It’s the new year and so many people are talking about resolutions, goals and plans for the year ahead. It makes sense as it is a ritual many of us have followed throughout our life to guide us into a new year that will “hopefully” bring with it new possibilities for growth and change.
This year feels different for me. Although I love personal growth and finding new ways to deal with life challenges I honestly feel a calm and peaceful energy that is guiding me to understand the power I possess to bring balance and joy into my life.
The feeling I am speaking about is when my mind connects me to my physical body and I notice the sensations that can be identified and labelled through the mind. Let me explain this with an example.
When I get excited, feel happy and am in the flow of my life I actually feel a tingling and expansion of my body most notably in my heart and lungs. The rest of my body feels more grounded and I sense a rootedness in my life that invites me to stay present and hold onto the moment to experience it in its fullness.
Notice that in this example that my mind labels the feeling as “happy/excited”. My body responds to this feeling with a sensation in a specific area of my body (heart/lungs) and it tingles and seems to expand my chest.
On the other hand when I feel sad, judged, or in victim I feel a collapse in my physical body. It is a tightness that brings discomfort, pain, and a dis-ease that shrinks my heart and my capacity to feel connected to the good in my life.
Notice that in this example the mind labels the feeling as “sad, judgement/victim”. My body responds to the “feeling” by constricting in the area of my heart, often it feels like I am being punched in the gut or my breath becomes shallow and I am no longer connected to my heart.
The difference is palatable. It is like a switch has been flipped and my physical body shuts down as my mind goes into hyper drive finding stories to tell itself to validate the sadness, judgment or victimhood I am feeling.
The calm and peaceful energy I mentioned at the beginning of this post is based on my awareness of these two examples that I have shared. The power I possess to bring balance and joy into my life relies on my attention to what I am feeling in my body at any given moment rather than just the label my mind has given the feeling. If I am in expansion and joy, I know I want to sustain the feeling and create more of it. If I am in tightness and disconnection I know I want to shift the feeling into something that just feels better.
The question that I hope you are asking yourself is “What do I need to do, know or be to make this happen? What I have done, instead of making a list or setting goals for 2022 I set an intention and offered it up to the universe.
I intend in 2022 to be inspired by life through my ability to create balance and joy daily no matter the circumstances or conditions that show up in my life.
Now that I have set my intention it becomes important for me to create an action plan so that the opportunity for success is generated through the ability for me to notice and react to life as it happens. If I am not feeling balanced or joy in my life it is up to me change it. The key here is conscious awareness in the present moment of what I am feeling and how to handle that feeling so that it keeps me in balance and feeling joy in my life.
My action plan has three steps. I would like to share this with you to give you an idea of how to bring an intention into reality through conscious awareness, care and self love.
The steps are as follows:
1. Self Awareness: When I notice a sensation or feeling in my physical body I will be given the opportunity to figure out what I need to DO in order to sustain or shift my self into balance and joy.
- If I feel pain/discomfort/dis-ease any where in my body… I will stop whatever I am doing and I will take my attention to the area that is impacted. As I notice the location I will gently squeeze the muscles that surround it to let it know I am paying attention. I will intentionally take a deep breath in through my nose and guide it to the discomfort inviting it to release and allow my breath to sweep away the pain. I will release my breath and imagine it moving through my lower body systems to be grounded into the earth and transformed into love and light. This practice allows me to connect my mind to the sensation and guide the feeling consciously to shift or change it if it does not feel good. When I breathe in this love and light from the earth and return this breath to the area of discomfort holding it to gather any residual pain and then release the breath I can imagine it moving up through my upper body systems and out through my crown. Once the breath is released into the universe the healing light and love that exists here can create transformation. I will then repeat this breath several times, from the crown to the earth and back, until a shift is noticed and the pain gradually subsides.
- Once I am aware of the shift in my pain level I will stay in the body to see if I feel any guidance. This could be in a feeling that I may need medical attention, or I am dehydrated and need water, or I may need to rest further and stop what I am doing. The need for fresh air, movement and connection may also be noted as an invitation to shift the pain. It may bring my attention to my mind where I have a thought that is creating the toxicity in my body and I can release the energy of the thought through my breath and stay present allowing the discomfort to release and balance as I breathe consciously to release the discomfort.
- If I notice my mind taking over with stories of woe, or victim or lesser energies that do not bring balance or joy, I will take another deep cleansing breath to keep me present and in the flow of the good in my life. I remind myself that my body is a conduit to knowledge and wisdom. When it signals it is out of balance, it is reminding me that I can control the outcome through my awareness and self care. If I ignore the signs, signals, and opportunities for healing the pain, discomfort and dis-ease it will escalate the likelihood of me being incapacitated and be forced to self care at a much deeper level.
2. Self Care: Through self awareness I will KNOW when to do the self care.
- If I feel any type of symptom manifesting I will not judge it as good or bad. I will accept that my body is letting me know that something is out of balance and it is time for me to pay attention. A cold/ flu is a detox for my body. Inflammation and pain are guiding me to slow down and focus on daily practices that will help me to heal. Accidents and mishaps are signalling a time to stop and reassess my decision making practices and how I am spending my time. The messages from the body are concrete communication systems designed to bring my attention into the present and allow the focus to be on self.
- The pillars of health rely on my body getting enough rest, nutrition, hydration, movement and heart based connection to life.
- Focusing on daily practices to bring my awareness to what I need to do for me is important in the healing of my mind, body and spirit. This could be meditation, yoga/movement, healthy eating habits, hydration, walk in nature, connecting with a friend, family member or loved one. I am learning to feel the guidance my body is offering and I am following its instruction.
- The body is in balance when it is alkaline in nature. Alkalinity is achieved through proper nutrition by eating predominately alkaline foods and beverages to assist in the healing from most illnesses. Alkaline foods include mostly fresh fruit/veggies. Less animal protein and caffeinated food and beverages should be minimized.
- Negative emotions cause the physical body to become acidic so tending to my feelings that are based in fear, stress, sadness, etc will keep me sick longer. Whereas, if I shift into heart expansive feelings my body returns to an alkaline state and my health begins to improve.
- I use my breath to open my heart and remember I am supported by the knowledge and intelligence of my body to heal itself when I am connected to positive feelings of gratitude and appreciation.
3. Self Love: Through self awareness and self care, I am activating the highest frequency of healing on the planet. It is called Love. Self love is the switch that makes the human body systems align with healing, wholeness and the ability to live a balanced and joyful life. To heal I need to BE love.
- When I treat myself the same way I would treat a beloved friend, pet or family member I am aligned with the healing energy of the body.
- When I am aligned with the healing energy of the body my heart feels expansive and connected to the good in my life.
- When I am connected with the good in my life I feel peaceful and calm and my body begins to respond to the care that I am providing through my awareness of self and what I need to be fully present and to be healthy in my own life.
In sharing with you my intention for 2022 I am making a commitment to myself and the universe, which includes all of you, that I will do better and be better in 2022 as inspiration and guidance leads me to live my best life.
My hope is that your intentions for 2022 are inspired and grounded in the beauty that exists in your life so that you may enjoy more of it as each day passes.
Please check out my book “Take a Breath, The Path to Living Your Best Life” to provide more support in understanding human consciousness, energy and love.
Blessings to all and may you all live a year in appreciation and gratitude for the good in your life.
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Great insights and practical directions on how to come into presence in the moment and knowing self care. Thank you.