I recently did a presentation on the topic of Calming the Mind and Reclaiming Your Life and received some very positive feedback. I believe it is such an important topic that can help us to learn how to navigate a balance between the life we live and the life we desire.
The Life You Live and the Life You Desire
There may be a huge discrepancy between those two, or it may not be far from where you are now. As in all of life, there is a constant ebb and flow that changes unceasingly. If you feel confident and satisfied with the life you enjoy right now, it could change in the blink of an eye.
Wherever you are right now, in this moment, is perfectly fine. Movement is the natural progression of all living things, so change is inevitable. It’s more about the change we welcome in and the change we allow to take place within and around us.
What does Calming the Mind Mean to You?
When you think about calming the mind, what thoughts or images come to you? Do you think about something effortless, relaxing, and completely welcoming? On the other hand, when you think about reclaiming your life, what thoughts or images come to you? Does that phrase conjure up something that requires a bit more effort or intention? That is typically the reaction I hear from others.
So how do you align those two concepts? How do you find the ease of calming the mind with the satisfaction of reclaiming your life? I believe one path to that is through creativity. I absolutely love being creative. I can’t help myself. I enjoy the ideas, activities, and projects that call me into a creative space physically and mentally. Creativity happens at the most unexpected moments and if I allow myself to move within that sense of movement, amazing things can manifest!
Calming Your Mind through Relaxing and Creative Activities
What activities do you most consider most enjoyable? Is it being in nature, reading a book, swinging in a hammock, gardening, or coloring? It could also be simply sitting with a cup of tea with a friend or taking a walk together to walk and talk, and talk and walk some more. Are you open to experiencing new activities by yourself or with others? The first time I experienced floating, I fell in love with it as a complete sense of relaxation for my body, and especially my mind. For an hour as I have to do is float and breathe.
I was invited to a drumming circle recently and look forward to the energy of the circle of sound, rhythm, and the synchronicity that happens in a sound gathering. I have also enjoyed gong baths sometimes referred to as sound healing. The energy of the sound frequency can be felt travelling through the body and helps to clear energy and energy blocks. It just feels good and I’m looking forward to a 90 minute gong bath next month.
There is something interesting that happens in the brain when we occupy it with a leisure type activity. I believe it opens up other parts of the brain and can unleash surprising thoughts and ideas. In the Scientific American article “Unleashing The Creative Mind” it shares how dreams and imaginative activities can nurture creativity.
I enjoy adult coloring. I also enjoy coloring with my grandsons with a whole array of gel pens. I find it extremely relaxing, but also a highly focused activity. Coloring in those small spaces and staying in the lines takes great concentration. It’s so much fun to see it come together and create something beautiful. My grandson will ask me to help him complete his and that time together is precious. The freedom of choosing the color scheme or freeform selection is like letting the child within come to life again. It’s similar to laying in the grass and watching the clouds roll by and seeing shapes in those cloud forms.
A relaxed mind translates into healthier physiology by lowering blood pressure and improving digestion, among other things. As a massage therapist, I often find that ideas and inspirational thoughts creep into my thoughts while giving a massage. I believe that is because I have slowed my pace and am completely consumed with the creativity in giving a massage. That calm and slower pace becomes a gift to me as well as my client.
A quote from Brene Brown’s book The Gifts of Imperfection.
“Creativity is the engine that drives integration. It helps us transform knowledge into practice.”
I believe what this means is that the ideas that originate in our mind/brain are not meant to get stuck there. If we allow that thought to drop down into our heart where they germinate and become the passion and mission of our life or business. From there that idea and the passion that followed travels down to our hands and becomes the actions we take as a result. This may take the form of service to others or in any other of a thousand different creative endeavors. The possibilities really are endless. Taking that action helps to establish it in our physiology and becomes part of who I am, who you are, and who we become.
Where Am I Present?
Being present in the here and now is the only time we have. Can you imagine the scent of the rose this woman is holding? That is the gift of a focused creative activity. Similar to engaging in meditation, it is about the breath and being in the present moment. I invite you into the incredible gift that is available to you – here and now.
I recently launched an offering called The Be Well Circle that provides messages of inspiration, encouragement, and hopefulness. The ideal recipient is someone who may struggle with feelings of loneliness or depression. It could be an elderly relative we don’t see or visit as often as we would like. It could be a college student living away from home for the first time. Providing these short, simple messages can truly be life changing. One recipient shared that she lost a friend to depression several years ago. Her reaction to The Be Well Message was that if her friend had been receiving these messages, they would probably still be here.
The messages we receive, the thoughts we create, and the actions we take can all create the life you would like to reclaim, or find, if you are still searching.
Remember, my wish is always for you to Be Well.
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