“The Journey Begins!” a little voice told me as I was walking through the trees the other day. “This is what the title of your first newsletter will be,” the little voice continued. This is how most ideas come to me when I don’t force them and stay out of my own way. It has been a journey to get to this place of allowing my intuition to guide me and I hope to share with you some of the techniques I’ve learned.
Fall is my favorite time of year, when the days get shorter and the nights get longer. It’s a time to begin the annual journey of reconnecting with myself, the journey inward.
For many of us this time of year brings up a lot of “stuff” creating an opportunity to look at who we are a bit closer. Would you like to allow the space to get to know yourself more deeply? It begins by journeying inward.
Below are a few ideas of how to gently turn inward.
Try them on and see what resonates with you. Be creative and create your own way to journey inward.
- At some moment each day give yourself something nice. Send yourself some love (I love my body!), compassion (I’m an amazing person!), acceptance (I love myself just the way I am!), and/or gratitude (I’m grateful that I wake up breathing every day.). Is it easy or hard to come up with nice things to say about yourself? Is it easy some days and more challenging others? Changing negative thought patterns is a wonderful way to uplift the spirit.
- When you wake up in the morning check in with your breath. (It’s often helpful to close your eyes to really connect with your breath.) Let that be the first thing you do (after maybe turning off the alarm). What is the quality of your breath when you first wake up? Slow? Hurried? Warm? Relaxed? Focusing on the breath brings your attention inward.
- Once a day really feel your feet on the ground. When was the last time you checked in with your feet? What sensations do you feel in your little toe? What is the temperature of your feet? Does your right foot feel different from the left? This is another wonderful way to bring attention inward.
- Choose a body part and get to know it better. What is your experience of your right elbow at this moment? Does it ache? Feel tired? Peaceful? Can you even feel your right elbow?
- Choose one or more of the following mantras: “I am enough. This is enough.” “I love myself.” “I deserve joy.” “I deserve happiness.” “Om Shanti Shanti Shanti.” (This last entry is a Hindu prayer for peace.) Say the mantra. Where do you feel it in your body? Do you feel a vibration in your throat? Nasal cavity? Chest? Can you allow the goodness of the mantra to sink in?
I invite you to try one or more of these techniques if it feels right. Listen to yourself. You know yourself better than anyone else.
