Episode 29: The Weight We Carry

It’s July 1st, 2026. We have crossed the bridge into the second half of the year. My mid-year reflection in a hot period was shining a light on weight. The weight that we choose to carry – physically, mentally, emotionally. Inspired by my own experiences and my work with others as a coach, supervisor and mentor. By feeling into the heaviness and lightness of holding on and letting go. It’s an invitation to reflect on the weight you carry: What is it? What makes you choose it? What’s your intention in choosing it? What may you be ready to let go of? 

I’d love to hear from you. Reach out at irina@irinapashina.com, on LinkedIn, or visit irinapashina.com to learn more about my work as a coach, mentor, supervisor, facilitator, and speaker.

Thank you for joining me on this journey of reflection and connection. 

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:01

Hello and welcome. Welcome to Begin Anywhere. My name is Irina Pashina. And I'm here to hold space. To hold space for all of us where we can begin anywhere. With less script and more presence. Thank you for joining me. Hello and welcome to episode 29 of Begin Anywhere. I'm sitting in my usual spot for recording a podcast episode. I'm finishing a cup of light roast espresso with old milk. And I'm appreciating the moment of reflection that this episode will be. So many topics, so many things and themes showing up lately. It was truly hard to choose what to bring here today on the first of July, the beginning of the second half of 2026. It has been a time of reflection for me looking back on the first six months of this year, appreciating the moment of this imaginary in-between space as we cross the bridge into the second half, and truly seeing the present moment for what it is. And it just so happened to be the hottest time of the year, perhaps the hottest I have ever experienced in the last twenty four years of living in Germany. There was a distinct quality of this time. It felt to me as if the heat was turning up the volume on different topics for different people. And timing matters. It was shining a light on many, many, many areas of life. And one that I'm choosing to bring today is related, and I have a big sigh. I have the the urge to let something go as I'm saying weight. Carrying something physically. In my own thinking, and I can feel how there is an evolution of reflections around choice, free will, action, alignment, and more about that in different episodes, and more about that in a book coming out someday in the future. But now going back to weight and carrying weight and how weight can creep up in life. I sometimes think about the physical manifestation in having more and more things in a room so that it's some point it's cluttered, there is more and more objects, and there is less and less space. And sometimes when we look inward, perhaps we can encounter something similar. Of course, I can't speak for anyone else. I know that for myself, I know that for my clients of any industry and background, and somehow, especially clients who are also coaches and come to me for supervision or mentor coaching. There is some level of carrying something for other people as well that we as human beings can and may choose at different points. I felt the heaviness in in my shoulders, in my head. I quite often feel it physically as if I would carry a backpack, and I feel the tension in my shoulder blades, and in my neck as well. It comes and goes, and when it comes, I have learned to become curious and to be with it, and being with it unfolds into deeper understanding and acceptance of what is and the ability to let it go. It is a path for me. Letting go doesn't come naturally to me, and perhaps that's part of what I'm here for to grow and to being able to let go when it's time, and also to bring it here, to bring it to more people. It's quite helpful as well to remember how it feels to carry heavy luggage when we travel, when we go grocery shopping. But quite often I picture me being at an airport with a very heavy backpack, walking around, or even running around, if I would be in a hurry. I can relate to this experience physically, and there is something about this physical experience that helps me open a door to how it feels mentally and emotionally, and there is more and more to carry, or when I choose more and more to carry. Now it's not straightforward. What is ours to carry and what is not ours to carry. We live in relationships with many other people, friends, family, and we live in bigger systems, in organizations, society, countries. We are individuals, and at the same time, we are part of something bigger with other people. So it can feel really challenging for some, maybe more than others, to distinguish and to say this is mine, this is my backpack, and this is yours. And maybe there is no need for complete separation. What I feel there is a need for, or for me, there is a need for more clarity around what we are choosing and what we are choosing it for. What's the intention of carrying a weight? Is it to take it to somewhere else? Is it to support someone or a system? Is it for our own learning? Is it for our own growth? Is it a workout we're doing physically? What is it for? And this question could reveal so much so much about how useful it is how important it how timely how aligned and as so much in life I really believe there is no right and wrong. We go through experiences for our own evolution and growth as well. And some of them are heavy and awareness can help. Awareness can be a guide a guide to what is unfolding in our lives, a guide pointing to what we may be ready to let go of. A guide that may not always be pleasant and it's always truthful. I am noticing more and more thoughts coming up around weight and how we relate to weight in life, and there is something about responsibility that comes up for me as well. So as we go into a less hot period here in Europe, I'm staying with the reflections around what the heat revealed to me, or what I let it reveal, around some of the weight I carry and how I carry it, and around some things that I may be ready to let go of. How do you relate to the notion of carrying weight? And what may you be ready to let go of? As always, I would love to hear from you and to be in a conversation. Thank you for listening and see you next time.