Being inside yourself means your spirit is centered in your body. Life can pull at us and we can lose that centeredness easily. Our spirits, or our "essence," can actually move outside of us. It may sound strange, but you have probably experienced it before. When you are really upset about something or frazzled, you can sometimes feel like you are in front of yourself, or right on the surface, and can be highly reactive to things going on around you. You may snap at people for the littlest things or have trouble calming yourself down. Has this ever happened to you?
When you are centered, the same things can happen around you and you are not affected, not reactive. You are just a witness to what's going on. You can consciously choose to engage or not. You are able to sit back and decide if it's worth the effort.
When we are really focused on the future instead of the present, or if we are really anxious about things, we can also find ourselves "out front." This is an unsettling place to be. You can actually feel "top-heavy," like a helium balloon attached to something by a string, ready to blow away. The same thing happens in the body, it's like we are not attached to the ground. We feel ungrounded.
To feel grounded, settled, and peaceful, we need to be inside and centered. Here we feel at home; we feel "right."
Today's Action
When in a high-pressured situation, walk away, close your eyes, and take deep breaths until you feel inside yourself. This will at least give you a moment to focus enough to make a conscious choice to engage or not.
When you have more time, sit comfortably in a chair or on the ground and close your eyes. Take deep, relaxing breaths imagining you are settling into your chest, deep down into your heart. You can place your hands on your ribs in front. Starting at your collar bone, gently press 2 fingers in between your ribs where they attach to the sternum (the center breast bone), holding 3-5 seconds, then move down between the next ribs. Follow the sternum down, breathing comfortably and settling inside. You can return to the top and repeat the process until you feel centered.
Sometimes we don't even realize we are not centered. If done often enough, we can live centered more of the time and easily return to center when off. This can also help with falling asleep at night and can be done on children to help them fall asleep. (And that's a wonderful thing to a parent). Enjoy!
Thursday, March 28, 2013
Tuesday, March 26, 2013
Listen to Your Gut
In addition to our bodies speaking to us, our spirit speaks to us. It does this through our gut instinct. We can literally feel it in our gut (stomach) or somewhere else like our chest. Everyone has a different experience. I have come to feel it mostly in my gut. Many people do.
I'll use the gut as our example. When you feel a knot, a tension, a sick feeling, or some other sensation, your spirit is saying something is not right. It may be a decision you are needing to make or have made that you are unsure of. A negative or uncomfortable "gut feeling" usually means it's not right. If you have peace in your gut, felt as a softening, a settled feeling, a sigh, or some other good feeling, that's your answer.
Our heads give us the logical answer (mental) and our hearts share our feelings about it (emotional) and our gut gives us a sense of "knowing." That's our spirit and it's usually the referee between the heart and mind. Sometimes it may agree with one or the other.
Just like listening to the body, the more we listen to our gut, the more it speaks to us. The more we follow our gut instinct, the more we can trust it. We should be able to trust ourselves to make the right choices.
Feel for the peace inside. If you feel fear come up, let the fear come up temporarily and ask your body why you are afraid. It may be related to some old issue that is triggered. Acknowledge the fear but don't let it rule your decision. Your gut will not betray you and if something is not right, it will tell you without having to guide you with fear. The peace in your gut is the way it speaks to you. It will protect you.
Today's Action
Take a decision that needs to be made. Make it a small one to begin with. Sit quietly and think of each solution separately and feel what each feels like in your body. Where do you feel it? What do you feel? Which solution gives you peace in that area? Reassess each one again. Follow the peaceful answer and see how it turns out.
Keep at this until you learn how your spirit speaks to you. It's wonderful when you can trust your gut. You may make some mistakes along the way. Sometimes our hearts or heads speak louder, but you'll get the hang of it. Enjoy the peace!
I'll use the gut as our example. When you feel a knot, a tension, a sick feeling, or some other sensation, your spirit is saying something is not right. It may be a decision you are needing to make or have made that you are unsure of. A negative or uncomfortable "gut feeling" usually means it's not right. If you have peace in your gut, felt as a softening, a settled feeling, a sigh, or some other good feeling, that's your answer.
