I am a part of an inspirational women's group that myself and two other girlfriends started in our community. We call it the Three Graces. Our goal is to celebrate, empower, heal, connect and share. A group of women from all walks of life is a powerful circle. We had our second retreat this past Saturday morning. The theme was on releasing. It is the perfect subject to talk about for the first month of a new year. It is often a critical step in healing that a lot of people think that they can bypass. It should always be the first stop!
Becoming Aware
Kendra who is one of the Three Graces started the morning by guiding us through a meditation. It was the best way to start the day by centering our minds and bodies. It's a great time to allow yourself to soak into your body and to dive into your thoughts. Welcome what comes in. Meditating or taking quiet times for yourself is such an essential part of your well-being. It's something that I definitely need to make more space for. I read a saying once that I love; it says if you don't have 30 minutes to meditate then you need to take an hour. This is so very true.
Taking Action
Diane Buford wowed us all with her presentation which followed Kendra's meditation. She gave us the right tools to help us to release the things that may burden us. There are so many things that we all carry around.
Feelings that are common for us to carry:
-having to be perfect
-not feeling good enough
-feeling unimportant
-having a bad body image
-betrayal
-not smart enough
-not fitting in
-feeling depressed
-having unhealthy habits
-regrets of the past
-making a mistake
-complaining
-being a victim
-being incongruent with someone
-not forgiving yourself or someone else
-the pain of a lost loved one
-not being able to control someone else
-stuck in the past
-labels
-judging
Do any of these resonate with you? What's weighting you down? What's draining your time and energy?
Become aware of the things that you need to release. Then, embrace and feel it. Letting it go is a process that you have to practice says Diane. It's something you do. It's hard! I mean REALLY hard. But when you are able to release it, magic happen.
Some tangible ways to take action to let it go:
-journaling
-every time you think a bad thought then write it on a piece of paper that can be burned later
-be a part of a circle of women who inspire.Stay tuned for our Three Graces' Fire Circle meeting.
-read a thought provoking book. I love A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle.
-write a letter to someone, read it aloud then burn it
-learn how to tap on it. Learn about EFT
-confront someone from the past by placing a friend, spouse or it could be an invisible person in a chair and say to them all things that you need to verbalize. Then write what you want them to say back to you and have the other person read it so you can hear what you've always needed
-be kind, compassionate & forgiving to yourself
-recite affirmations to yourself. "I am enough." "All is well." "I am beautiful."
-take time for just you
-learn to say NO
-change your perspective. Read my article on "perspective" HERE
-do something new
-call or write someone who you need to make amends with, take the first step
-give without expecting to receive
-love without expecting to receive
-cry. Cry hard. Cry loud.
-soak in the tub and let it all wash down the drain
-reward yourself for trying so hard every day
-learn more, share more, be vulnerable, open up, speak up
Caitlin Switzer finished our retreat with great insight about finding your inner voice and letting it be heard. We all have so much to share and teach each other. The power of the written word is an incredible thing. Caitlin encouraged us all to speak up and find a way that works the best for each of us if it's a tape recorder, a story, poetry, blogging, doodling thoughts even on napkins. I have found writing to be such wonderful therapy for me. It gives me a voice that is different than my spoken word. I can gather my thoughts more clearly when I write them. I can say anything and everything. I can write for my eyes only or I can share for the good of others.
Three Graces challenges you all to take 30 minutes for yourself to write every week about anything or everything.
Let's become aware. Let's also let it go. Release it. It's a Fresh start but we have to practice over and over again to let the magic happen.
Let's become aware. Let's also let it go. Release it. It's a Fresh start but we have to practice over and over again to let the magic happen.
No comments:
Post a Comment