Inner Space
by tending to the river inside,
keeping the water rich and deep,
keeping a bench for you to visit.Here at the Innerwork Center, we are “keeping a bench for you to visit.”
Here at the Innerwork Center, we are “keeping a bench for you to visit.” I discovered the following poem at an Innerwork Center silent retreat offered at a lovely retreat space just outside of Richmond and over time, as I have pursued my own inner journey, it has helped me understand how important our own “inner space” is to being available and accessible to those around us.
The Quiet Power
I walked backwards, against time
and that’s where I caught the moon,
singing at me.
I steeped downwards, into my seat
and that’s where I caught freedom,
waiting for me, like a lilac.
I ended thought, and I ended story.
I stopped designing, and arguing, and
sculpting a happy life.
I didn’t die. I didn’t turn to dust.
Instead I chopped vegetables,
and made a calm lake in me
where the water was clear and sourced and still.
And when the ones I loved came to it,
I had something to give them, and
it offered them a soft road out of pain.
I became beloved.
And I came to know that this was it.
The quiet power.
I could give something mighty, lasting,
that stopped the wheel of chaos,
by tending to the river inside,
keeping the water rich and deep,
keeping a bench for you to visit.
– Tara Mohr
My “inner space” looks very different now than it did back in 2019 when I discovered all that the Innerwork Center had to offer, and I am so happy and grateful now that I actually have an inner life that allows me to care for myself, restore myself, treat myself well, and subsequently, be all that I can be to the people and things in life that matter the most to me. For me, that inner space is where I believe my “soul” is, it is the place inside that is quiet, serene, relaxed and free from worry/doubt/regret/shame and all the things that had tangled me up in self-doubt since I was probably three years old.
What does your “inner space” look like? Is it a place you enjoy spending time? Is it a place that restores your energy and joy? Is it a place where you find peace and calm? Is it a place where you spend time every day, even if it’s only for five minutes sometimes? Is it a place where you can “just be?” For in the being, not the doing, is where we can find the rest and solitude that our souls need to be our full and complete selves.
My meditation this morning said, “We are human BEINGS, not human DOINGS!” That really struck me as an important clarification about how we spend our time running and doing and accomplishing and fretting and controlling (or so we may think) and distracting, all with the thought that we are being who we are meant to be. Hmmmm--- is that really who we are meant to be? The “grind culture” we are living in has become such a way of life for so many of us that we don’t even know how to acknowledge that there could be another way to be, to live, and to give from.
For me, for my life, for my relationships, and for the good that I can do in the world, I choose a different path as far from the grind culture as I can get. I choose a path that embraces slowing down and relaxation; a path that includes daily moments of rest and rejuvenation; a path that takes me beside still waters and walking beautiful forest trails; a path where I feed my soul and my inner space with messages of love and gratitude; a path where I build up those reserves that allow me to have more to give to others because I’ve cared for myself. It allows me the opportunity to have a peaceful, restful, open space for others who may need that rest as well.
The” bench” that the Innerwork Center offers is vast and expansive. Whether it’s an Interfaith Panel to help you explore spirituality, a Yoga/Movement or Somatics class, a Silent Retreat, Qigong, a Sound Bath, “Navigating Political Conversations,” Monday’s with Jung or the Queer Richmond Sangha, or our Coming Home BIPOC community; you could even spend some time with me in an Introduction to Ayurveda and the health and wellness benefits of ancient Indian medicine, or my very popular SoulCollage® classes. There are so many offerings to help you grow and learn from that it's impossible to list them all here.
If you are longing to learn how to slow down, how to reconnect with yourself despite your busy life, how to find peace, joy and restoration, or relief from any suffering, I strongly recommend that you take a step TOWARD YOURSELF and join the Innerwork Center for an experience that will change your life. Make a gesture of self-commitment and self-love and join us for an experience that will enhance your “inner space” and open a universe of opportunity for you to rediscover who you are, reclaim what you want from your life, recommit to your purpose in this life, and locate a thread of gratitude that will allow you to experience the wonder that surrounds you every single moment that you draw breath.
May we all be well!
About Cheryl Groce-Wright
Cheryl is Founder and CEO of Kaleidoscope Collaborative, a Richmond-based consulting firm serving as a proactive champion for racial equity, empowered communities, and inspired citizens. Currently serving as Board President of the Innerwork Center, she has worked in educational settings and held positions in nonprofit management, youth programming and development, fund-raising and fund development, academic and social science research, substance abuse and family counseling, and college student development. She is the mother of two outstanding sons and is an avid runner having completed numerous half and full marathon races and currently serves as Head Coach of Sports Backers Half Marathon Training team and also directs a Jeff Galloway Training program in Richmond.