Our heads give us the logical answer (mental) and our hearts share our feelings about it (emotional) and our gut gives us a sense of "knowing." That's our spirit and it's usually the referee between the heart and mind. Sometimes it may agree with one or the other.
Just like listening to the body, the more we listen to our gut, the more it speaks to us. The more we follow our gut instinct, the more we can trust it. We should be able to trust ourselves to make the right choices.
Feel for the peace inside. If you feel fear come up, let the fear come up temporarily and ask your body why you are afraid. It may be related to some old issue that is triggered. Acknowledge the fear but don't let it rule your decision. Your gut will not betray you and if something is not right, it will tell you without having to guide you with fear. The peace in your gut is the way it speaks to you. It will protect you.
Today's Action
Take a decision that needs to be made. Make it a small one to begin with. Sit quietly and think of each solution separately and feel what each feels like in your body. Where do you feel it? What do you feel? Which solution gives you peace in that area? Reassess each one again. Follow the peaceful answer and see how it turns out.
Keep at this until you learn how your spirit speaks to you. It's wonderful when you can trust your gut. You may make some mistakes along the way. Sometimes our hearts or heads speak louder, but you'll get the hang of it. Enjoy the peace!
Sunday, March 24, 2013
Listen to Your Body
Our body is our ally. It knows what we need, what's good for us and what's not. It has all the answers inside. Sometimes we may know something is not right or that we don't feel well. It may be just a vague feeling or thought; this is our body trying to tell us something important.
In treating people, I've come to feel how our bodies try to speak to us. Pain is a signal from our body that something is not right, be it physical or emotional. For example, a headache may signal to us to slow down and stop doing the bank account balance; that we are stressing ourselves out. We need to take a break, get our mind off of it. But what do we tend to do? Tell our bodies to shut up by taking a pill and continuing what we are doing. We don't listen. And at some point it will shout at us with something more severe.
We may end up catching a cold. The body is saying "you really need to rest." You may be doing too much or stessing about something. It is saying "it's about time you listen." Instead, our typical response is to brush it off, take some medicine and continue our frenetic pace. What we really need to do is slow down and take a day off at the first sign of an itchy throat or congested head. Most people feel they have to almost be on their death bed to feel justified to call in sick. But if we took that day off at the first signs, (1) we wouldn't get others sick since that's when we are contagious and (2) we would get better much faster. By staying in bed and resting right away, either reading, sleeping, or reassessing what's going on in our life that might be running us down, we tell our bodies we are listening and that we are important enough to take care of ourselves.
Do you wake up every morning feeling tired and your back is hurting? Is it your mattress or pillow? Do you lie in bed at night reading or watching TV with your neck at an awkward angle? Or is it just during the week and not on the weekends? Are you tired of your job, not looking forward to it when you wake up?
The body gives us a lot of signals about what we need to be healthy and happy.
Today's action
Pay attention to how you are feeling throughout the day. Ask your body "what's going on?" It will speak back, believe me. It is waiting for you to pay attention. The more we listen and respond to what it's saying, the more it will guide us to take care of ourselves.
In treating people, I've come to feel how our bodies try to speak to us. Pain is a signal from our body that something is not right, be it physical or emotional. For example, a headache may signal to us to slow down and stop doing the bank account balance; that we are stressing ourselves out. We need to take a break, get our mind off of it. But what do we tend to do? Tell our bodies to shut up by taking a pill and continuing what we are doing. We don't listen. And at some point it will shout at us with something more severe.
We may end up catching a cold. The body is saying "you really need to rest." You may be doing too much or stessing about something. It is saying "it's about time you listen." Instead, our typical response is to brush it off, take some medicine and continue our frenetic pace. What we really need to do is slow down and take a day off at the first sign of an itchy throat or congested head. Most people feel they have to almost be on their death bed to feel justified to call in sick. But if we took that day off at the first signs, (1) we wouldn't get others sick since that's when we are contagious and (2) we would get better much faster. By staying in bed and resting right away, either reading, sleeping, or reassessing what's going on in our life that might be running us down, we tell our bodies we are listening and that we are important enough to take care of ourselves.
