Your Senses are Your Greatest Ally

We can no longer pretend to not be aware that as a collective women are overworked, overwhelmed, they are giving more energy than what is in the tank, and just plain tired. More and more mainstream self-help books are bringing this to light, and women are resonating with the message. I am not going to discuss how we got here in this transmission, because I don't need to rant today on why the overculture has created this need to do more than what we have available to us, and how we allowed ourselves to be swayed by the story that we need to do, be, and have everything, even things our heart and souls don't really want. So my question to you is; now that you are aware of your own inner journey: 

What are you going to do about it? 

There is no one or nothing external to us that is going to make a shift or change for us. It is up to each and every one of us to decide for ourselves that we are going to take a stand for ourselves and give ourselves what we need, what our souls crave, and then seek those experiences and people who are there to support us. 

So how do you begin to quiet down, slow down, listen to your wisdom and give yourself what you need? I often get questions and resistance around meditation, most women believe they don't have time to meditate, that meditation means sitting on a cushion for an hour, trying to clear your mind of all thoughts. And while that is one way to do it, that is not the only way, and it is a pretty advanced practice, that for most of us in our daily lives is not realistic, and its definitely not the starting point for most of us. And we have to start somewhere.Most women ask how to clear their minds, stop the chatter. I have loads of short and mighty practices that take less than 15 minutes that allow you to tune in, quiet down, and listen to yourself. These shorter practices can bring your energy back into your being, and recharge you. These beginning practices ARE NOT about clearing the mind of all thoughts, but about witnessing without judgement the thoughts that are overwhelming you, checking in with your emotions, and listening to WHAT IS REALLY true in the moment. One of the mightiest ways to do this is to engage the senses, one at a time. The senses have an amazing way of bringing our external world into alignment with our inner world. 

“ It is the senses that make the magical, beautiful wonders of the Universe come alive in our mind’s eye. It is this sense of wonder that brings us out of the darkness and into the light. It is our senses that allow us to bring our inner and outer world into alignment.”

Stopping to pay attention to what we are seeing, hearing, feeling, tasting, smelling, sensing with our intuition, really paying attention, and checking in to see how beautiful things are in the moment, how much love is surrounding us in our environments, is an instant way to become present. Paying attention to our senses based on what is right in front of us, rather than being in the madness matrix of media opens us up to the magic and the possibilities of the natural world and our inner selves and gets us out of comparison mode. 

So I invite you to take the next 40 days (the amount of time it takes for a new practice to become second nature) and spend at least 10 minutes a day, to just stop and literally smell the roses. Below, I will list a few ideas for each of the senses and if they resonate give it a try or come up with your own. The point being is to fully engage with the sense, and listen to what your wisdom is saying to you, witness the thoughts running through your mind with curiosity not judgement. 

Seeing- Stare at a photo or a piece of art, something or someone you love. Really look at it, revel in its beauty, notice something you have never noticed before about that person, or in the piece of art you are looking at. Send and receive love to it/them. Feel the love throughout your whole body, set the intent to open your heart. Imagine your heart and your eyes are both "seeing". Elevated practice- create your own piece of art, find the colors of paint you love most, and just put color to canvas, breath, pay attention, do this intuitively, with no outcome expectations, and without trying to actually draw or paint any particular thing. 

Hearing- Sound has an amazing capability to quiet the mind, and balance the left and right hemispheres. Find a piece of music you love (refrain from death metal...lol), and just listen to it, don't do anything else at the same time. Choose music made for sound healing. You can google Binaural Beats, Schumann's Resonance or Shamanic Drum Music and get some really good options, here is what I have been listening to lately https://stellar1.bandcamp.com. Just relax either seated or lying, and JUST LISTEN again with no outcome, let your mind float on the waves of the sounds. Set the intent to be open to hearing whatever your soul has to say. Begin to feel your body relax. Alternatively, go out in nature with the intent of listening to the breeze, the birds, and any other sounds that are in your environment. Just listen. Elevated practice- find a local sound healing or gong bath event, search facebook or meetup. (For resources in Denver please ask I have referrals). 

Feeling- The nerve endings in our skin are an amazing information gatherer, our first line of defense against things, but also touch engages and shifts many different neuro-transmitters. Light tough actually overrides our pain receptors. Find a peacock or other soft feather, and just softly wave it over the skin of your entire body. Notice the sensations, how it feels, not what your mind is saying. Set the intent that your body is pure love and is capable of giving you the messages you need to receive. Elevated practices- a long luxurious bath just feeling the sensation of the water on your skin, get a massage...a more gentle connected one, not super deep tissue. Set up a sensual date with yourself or your love and just focus on loving touch and connection. 

Tasting- This one may seem obvious, but important because I see so many women depriving themselves of enjoying yummy, decadent food rather than enjoying and savoring the bounty, and what that does to our psyche and energy bodies is a sense of deprivation instead of joy. Food can be healthy and enjoyable. So allow yourself a decadent piece of high quality chocolate, a pastry, whatever feels luscious, honey is amazing for this as it is the elixir of life. And slow down long enough to enjoy how it smells, how it feels on your tongue, how amazing it tastes..really tastes, the different flavors and nuances of what you are eating. Set the intent of nourishing yourself. (Doing it blindfolded is even better). Elevated practice: take yourself on a date to your favorite restaurant, no phones, no other people, and just savor your meal. 

Smelling- Our sense of smell is one of the most powerful senses, scent goes directly to the limbic center where we hold memory without having other neuro-transmitters as a way station to interpret the information. Get a dozen roses or find roses out in nature (added benefit of visual beauty and spoiling yourself) or an essential oil that you love and that calms you, and just inhale, breath, pay attention to your thoughts and feelings. Thank the plants that have brought you their amazing scent in order to calm and balance you. Set the intent that you can both honor your memories and be completely present in the now. Elevated practice: take a bath with sea salt and rose buds or petals and smell, feel, and see them, allow the plants and the water to wash over you, love you, and cleanse what is no longer serving you. 

Intuition- Of course you have heard the term "women's intuition" that is because it is a Divinely given gift that we have been given, but we rarely slow down long enough to listen to it, or if we do, we don't trust it, because we have allowed our logical minds to take over. I believe this practice should be done daily, several times a day, or if you are wrestling with a decision. This should be done, if possible in addition to the other sensory practices. Stop and slow down for a few minutes...morning, mid-day and evening, take some deep breaths with one hand on your heart, and the other on your belly and ask your Inner Wisdom what you need to know in this moment (or a specific question if your monkey mind is taking over on a decision or next step) and just listen for the answer. Know that the answer may come as a whisper, a visual, a feeling your body, or just a knowing depending on which intuitive channel is strongest for you. Journal the response, as it may not make sense to you initially, but it will over time. Elevated practice- Do not question your wisdom, follow its advice every time you stop to ask and journal the results. 

I hope these practices begin to shift your energy towards slowing down and connecting with yourself without having to spend a lot of time each day. As times goes on we can work together to go deeper and elevate. But as I said, you gotta start somewhere. 

I also wanted to mention, I will be sending the newsletter for next week early on the 19th or 20th with a short Equinox teaching and ritual or practice, rather than my normal Sunday email, because the Equinox is on Sunday the 22nd, and I will be on retreat so I wanted to offer you something you could do for yourself that day.