Tag: perspective

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Reflect. Plant seeds. Rest.

Lessons learned

2020 has been an incredible teacher, if you were in the space to hear and receive the lessons. For me, some of the greatest lessons and take-aways have been:

  • Stepping into my spiritual gifts
  • Become a student grounded in the art of boundary setting
  • Connecting with my ancestors
  • Opening myself to relationships with incredible teachers
  • Allowing spirit and faith to guide my steps
  • The power of exploring and fostering my inner sanctum
  • Shifting my perspective on loss

This is not an exhaustive list. It currently feels critically important to acknowledge the seeds that this year has planted. The seeds that I will continue to foster with intention and allow to bloom in their own time.

May we learn from winter

Winter is a season of rest and hibernation. A season of internal preparations. As the leaves fall from the trees, leaving barren limbs – the tree is focusing on replenishing it’s energy. Simultaneously, as it dropped its leaves, it has spread it’s seeds- Seeds of new life and ideas.

May we learn from this awesome and powerful season – which, in the case of 2020, has metaphorically been carrying on through the year.

Call to action

To prepare for the challenge and call to action below, I invite you to get grounded. Some of the ways I ground are through yoga asana flows, meditation with my plants and music. A current favorite song is Grounded by Ari Lennox

Take a few moments and some deep breaths as you explore these questions:

  • What do I desire?
  • What do I want to create for myself?
  • How can I foster my imagination?
  • What does it mean to live with intention?
  • What “seeds” can I plant now – knowing that they will grow later?

Invite your answers to guide you and then allow yourself to rest knowing that the ideas -as seeds- have been planted.

I’m glad my words were able to reach you. Hello solstice.

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Learning to love the power of stillness

Mia sitting in stillness with hands in prayer

The space between breaths

I am generally an advocate for movement in all forms; physically, emotionally, financially, spiritually, etc, but the need for restoration, the power of stillness and reflection are equally important. Imagine the space between your breaths. That is a place of stillness and endless potential; a discerning point between the in and out breath. This pause is a neglected yet significant part of the breath.

Mind and body

I have been struggling to find mental stillness for the past couple of days and today a conversation with a dear family member brought things into perspective. As my mind moves a million miles a minute, I can be still and breathe. I am able to find stillness with my body and allow it to transfer within. Returning to the present with love in my heart, for that’s all that is.

The present is a gift

For the sake of transparency, I have been spending less and less time in my stillness. My intentional meditation practice has dwindled and I am beginning to feel it. Constantly on the move, going to the next idea, thought, or task. Running from myself figuratively and literally. This post serves as a reminder to myself and you, the reader, that being present is a gift.

Unlearning busyness

In this life, we are constantly stimulated and distracted. Finding stillness does not need to be boring. This is something to unlearn. Tapping into the power of your stillness and being present has the potential to hold the answer to any matter of the mind or heart. Being still, we can actually hear and be with ourselves. Can we learn to be still and breathe? Give it a try with this song, a personal favorite, and jot down anything that comes to mind.

How I the power of stillness

  • listen to guided mediations
  • play music without lyrics
  • sit in nature
  • walk on grass barefoot
  • look at the palms of my hands
  • focus on a stagnant object

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Rollercoaster of emotions

Sitting with and fully allowing myself to feel emotions like anger, frustration and sadness is something I am learning to appreciate. I find it relatively easy to revel in my moments of joy but when a challenging emotions arises , I analyze it and rarely feel it. I may be missing an opportunity to learn from these difficult emotions, which are simply part of the roller coaster of life.

August’s ups and downs

August, in particular, was a beautiful challenge. I launched a new segment of my business, the MyInnerAura Art Shop, another one of my god children was born, a woman who raised me and was one of my greatest teachers in life passed away suddenly, and it is the anniversary of the loss of a friend who taught me to live my life on purpose.

We ebb and flow

I jokingly told my sisters that I didn’t like the beginning of August and they quickly reminded me that the good comes along with the tough moments. They are interconnected. This idea of the difficult and beautiful moments happening in tandem has been a core point while working with my therapist and to unpack some heavy repressed memories from my past.

Saying hello to my shadow

My desire to tap in to my past is in part because I want to learn about the way that my past impacts my present. Secondly, I know that there are beautiful joyful moments that have been repressed along with the painful ones. Taking a step into my shadow is hard work and I feel that I am on a rollercoaster of emotions.

Learning from nature

In one moment I am proud of myself for taking the deep dive, inspecting the areas of my life that are not all “puppies and unicorns”. A moment later, I am holding back tears of frustration and sadness. Like a tree branch, the process of emotions is not a straight line. There are bends and twist all the way from the trunk to the edge of the branch.

Note to self: you can do it

To support myself as I move through this work, I talk with my close friends and I have started to go on daily runs. That may seem sadistic to some but my runs are a reminder that I can push through the challenging moments and feel incredible (or not so great) on the other end; simply a reminder that I can and will get to the other side. The ebb and flow of emotions during my runs, echo my feelings when journaling and during a therapy session.

Sources of support

  • What support systems do you have in place or would you like to have in place?
  • Who/What is a part of that support system?
  • Are they contributing to your greatest good? I hope so. If they aren’t, you are in charge and can make a change whenever you want. Cheers to doing the hard work!
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Trust the process: turn off the GPS

a road in O’ahu Hawai’i surrounded by greenery and mountains

How often are you present to your journey- this gift that is life? A few nights ago, I was on my way home from a dance class and I turned the GPS on in my phone without thinking. The path I was taking home was not unfamiliar to me yet, the need to have a defined path set for me and directions spoken out loud was important.

The goal is set, now what ?

Halfway through my ride, I thought “why do I need the GPS? I know where I’m trying to going. I’m turning this off.” GPS is great because it helps us get from point A to point B in the shortest amount of time and helps us navigate around traffic and detours. Perhaps those detours, scenic routes and traffic are missed moments of joy.

To be transparent, I used to hate traffic and did everything in my power to maneuver around it. Whether that was taking a different train line to get to work faster or taking local roads or another parkway to avoid sitting in bumper to bumper traffic. But what’s the harm is getting “lost” and taking a few extra moments on your journey?

Shifting perspective

As of late, I’m taking notes from traffic and detours; allowing them to be my teachers – reminding me to slow down and appreciate the present. Consider this for a moment, how often do you set a goal, do the work, and then accomplish said goal? How does it feel when you accomplish the goal? For me, sometimes I am elated, other times I’m dissatisfied or I’ll feel something else in the range of emotions.

I have this goal checked off on my list (yes, I like lists), now what? What’s next? Do I have another goal in mind? This thought pattern – without a pause to appreciate the accomplishment or the journey – is one that I am unlearning.

The process

A crucial part of achieving goals is the work it takes to get to your result. For me, it’s the grunt work, the “put your right foot in front of your left”, the journey, the crippling doubt, the transformation, the sweat, the joy, the tears. Learning to enjoy and be present during each stage of the journey has made accomplishing goals an even more enjoyable experience.

The featured image for this post is a road in O’ahu Hawai’i that I experienced last year. We were on our way to one of the most beautiful beaches I’ve ever experienced (in this case, the goal). If I’d just been paying attention to point B, I would have missed out on the awe inspiring mountains and nature that I was surrounded by during the journey.

An invitation

Being goal oriented is dope, at times. May you see the beauty and trust yourself throughout the journey. There are blessings, teachers and gifts hidden in life’s traffic, detours, and scenic routes. I invite you to turn off the GPS every once in a while.