Do you wake up every morning feeling tired and your back is hurting? Is it your mattress or pillow? Do you lie in bed at night reading or watching TV with your neck at an awkward angle? Or is it just during the week and not on the weekends? Are you tired of your job, not looking forward to it when you wake up?
The body gives us a lot of signals about what we need to be healthy and happy.
Today's action
Pay attention to how you are feeling throughout the day. Ask your body "what's going on?" It will speak back, believe me. It is waiting for you to pay attention. The more we listen and respond to what it's saying, the more it will guide us to take care of ourselves.
Tuesday, March 19, 2013
Flow of Energy
Energy is what animates us as it moves through our bodies. Everytime we move a muscle, energy is being used. Acupuncture, Reflexology, Reiki, Zero Balancing, as well as many other practices are based on this concept. Each talks about specific pathways of energy flow, but I will refer to a general flow of energy for the purposes of this article.
Energy needs to flow freely through our bodies. The amount of energy that flows freely equates with the amount of health we experience. Our organ systems require this energy to function well. We need energy to flow unencumbered in order to feel energetic, happy, peaceful and healthy. When energy gets congested, pocketed, or held up somewhere in the body, it causes tension. Tension is simply pent up energy that is not being properly utilized; like an airplane sitting on a runway waiting to take flight. If the body does not use this up, it strains to hold the pocketed energy while at the same time failing to allow it to nourish other parts of the body. This process is very tiring, and over time, will lead to some manner of dysfunction.
This energy can be physical, emotional, mental, or spiritual in nature. It tends to hold in certain areas depending on its nature or source of impact. For instance, the impact of a car accident can lodge the physical energy of that impact right into the neck region where the head hit the seat or the steering wheel. If in the accident, someone else was injured, say a child, the driver could also be holding the emotional energy of guilt, sadness, anger at self, and sense of loss of control. This would definitely increase the stored tension.
In future blogs, I will go into more detail about where specific energies tend to be held in the body. Feeling what energy people are holding and helping them release it is one of the most interesting parts of my job. For example, one of the areas where anxiety is held is the ribcage, as if the person seems to be holding her breath, waiting for something to happen or worrying how things will turn out. It also sticks in the bottom of the ribcage in back, as if she is bracing herself for the next wind of life to come at her.
When we get the energy moving, the body can release the related emotions and thoughts and we can feel better, healthier and lighter.
Today's Action
Where do you tend to hold your tension? Do you feel it in the shoulders as if you are "carrying the weight of the world?" Are you holding your breath? Is there a lot of tension behind your eyes like your thinking too much, trying to figure things out?
Take time to sit quietly, breathe deeply and listen to your body. What is it telling you? If feelings or thoughts come up, let them. We tend to hold way too much inside. We become a pressure cooker ready to burst and this release unfortunately is often directed at our loved ones. Relax and let go of the tension!
If you enjoyed this, you may also like: letting go of tension through love
Energy needs to flow freely through our bodies. The amount of energy that flows freely equates with the amount of health we experience. Our organ systems require this energy to function well. We need energy to flow unencumbered in order to feel energetic, happy, peaceful and healthy. When energy gets congested, pocketed, or held up somewhere in the body, it causes tension. Tension is simply pent up energy that is not being properly utilized; like an airplane sitting on a runway waiting to take flight. If the body does not use this up, it strains to hold the pocketed energy while at the same time failing to allow it to nourish other parts of the body. This process is very tiring, and over time, will lead to some manner of dysfunction.
This energy can be physical, emotional, mental, or spiritual in nature. It tends to hold in certain areas depending on its nature or source of impact. For instance, the impact of a car accident can lodge the physical energy of that impact right into the neck region where the head hit the seat or the steering wheel. If in the accident, someone else was injured, say a child, the driver could also be holding the emotional energy of guilt, sadness, anger at self, and sense of loss of control. This would definitely increase the stored tension.
In future blogs, I will go into more detail about where specific energies tend to be held in the body. Feeling what energy people are holding and helping them release it is one of the most interesting parts of my job. For example, one of the areas where anxiety is held is the ribcage, as if the person seems to be holding her breath, waiting for something to happen or worrying how things will turn out. It also sticks in the bottom of the ribcage in back, as if she is bracing herself for the next wind of life to come at her.
