NEO Magazine Issue 2 | Page 58

artwork by sacha stone Another useful analogy to contemplate on this journey from contraction to expansion is the transition from ice to vapor. What bridges the two elements? Water. We can learn a lot from studying water, by emulating its clarity and fluidity—and its ability to soften and reanimate all that it comes into contact with. As we dissolve the social and cultural contracts (both written and unwritten) that have held us in bondage, we must also dissolve those things that cause our bodies, emotions, and spirits to contract. We must become aware of which substances, experiences, and thoughts cause the contraction of our cells, tissues, organs, and emotions—and which, by contrast, facilitate expansion.