Shar(e)On Lightly: The Meaning
There is a lot of meaning and power in a name or a word. So, I wanted to take a moment to explain how Shar(e)on Lighty came to me and what it means. The name itself came to me back in 2016 after my morning meditation. At the time, I had just found yoga and completed a yoga teacher training in Asheville, NC. Initially the name was for my photography business (I have always loved capturing beautiful moments, whether that be of nature or between people). For me, the name captured how when you take a photograph, you freeze that moment, within that frame and that moment in time can now forever be shared. I always found it fun to play with the lighting at different times of day and it was/is a creative outlet for me.
As life would have it, my idea of Shar(e)on Lightly evolved and took on a new and different meaning. A meaning with more of my heart and soul weaved into it. To preface the story a little bit more…my Mom’s name was Sharon. My mom passed away in December of 2014, when I was 26 years old. It was a time when I was still finding the ground of who I was. Within a moment, that ground was taken out from underneath my feet. In a beautiful and tragic way, my Mom is the guiding light within what I feel called to do in this lifetime.
My vision is to create a safe space, a program or course, to help support those moving through grief using the tools of yoga, breathwork, meditation, and nervous system regulation. I believe that when we can share our story, our deepest wounds, and when we feel truly seen and heard, THAT is when healing and integration can begin to take place. From there, we can move through the world a little bit lighter. When we are able to feel the support that surrounds us and trust that our grief is here to show us our deep capacity to love, and that we have the tools to FEEL the full range of that love, that is when we can breathe into it a little bit more. We actually slow down and listen, we honor our grief, not push it away. Grief and love are interconnected. You cannot have one without the other.
Shar(e)on Lightly Yoga is the way I want to help others move through the unique waves of their grief. I desire to have grief be welcomed and honored within our society instead of something we need to “get over.” I desire to empower people to meet their difficult emotions with grace, so that they can find their grounding again to continue on living. Grief is unique to each individual and some may take longer to process it. All of it is okay. You do not leave this earth without experiencing grief and that is why Shar(e)on Lightly is so near and dear to my heart - when grief arrives, having tools and practices to support you as well as a community that you can feel safe to share in, is life giving.
I feel grief is so overwhelming because it isn’t just one emotion. You may be feeling multiple emotions at once - anger and sadness, shock and denial. But grief is a process. That is why it is called “grieving”. And the “ing” means that we have to be WITH our grief, we do have to process it and honor it or it will stay within our being, within our body.
Life is never the same after a big loss. YOU are never the same. I want you to know that you are not alone in your grief or pain. And if you are looking for a community to help support you through grief, please email me at shareonlightly@kellenpriest.com.
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