Honoring the ebb and flow can feel challenging when life gets hectic and there are more ebbs than flows in our life. Perception and how we perceive these stressful events can be really powerful to remember we have a choice in our responses.
Our thoughts and words we think or say, really do have an impact on our bodies response to situations. If you imagine a wave building up in the ocean, and you are beneath it, you have a choice to let it crash down on you, dive beneath it. You also have a choice of what thoughts you choose in your mind. Are you calm and present, are you afraid or are you inviting that observations mind to come in.
In the split second it might not seem like it matters much of what thoughts we choose because the wave is coming whether we like it or not. True, but imagine this wave as any life event, work stressor, or hiccup or setback we have in life. Sometimes we cannot stop the wave of life, so choosing how we react, observe, and to be intentional is a powerful tool in the mindfulness toolbox. Keep Sacred practices like breathing exercises can be a helpful one as well.
Like all good things take time, so does practicing mindfulness. If we desire to be calm, we must practice being calm. This affirmation is a good reminder that it takes practice.
The next time you are presented with a stressful event or situation, ask yourself how you can observe or create a moment to pause and get more intentional with your thoughts. In the stressful times, we need our thoughts to align with how we want to respond. We can better process our emotions/ feelings and feel empowered to take the next step.
A Keep Sacred Affirmation practice that can be of service to you is a calming breathing exercise.
* Imagine a wave rolling in, let it move up your feet, legs, body, arms and head.
* Take a big inhale upwards. Now pause. As you exhale imagine that same wave now moving outward carrying with it all of this extra tension.
* Left with a space before the next wave comes in, choose to relfect how you feel, or the thoughts you are thinking.
* Allow yourself to just sit with your feelings and observe with kindness. Keep Sacred.
Here is a meditation I created for Insight Timer called Ebb and Flow:
https://insighttimer.com/mijaspeakman/guided-meditations/self-love-note-honor-the-ebb-and-flow_1