Getting ideas on what to write comes in a variety of ways. Today, I offer a variety of quotes that I have come across that have given me the opportunity for pause and contemplation.
“Say it with me – I don’t have to explain why I need a break. Not even to myself. I do not have to earn rest.” — Yasmine Cheyenne
Oh how often we tell ourselves, “After I get done with cleaning, organizing, working, and so on, I can rest.” This is a program on being a human-machine. This has been drilled into each one of us that we have to be productive, physically moving in order to be worthy of rest. This is masculine energy, forceful, moving, taking action. The consciousness forces us to believe we are lazy and worthless if we are not doing this. However, we are not just masculine energy, we also have feminine energy (yes, all of us). Feminine energy is expressed through the flow of life, embracing creative energy, dance, play, and connecting within our natural human process. What if, instead of focusing on action, you focus on what your needs are. Oh, I get it, there are SO MANY things taking your attention, from being a parent, grandparent, single, partner, responsibilities, and so on, but let’s just take a moment, right now. Take in a breath, no really, a deep breath into your lungs. Expand the lungs as much as you can and then breath out your mouth until you empty your lungs, then another cleansing breath in and out. Do you know what you just did? You went with the flow, you connected within yourself, you paid attention to your body! How amazing is that!? So, you really can connect with your feminine energy in your day-to-day human experience. What other ways can you explore connecting within and resting?
Signs you’re disconnected from yourself:
• You often feel numb or overwhelmed
• You feel a lack of meaning or purpose
• You feel disconnected from others
• You struggle to name or feel your emotions
• You have a sense of emptiness inside
• You’re in a constant battle with your mind
This is a big one. This has been a life-long experience for me of disconnecting and not being present. It’s definitely a work in progress! Here are some ways I practice staying connected and being present for myself.
• I observe what is going on around me and then be aware of how I’m feeling.
• I remind myself that I am in control of myself and my body, no one else. I connect within to my own energy.
• When I feel numb or overwhelmed, I connect with my breath and if possible, take time to be alone.
• The feeling of being disconnected from others is a big one. Sometimes in my humanness, it’s challenging to feel connected, so I remind myself that we are all connected energetically. We are each trying to navigate the best way we can in this human experience.
• Some of us are more challenged than others and thereby I remind myself, grace for me and for them.
• The constant battle with my mind, whoa, whoa, whoa. Slowing down the monkey chatterbox, the overthinking, the obsessing can be quite interesting. I have found meditation or quiet time to connect with all these aspects that want to jump around and be a bit chaotic. Sometimes just not giving it a bunch of energy and “battling” can be the best anecdote.
It’s not about being happy all the time, it’s about resilience. How quickly can we come back to our center?
On this journey of enlightenment and being an energy healer, I used to think that once I attained a certain level that I would be happy all the time. That is not the truth. Oh, I’m probably more content than anything these days but happy all the time? Nope. I get irritated about things; I sometimes even grab a hold of that irritation and have to chew on it until I choose to let it go. What have I learned about all this? I’ve learned that being centered, grounded, and balanced is what allows me to have this human experience but not be consumed by it. I can tell right away if something is off because I feel uncomfortable, irritated, and unbalanced. I bring myself back centered through my breath, intention, and practice. When I ask people whether they meditate or have quiet time, many will state they don’t because they have a hard time quieting their mind. The mind would like to be quieted it just doesn’t know-how. So that is why the practice of quiet time/meditation is important. What if, you take five minutes, set down your phone/electrical device, close your eyes, and count to four as you breathe in, and count to four as you breathe out? Believe it or not but you are exercising balancing and centering your energy and thoughts. You are choosing to slow down and Be.
An unhealed person can find offense in pretty much anything someone does. A healed person understands that the actions of others have absolutely nothing to do with them. Each day you get to decide which one you will be.
BIG, BIG one here for me. We are all a work in process. I am unhealed in many aspects of my life just as I am healed in many aspects. Most recently one area that I needed to heal (I didn’t realize that I needed it healed until it showed up) is a belief that I am entitled because I am spending money someplace. Stay with me. Money has a weight of importance, those that have money are somehow better than those that don’t. That is not a truth. We have been taught when we go to a restaurant that there is a certain standard that is supposed to be met, and this standard is different with each and every individual. When we go to the grocery store, clothing store, car dealer, or little boutique we have expectations. If those expectations aren’t met we are offended and sometimes even angry.
So, I’m in the drive-through, and my experience starts out with a little bit of confusion on the menu, the communication is muddled and my body is getting tense. I don’t like this experience, I want to feel important right now as I’m placing my order. The individual taking the order isn’t making me feel special. He’s distracted, I want to yell at him, pay attention to me! He takes my order and as he’s walking away tells me to drive ahead to get the receipt only I don’t hear him clearly. I lean out my window and raise my voice asking him to repeat what he said. I get the receipt and am in line to pick up my food. Now I’m sitting in this irritation because my experience is not what I wanted it to be. I literally had a conversation with myself asking, what is it I truly want. Well, I want the food that I ordered. Am I going to get the food? Why, yes, I will. Do I want to attach this experience to the food? No, I don’t. Can I let go of this experience and accept I will get my food and enjoy it? Yes, I can.
Do you see how healing works? This opportunity to heal the way I view interactions with others. I get to remind myself to be aware of my own actions, my own thoughts, the things I’ve attached to certain behaviors and beliefs. I get to release and surrender to old ways and be open to new ways of viewing and experiencing things.
