niece Fern’s second birthday party. They had recently moved and I had no idea where I was going, so I plugged in my GPS and followed directions to several highways and over bridges, got stuck in traffic, and somehow managed to arrive early. I found a free parking space on the next block instead of paying $35 at the local parking garage. Being twenty minutes early, I was able to help set up for the party.
Just the day before, a friend from Stamford I hadn’t seen for a while invited me to come to a small impromptu gathering. By some strange coincidence, I was driving to New York that very day and going right by her exit. After little Fern’s party, I was able to stop at my friend’s home, reconnect and help her prepare for her party. It was a wonderful, heartfelt visit. My trip home was uneventful and I arrived to pick up my dogs at a friend’s house on time. It was all so perfect—it was bashert.
Everything Is Energy
There is a flow we tap into when we’re in sync with the universe. That flow was there when I was twenty-two and was in the middle of getting my second of ten Rolfing® sessions, when I knew I would become a Rolfer and do this work for the rest of my life. Sometimes we just need to be quiet and calm enough to experience that flow. We are supported in many ways—we’re not just dropped onto this earth with no guidance.
Everything is made up of energy. Remember in science class, rubbing your hands together briskly and feeling the energy between them? When I was a Girl Scout, I was told to hug a tree if I was tired while hiking in the woods because it would invigorate me. The branches reach up toward the sun while the roots dig deep into the earth. The trunk is a shaft of energy.
The food we eat can give us that same boost of energy if we make good choices and eat fresh, plant-based, not overly processed, dead foods. Relying on sweet or sugar-laden foods for a boost creates the opposite reaction (a sugar high that leads to a sugar low) as well as an inflammatory response in the body. Achy joints and stiff muscles are a by-product of what you consume in many cases.
Balance, Unblock, and Shift Your Intention
I recently went through a 90-day eating challenge that led me to change the way I eat. Participants were asked to not give up certain foods but to take a break from eating certain things in a
particular order. Come to find out, my mind ran my consumption, and my consumption ran my body. Previously addicted to sugar and cheese, I am now not eating them, have lost weight, and have more stamina and self-control than ever before in my life. I don’t have cravings and love the freedom I continue to experience.
I find that the more neutral and freer from chronic imbalance my body is, the better I feel. That’s what I tell my Rolfing® clients. The more out of balance a person is, the less their energy can flow and the more they feel blocked. That’s when we feel stiff, have pain, and get fatigued easily.
The process of becoming aware of your own participation in your health is a magnificent journey. Seeing how the systems all work together and how we have some control over ourselves is the first step. May I suggest you slow down a bit, challenge
yourself, and reap the benefits of your new awareness? It is time. This a wake-up call to shift your intention. It is bashert—meant to be!
Sharon Sklar is in her 42nd year of private practice as a Certified Advanced Rolfer and has been voted one of Natural Nutmeg’s 10Best Bodyworkers for the last four years. Sharon works with direct manipulation of the soft tissue of the body and movement re-education over a ten-session series to help her clients feel freer, get more balanced, and reduce chronic pain. Great for athletes, children, and adults recovering from injuries, stress, or traumas of life. State licensed. Call 860.561.4337 for more info or to schedule a consultation. Inquiries are encouraged!
www.SharonSklarRolfing.com.