Poetic Revelations: Nourishing Innocence
Finding the frequency
"Innocence is not something to be replaced by experience. Its something to be kept alive as a precious flame." — David Whyte
This is a weekly publication for heart-centered warriors, swimming through this thing called life. Because Human-ing is harder than Adulting.
Selected Poems:
Ten Years Later, David Whyte
Reflection on Innocence, David Whyte (reel)
Dear Embodied Hearts and Dancing Souls,
Creative Rest is magical. I’ll post tidbits about that soon. In the meantime, here’s this:
Innocence in the Body. My husband climbs up from his basement office at the end of an exceptionally fraught couple of weeks. He is navigating his way through a foundational trauma that is showing up at work and other spaces, fraying his nervous system and wherewithal. I sensed the reassurance his Body Spirit was wanting.
I am noticing just how much Innocence is a part of our bodies’ natural makeup. After a day of laptopping in some shape or form, I want to both relax and be lifted up. The deeper hunger is to view the world from the lens of a natural Innocence that lives in my body. It wants to meet the world and be met by it. This part of me would like, every now and then, to find itself alive in the real world. My musings explored and found this by David Whyte:
Innocence is your ability to be found by a waiting world. And to be found in a different way than you were yesterday. It is a brave form of incarnation and giftedness. ~ David Whyte
Innocence in the World. And, wow, does the world make this challenging. Innocence thriving in the world is…rare. The predictable path is for innocence to “die off” as we age (and that’s if we were lucky enough to have some as a child). The reality we face growing up seems to say, “Pack that shit up and stuff it somewhere if you want to make your way in the world.”
Yet, my innocence is neither stupid nor naiive. It is Open. It respects Life and most of all, knows the human heart. It knows what makes a heart feel strong, secure and loved. Or what makes it laugh. It knows to stand up for these things for other people or living creatures. In the face of the real world, its easy to forget that we can make a choice on behalf of our Innocence.
In the face of the real violence occuring each day, its easy to forget that sometimes, we need to nurture our Innocence and reassure it.
We can stand up for it, for ourselves and others as needed. And, we mustn’t forget to nourish it either. My inner Being has often guided me to children’s sections in book stores, and other stories where the truths of our Innocence triumph. I found a book for my husband and after he read it, he thanked me for “finding an adult book in a children’s format.” Where do you go to nourish your Innocence?
Innocence and Laughter. That night, I was aware of Marcel with Shoes On, a stop-motion animation film on Netflix. Marcel is a shell who is grown. He has the ability, like the Little Prince, to speak his truth very matter of factly. He loves who he loves, is scared of what he’s scared of, and is plucky and inventive in the face of necessity.
My husband smiled and laughed as he watched. An ease came over him that he hadn’t experienced for at least a week. I could feel his BodySpirit relax, and his natural light shine again. To me, his innocence felt embraced — by this screen that wasn’t asking him to be something he was not. And by watching this plucky grown shell succeed in navigating ‘real life’ on his terms.
I especially celebrate the quality of laugher that comes from our innocence. A great example is this short where Conan O’Brien writes blues songs with kids. We had tears from laughing. So that’s two pieces of content I recommend.
With so much Love for you, your journey and your unfolding.
Stay #heartwoke.
Monisha
These days I turn to children's books all the time. This is a beautiful piece. Thank you. What was the book your hubby read?