How to Connect with your Wild Woman

 

She is you. She is me. She is all of us…

We spend a lot of time trying to connect with ourselves when we’re older. We’re trying to find that woman who we always wanted to be.

When my friend Nancy was growing up, she was told that, after 40, it wasn’t proper to draw attention to yourself and that you needed to act your age. That she should wear her hair short and wear clothes that were appropriate for a mature woman.

She began to challenge this belief when she grew older. She found herself feeling quite shocked by the idea that she had to wear certain clothes and look a certain way.

At the fabulous age of 63, she’s so glad she didn’t listen to their advice. She wears her hair long, wild and free and her clothing can only be described as romantically bohemian. She wears long, ruffled skirts that seem to kiss the floor as she walks (most of the time barefoot), and “off the shoulder” tops that wrap themselves around her body like a hug.

She is grateful that she is nothing like the 60-year-old that shaped her early upbringing. As a matter of fact, she secretly thinks her mother and other family members would have wanted to join her in the freedom we now have at age 60 and beyond.

We have come a long way in breaking the traditional taboos of aging and what it means to grow older. Rather than slipping into quiet conformity, 60+ year-old women everywhere are reclaiming their passion and embodying their inner wild woman.

It’s important to note that reclaiming your inner wild woman is not just about the clothes you wear or the way that you look. It is totally about the way you feel.

Getting a hold of our inner wild woman can be a challenging endeavor. This is because she lives in the undiscovered landscape of our lives, just waiting for the moment we will see her and connect with this part of our lives. The interesting part is that she has always been there. She is ancient and timeless. And full of inner knowing.

She feels deep and thinks even deeper. She follows the call of her Soul. She maneuvers her life by the murmurs of her heart. She is our darkest night and and our sunniest morning. She is totally and undeniably true to herself.

“Within every woman is a wild and natural creature, a powerful force filled with good instincts, passionate creativity, and ageless knowing”. Clarissa Pinkola Estes — Women Who run with the Wolves.

Who is that wild woman within you? You may already know her. That wild woman is you. You may have had glimpses of her all your life. You can find her in your deepest desires and she’s not afraid to stand up for what makes her feel truly alive.

She is authentically who she is — she’s real. She is the part of us who has had enough with feeling small and trying to fit into someone else’s version of life. She longs to dance to the beat of her own drum and shake free all that doesn’t serve her.

The process of reconnecting with your inner wild woman can be scary and takes a little bravery. It can seem like a reckless and shameless thing to do. This is because we have been suppressing her with over working, people pleasing, or trying to be all things to all people.

My friend Nancy claims she met her wild woman in a dream and she stayed there, waiting for the day when Nancy would feel the intoxicating air of longing for a life that was deeper, more soulful, fulfilling and magic.

At 60, she had travelled through her life’s journey so far. She knew what she loved. She knew what didn’t work for her. She had experienced the highs, the lows and the in betweens. Her physical shape had changed, her hair is a different color, she had experienced loss and risen to meet another day.

All along, her wild woman had been with her, waiting for the day that she would come home to herself.

There are ways to connect with your wild woman-

Romance your body. Notice sensations and emotions as they pass through your body. Try to find out what messages are being communicated to you. Treat your body with love and kindness. If you have pain or illness, try to connect with the pain you feel and comfort it as you would a small child.

Follow your creativity. The wild woman is very creative. It doesn’t matter what it is as long as you do it. It could be painting, writing, drawing, dancing, cooking or sewing. Try to make whatever makes you feel alive come through in your creativity.

Don’t die with your dreams. What do you long to do, have experience in or be? Do you have forgotten dreams that need to be brought to light? Do you have a burning passion yearning to be lived? Take this time to nurture your dreams. Give whatever is inside you the freedom to live.

Wear the clothes that express who you are. Look in the mirror and ask your body what it wants to wear. Take the time to create your own style. What are the clothes that make you feel beautiful? Maybe this is the time to explore the clothes you always wanted to wear.

It’s better to look back on life and say: “ I can’t believe I did that.” than to look back and say: “I wish I had done that.”