When we get the energy moving, the body can release the related emotions and thoughts and we can feel better, healthier and lighter.
Today's Action
Where do you tend to hold your tension? Do you feel it in the shoulders as if you are "carrying the weight of the world?" Are you holding your breath? Is there a lot of tension behind your eyes like your thinking too much, trying to figure things out?
Take time to sit quietly, breathe deeply and listen to your body. What is it telling you? If feelings or thoughts come up, let them. We tend to hold way too much inside. We become a pressure cooker ready to burst and this release unfortunately is often directed at our loved ones. Relax and let go of the tension!
If you enjoyed this, you may also like: letting go of tension through love
Friday, March 15, 2013
Body/Mind/Spirit Connection
The body/ mind/ spirit connection is real. It affects our lives each and every day, whether we are aware of it or not. If one of these aspects is out of sorts, the other areas are adversely affected. And it is readily apparent.
You can see it in people who feel hopeless. As they stand or walk, slouched and sometimes "lifeless," they look tired, even exhausted. Their heads are most likely filled with negative thoughts. Even to the casual observer, it would seem that they lack enthusiasm and motivation. Their prevailing thoughts are spattered with phrases like, "why bother," or "what's the use."
People who are high-strung, very stressed, or rigid in their beliefs of how things should be, tend to stand rigid and too straight. They lack a bounce in their step. When I feel their spine, they lack spring in their joints. It feels as if their spine is a metal rod.
Happy, healthy, relaxed people move more freely and carry themselves differently. They appear more carefree and confident, and have a bounce to their step. These are the people who radiate good energy which can be easily felt by those around them. They tend to accept others for who they are and celebrate their differences. These folks tend to think "life is good," "live and let live," and "life is too short to worry about things."
This doesn't just relate to how people are feeling right now or what's currently going on in their life. Because our bodies physically retain memories, feelings, and tension from past experiences, how we feel today may very well be affected by negative or stressful experiences from the past. When we can release the build up of stress in our bodies, we can feel lighter, more relaxed and energetic.
Today's action
Our spirit and mind can affect our bodies, but how we move also affects how we think and feel. Today, look at how you stand, walk, and sit. Are you slouched or are you too rigid? Do you breathe deeply and slowly? Do you smile?
Change your posture: shoulders back, chin tucked under a little, and have an arch in your low back. How do you feel? More confident? Lighter? Relaxed? Hopeful? Be consciously aware of your posture for one day, and remember to breathe and smile. Notice how people respond to you. See how you feel by the end of the day. Did you have a good day?
You can see it in people who feel hopeless. As they stand or walk, slouched and sometimes "lifeless," they look tired, even exhausted. Their heads are most likely filled with negative thoughts. Even to the casual observer, it would seem that they lack enthusiasm and motivation. Their prevailing thoughts are spattered with phrases like, "why bother," or "what's the use."
People who are high-strung, very stressed, or rigid in their beliefs of how things should be, tend to stand rigid and too straight. They lack a bounce in their step. When I feel their spine, they lack spring in their joints. It feels as if their spine is a metal rod.
Happy, healthy, relaxed people move more freely and carry themselves differently. They appear more carefree and confident, and have a bounce to their step. These are the people who radiate good energy which can be easily felt by those around them. They tend to accept others for who they are and celebrate their differences. These folks tend to think "life is good," "live and let live," and "life is too short to worry about things."
This doesn't just relate to how people are feeling right now or what's currently going on in their life. Because our bodies physically retain memories, feelings, and tension from past experiences, how we feel today may very well be affected by negative or stressful experiences from the past. When we can release the build up of stress in our bodies, we can feel lighter, more relaxed and energetic.
Today's action
Our spirit and mind can affect our bodies, but how we move also affects how we think and feel. Today, look at how you stand, walk, and sit. Are you slouched or are you too rigid? Do you breathe deeply and slowly? Do you smile?
Change your posture: shoulders back, chin tucked under a little, and have an arch in your low back. How do you feel? More confident? Lighter? Relaxed? Hopeful? Be consciously aware of your posture for one day, and remember to breathe and smile. Notice how people respond to you. See how you feel by the end of the day. Did you have a good day?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)