Storm Preparation

Life is unpredictable and uncontrollable. Some storms build slowly. We see them coming a mile off, feel the drop in temperature and the winds of drama pick up speed. But many of life’s storms arrive without warning – sudden, gusty events which blow us off course emotionally, which uproot us, unground us, throwing us into the vortex. But even in the midst of the most ferocious cyclone, there is a still, calm centre, a place of quiet and calm, unmoved by the chaos and destruction swirling around it.

There is a well-known phrase, ‘Find your faith before you need it.’ In the religious context in which it was written, the sentiment calls people to build a relationship with God when times are good. Not wait until the shit hits the fan and then call to him in floundering desperation. This idea has stuck with me. All too often we don’t think about or prepare for life’s challenges. We assume good health, stable employment and our happiness until, suddenly, we lose it. Building good, reliable well-being practices, rituals and routines in advance can act like a buffer when times go a bit wonky. We find we truly can have a calm, still centre amidst the mess and noise. We come to realise that we have unwittingly developed a burning inner strength and a hotline to our innate wisdom that can help us navigate the flood waters.

Over the past years I have moved from a place of being buffeted - falling foul of every set back, loss or negative emotion - to a place of strength, equanimity and (mostly) inner peace. Life’s craziness and unpredictability hasn’t changed. I have. Here’s what gets me though……

Time and Space

One of the undeniable benefits of having older children, is dwelling in a new place where you have more time to yourself. Carving out even five minutes is challenging when you have small people around. Things are very different now. Thankfully. When discovering you have additional time in your day, it might be tempting to fill it. That’s great. Start the project, get creative, catch up with neglected relationships, read, read, read. But just don’t forget to be too.  Time and space are really important to allow yourself to process what’s happening in your life in real time. Time and space offer the possibility for silence. For moments of slow breathing. Time and space are required in order to drop deeply into your interior world. To touch the well of wisdom. To hear the whisper of your intuition.  Cultivating a mindful, conscious, intentional way of slow living will ensure that you enjoy some spacious, expansive times. And these might just change your life.

Feel your feelings

Say what? You may feel as though all you do is feel things as you’re buffeted about by life. But seriously, do you ever stop to really feel what’s going on? Something I regularly say in my yoga classes is, feel everything, miss nothing. Yup. Sorry. That means the lot. The good the bad and the ugly. We need to get as comfortable sitting with our jealousy and frustration and boredom as we do our joy and excitement. All feelings bring wisdom and learning. Pushing away, ignoring or bypassing some of our feelings only leads to strife. Mark my words - they will pop up somewhere down the line. This I know! So, feel, feel, feel. Moving closer to your emotional inner world and meet yourself with compassion and tenderness. Wrap your arms around that sadness, that grief, that disappointment. Allow it to colour you for a bit, knowing that it will soon move on. No state lasts for ever. But while this one’s here we can learn something about ourselves and the world.

Ground Yourself

Becoming certain of who you are, where you stand and what you want will help keep you rooted when things get rocky. Self-discovery certainly isn’t going to happen overnight. Learning about yourself is often a long and winding road. It will take time and dedication to shovel away the years of life-mulch which has dulled your spark and muffled your voice. Meditation, breath work, journalling, mindful use of plants and essential oils and getting out in nature are all wonderful ways to help you both put down roots and clear your mind. These beautiful micro-practices are designed to reduce tension and anxiety quickly and help you effectively switch to the parasympathetic nervous system of rest and restore, which is essential in order to balance the much more prevalent state of fight or flight which most of us live in much of the time. If you don’t know where to start, try sitting quietly with your hand on your heart. Breathe slowly. Your authentic, wild self is in there. Listen for her voice.

Get out into nature

Go outside and stand barefoot on the grass. Feel the ground beneath your feet. Plant yourself and imagine an energy exchange between you and the earth. Watch the moon rise, notice the raindrop hanging from a leaf and containing all the mysteries of the universe. Connect to the landscape around you. Breathe in the freshness, allow the space to expand your mind and your heart. Eat, read and write outside. Sit in the trees and swim in the waters. You are as much a part of nature as the trees and the stars. Nature has your back. She is good for you. And that’s a fact.

Move your body

I have a daily yoga practice which I rarely miss. While I discovered yoga about twenty five years ago, it took years for it to become an established practice. Now I feel twisted and stiff and internally muddy if I don’t get on my mat. Yoga rinses me clean. It opens me up so my breath can flow through wide, clear channels. It expands my mind, my soul and my outlook. It gives my body fluidity and strength and eases my entire being into experiencing a giant exhale. Every evening I step on my mat as one person, in one state of being, in one kind of energy and I step off a short time later as a completely different person. Yoga both grounds me deeply and ignites the fire in my belly. Dreams and plans and potential come to me easily as I enter the cosmic flow state that focused, moving meditation brings.