Certain women seem to move through the world with an abundance of grace. They appear unflappable, unwavering and real, and yet they would probably be the first to tell you how they struggle. Their stories are the ones we can relate to the most.
When Lisa and I created GloForward, we were excited about the opportunity to honor these women of grace.
Too frequently the news headlines and popular entertainment are full of stories about humans behaving badly. They focus on the lowest forms of behavior, and we can begin to normalize it through sheer exposure. That normalization disempowers us by promoting division and a victim mentality.
Leading through positive example, on the other hand, empowers women by connecting them with their hearts and their community to be their highest selves.
Grace has a way of prompting action when the time and the choice are right. The process of launching our first Woman of Grace profile has given us an opportunity to remember and celebrate all of the inspirational women in our lives. And during one of our masked afternoons together, Lisa and I chose to honor a woman who has impacted both of our lives personally, as well as our hometown – Silver Kim. Her shining example is in this month’s Woman of Grace feature.
Personally, Silver came into my life in the midst of my Hero’s Journey. After two years training as a yoga teacher, living in the spiritual oasis of Nosara, Costa Rica and walking my first El Camino de Santiago, I was struggling to adapt to the “real world.” Her example and the community she created gave me the grounding and guidance to find a new path forward. She celebrated special moments in the publication of my first book, and gave me the opportunity to launch my first workshop series combining yin yoga and meditative passages from my book.
Yoga changed my life – it’s healing power reshaped my body, my outlook and my purpose. While most know of the power of its physical expression, what touched my soul were the foundational teachings on the ethics or ways of living called the Yamas and Niyamas. These provide a psycho-spiritual guide to well-being and a relatable code by which to live.
As part of my journey, I have been blessed with meeting graceful women in yoga communities around the world who embody these ethics. They create safe havens with compassionate teachers who understand therapeutic alignment for all ages, as well as the deeper teachings on how to live. I count myself a better person for knowing them all.
We celebrate Silver this week as the embodiment of the Yama, aparigraha, which teaches us to take only what we need and let go of the unnecessary. She lives life as a graceful dance of simplicity.
Lisa and I look forward to sharing the stories of more graceful and inspiring women. We hope we can learn together, and look forward to your own nominations for a Woman of Grace.