I meditate five to six days a week; it serves to keep me grounded and balanced in the face of life’s chaos and challenges. But did you know that meditation also sets the stage for not only expanding mental awareness but also receiving intuitive guidance from our inner source that we connect to when we focus inward on our heart and quiet our minds? Inner guidance shows up when we achieve that peace and heightened perception.
In my sessions with my Expressive Arts Therapist, I learn to do exactly that – to connect with my inner wisdom and amazing results materialize when I do so. I dare say that each session is transformative!
In my last session, which I call “Chilling Out”, I worked with clay for the first time, and pressed this maleable material into all sorts of shapes, eventually settling on, of all things, a couch – much to my surprise. My art therapist asked me to write a letter to the part of me wanting to sit on the couch. Here’s an excerpt:
“Why do I want to lie on the couch, you might ask? To get some time to myself and remember that i need space to be, to get in touch with my inner landscape and the lighter parts of me. Too many TO DO’s rob me of my energy – its not always fun to be busy. The couch represents that part of me in hiding, my place to find freedom from life and the insanity of having a perfect holiday. I don’t need to stay there forever, in case you are worried I’ll never get up! But when I’m done making friends with the couch, I will be refreshed, inspired and ready to create something new. Don’t be afraid of slowing down – this is temporary and a welcome reprieve from the busy-ness of this holiday season.”
To me, this sounds so simple but if you know me, you know how difficult this is to do! And after I read back my letter, it was clear that this was exactly what I needed.
Expressive Arts Therapy in conjunction with this meditative listening to an inner voice of wisdom serves to uncover little kernels of brilliance – revealing just what I need to hear at the time. Each time I turn inwards to ask for guidance, I am rewarded with revelations that at base, may seem quite simple, but are small bursts of foresight and knowledge that are at times, well… enlightening for me! Guidance may urge us to be spontaneous, or to go on an adventure by trying something new for ourselves. My message that I received required an open heart and mind to receive this little kernel of truth, but it was a message that could have applied to anyone – how many of us could benefit from taking a breather when life’s commitments get to be too much, and just put aside a few minutes for refreshment, relaxation and rejuvenation. We need both rest and play to have balance in our lives, and despite feeling at first like I’m wasting precious time, the reality is that I feel great after relaxing, and later feel more creative and vibrant following a rest period. Things flow easier when I’m not tired or stressed, and there is a recognition that I cannot be creative the whole time, or I would burn myself out.
Have you made time for yourself this month, with all the pressures of shopping, decorating, cooking and baking?!! Like me, you deserve a break from it all. So enjoy the holiday and the hustle and bustle that goes along with it, but enjoy a cup of tea and a meditative break from it all, once in a while. Happy Holidays!
Tracey Gramm – owner
