It’s the stories we tell ourselves…a Sunday Reflection and Exercise
It’s the stories we tell ourselves, over and over, that imprint, and become the stories that we live. This is why mindful practice is so important: it teaches us to slow down, look inward. The answer is usually just outside our awareness, and mindful practice expands our awareness enough to catch those things that flirt with us. So this morning I ask myself what story is important right now? Today? For me to answer this question, I need to stop for a wee while. Sit with my Inner Resource, that space/place/thing/person/animal where I feel safe, so safe, where defences can melt away and I can hear myself think, and feel. Feet on the floor. Breathing through the soles of my feet and breathing out the crown of my head. Feeling every cell become alive and firing (“every cell alive and firing”, an expression that dancer Deborah Hay used in her theatre-making workshops). Once settled, I select my favourite pranayama. Straw breathing. Breathing through the nose, and out through an imagined straw until I reach 80% capacity of exhale. I then close off my imaginary straw and breathe the remaining 20% of breath out of my nose. Each cycle is separated with a normal breath in and out. This technique can be powerful. After three or so rounds, it is time to Dream with Open Eyes…you do not have to have your eyes open, but you are awake to allow your dreaming to occur. This is one technique I use, and I love what comes up: I allow my eyes to soften and then invite them to scan the room slowly until they land on something. Be honest and agree to the first thing your eyes linger on, even if it feels not quite right. Trust it. In my case, my eyes have landed on an old Raggedy Ann doll, that holds many memories from many decades, I begin by asking Raggedy “What do you need to teach me today?” Immediately what comes up is stillness. Raggedy teaches me stillness. And, through her '“shoe-button eyes” she teaches me to see. The more I see, the more I will understand. And right now, in this climate of discombobulation, there is much to see.
Give it a go. See what you come up with. To finish your arts process reach for your journal. Write what comes up…and keep writing until you feel satisfied. It is often in the reflective writing journey that follows a process, where we uncover the juiciness of our internal selves. .
Warmest
Margi