Have you ever had that moment of complete stillness, complete peace, where you drop your drama and connect with your soul?
A good friend of mine had such an experience not long ago when she took a time out from her mama, wife and work duties and headed for some hydrotherapy out in nature at a beautiful spa.
She gave herself the space to relax, the permission to simply enjoy a day to herself and to deeply connect with what is important to her.
As we were talking she asked how she could tap into that moment once the chaos hits: When she is standing in her kitchen, her child is demanding food, the dishes are waiting and she has had a long day. In that moment she feels so completely removed from the experience she had on her sacred day off.
We’ve all had that experience of taking a break for ourselves (I hope so anyway, if not, let’s talk!), only to have it quickly ripped away and discarded once we sink back into reality.
So how do we maintain that sense of peace and connectedness when chaos hits?
Pause Breathe Witness Anchor
These four acts are key to not being overcome by the chaos of any giving moment.
Press pause on the situation and detach from the drama that you are creating (even remove yourself to the bathroom if you need to)
Bring awareness to your breath, slow it down and bring it deep into your belly.
Pay attention to the dialogue in your mind and to which emotions are bubbling up.
Anchor into a felt sense of peace and connectedness you have experienced in the past
This will give you a moment to chose: either move forward with grace and ease and tackle the situation at hand from a place of neutrality OR to react with anger, frustration and stress.
Because in reality, our emotions have nothing to do with what is going on outside of us, but rather they have everything to do with what is going on IN-side of us.
When we find ourselves constantly being pulled by events outside of our control, then we live with chronic stress and disconnect. But if we can bring consciousness and awareness to these moments, then we have a better chance of staying connected and peaceful within.
And to support your ability to do this practice you need a felt sense of the experience of peace and connectedness. Here are a few of my favourite ways to anchor in:
A walk alone in nature; bath or long shower; journaling; solo road trip; a silent retreat – like a quiet day in a spa; yoga and pilates
What are some of your favourite ways to anchor in and connect with yourself? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
And on that note, I leave you with my all time favourite quote, author unknown:
maria 🙂
