 Photo Credit: Amy Lister Often clients seek support because they are at a crossroad, not sure what next steps to take. The situation may have to do with career or relationships, making a move or center more on identity.
No matter what the issue, big decisions and transitions can feel daunting and one of my favorite things to talk about with clients is growing our ability to trust ourselves when challenges like these arise. That’s because I really do believe we already have the answers we seek, though sometimes we have difficulty accessing them or even trusting ourselves in the process. Sometimes this is because we’ve received messages that reinforce self-doubt and other times its simply that we’re so busy with the buzz of daily living that we aren’t able to hear the part of ourself that knows. Really knows. So if you’re struggling to make a decision or looking for guidance, this process is for you. Let’s tap in to our creativity and see what comes through. Time Commitment: 2 hours over two days +/- Materials: Pen and unlined 8x11 paper | Mixed Media Paper and Favorite Art Medium (watercolor, pens, pastels, collage materials etc) | Step 1: Listen – First things first. You’ll need a quiet space and dedicated time to sit with yourself, by yourself. I suggest turning off all electronics and letting anyone you may live with know that you’ll need about an hour of undisturbed time. Make sure you’re in comfortable clothing and your paper and pen are near by. Whatever question you are sitting with, write it down and put the paper aside. If it feels appropriate, say a prayer for guidance or an intention for your process. Then, when you’re ready, sit or lay down in a way that supports relaxation. Focus first on the sensations in your body without judgment. This is a nice way to begin grounding in the present moment. When you’re ready, then turn your attention to your mind and imagine a blank movie screen. Each person may see this differently – color, shape, size and so on. Focus your attention here and notice what images, thoughts, feelings arise. You can continue the first step until you feel complete. If you feel it helpful, you may jot down some notes from your experience. Step 2: Channel – When you are ready you can move to a seated position and give yourself time to write on the paper you have near. On this paper you are welcome to free write, though I suggest you do it in letter form. You’re writing a letter to yourself channeling whatever wisdom you accessed during meditation. The goal here is not to push or strive, but to allow. See what comes forth with curiosity. Because we tend to have our defenses up, I would encourage you to write without censoring yourself for 3 to 5 pages and see what wisdom surfaces. When you’re complete, read through your words. Are there any nuggets of wisdom that resonate? Did any metaphors come forward. What message did they have for you? Often messages are not straightforward, but more so coded in metaphor! As an example, perhaps your mind wandered to an image of a lion and your question was about moving across country. What qualities do you associate with a lion? What feelings arose when you saw the image? Take a break here. Give yourself a day or two to metabolize what you’ve experienced and written. Then move to Step 3: Create – Now, break out your art supplies and create a visual representation of whatever wisdom you received. You may use images or words for this. Some of the most effective pieces are simple phrases that concretize the wisdom we’ve received. Some people choose to make ‘word art’ while others make collages or drawings. This phase is about creating a visual representation of the wisdom we just downloaded. Make sure to place your artwork somewhere you can see it as a reminder that you are the holder of your own wisdom. Step 4: Honor – Lastly, we move in to honoring the messages we received by taking action. What is the call to action? If you’re not sure, think back to the original question. While there’s not always a linear link between the two there is always a connection and there is much room for interpretation. Here’s an example: Let’s say you were wondering if you should leave your job and the image you received in your meditation was a resting lion, which you interpreted as tempered courage. Perhaps then the honoring of the message is to practice stepping out of your comfort zone daily in preparation for the bigger move of leaving the job? What do you think? Let us know and leave comments and questions below or reach out directly to learn more about my work with women and girls wanting to live their best authentic lives! Till next time, wishing you health & ease, Jessika
0 Comments
|
RSS Feed