Stillness and Soul Soothing
Stillness and Soul Soothing for personal empowerment
Slow Down!
In the rush of daily life, we can begin to lose sight of how important it is to slow down and allow ourselves to be still, mentally, physically and on a soul level. The outside world is full of a range of noises and distractions that keep us in doing mode. When actually what is just as important for us as human beings is to be fully comfortable with allowing ourselves to adopt a state of “being” instead. More specifically what I mean by “being” is proactively deciding to get out of that doing state, following to-do lists, need to or should’s and instead learning to ask ourselves the important question “What do I need for myself today”
Let Go of the To-do list!
What if you made a choice to let go of that to-do list for a day or two and gave yourself permission to fully embrace that state of allowing yourself to be still? Allow yourself to get off the treadmill of daily life and take a pause. Press that pause button. Take a moment and start asking yourself the following question: How can I slow things down for myself, how can I take even 30 mins and allow myself to sit and absorb and reflect on how I am feeling right now, what is going well for me right now, what do I want to work on about myself right now.
Stillness as a safe space!
Slowing down does not mean that you are doing anything wrong, slowing down for me means I am being mindful of my own physical state, my mental state, and my deeper connection to my soul self. Stillness creates a safe space to nurture that mind/body and soul care. For me, it is that opportunity to genuinely recharge my own personal state. I have realized over time how important it is to listen to my mind/body and soul. My markers are if I am overthinking a lot of things, if I notice myself pushing my body to keep going, even when I recognize that I am physically tired, or by being mindful of how I am tending to my soul. By tending my soul, I mean am I honouring who I am on a soul level with the choice of daily activities I commit to.
That space and stillness offers me the opportunity for self-reflection and introspection. It gives me an opportunity to tend to myself in a way that only I know how best to do. I no longer have the expectation that someone else will see what I need and hand it to me on a plate. Over the last few years, I have developed a much deeper understanding of the fact that I am the person who is going to be my best supporter. I know best where I am and how I am feeling. Yes, I can pick other people’s brains about problems I am coping with, and ask for support if I need it, and yet at the heart of what helps me is myself. And my self-awareness and capacity for self-care.
Stillness and solitude!
Stillness and solitude give me that priceless opportunity for introspection and self-reflection. Which then creates another gift to myself which is the opportunity to soothe my soul. To check in with how I am feeling on a soul level. This is not as complicated as I once thought it was. I have grown to understand that nurturing a deeper soul connection is about allowing myself to acknowledge what my passions and loves are. What activities do I enjoy doing most, what activities light me up, what new interests have got me curious and how am I actively making choices to keep myself connected to those passions, loves and curiosities on a regular basis?
Running around in that doing state does not offer space or time to think and reflect on what is going on or what we need. Stillness, slowing down, sitting, walking and just allowing our minds to ponder those important questions of ourselves and what we need is how we build a deeper and stronger connection to the essence of who we each are as individuals.
5-step process for “stillness and introspection”
So why not try this simple 5-step process for “stillness and introspection”? Firstly, simply give yourself 5 minutes, and find somewhere that you can do this exercise. You could even do it at your work desk if you needed to. Give this a try.
Find a way to slow down, sit down (in the garden, on the train in your local park).
Next, take 5 slow deep breaths and take a moment to reflect on the last 24 hours.
Choose what felt difficult for you, acknowledge that experience and then breathe it out, let it go as you exhale.
Choose what felt good for you in the last 24 hours, and breathe that in, feel the positive energy of that experience and let it flow through your body as you breathe. Embrace that experience and the energy of it and feel it energize your body.
Finally, take some final slow deep breaths, and acknowledge yourself for taking this time for yourself. Put your hand on your heart and whisper “I’ve got you.”
So think about how you might be able to do this simple exercise for yourself over the next few days. What if you made this a regular routine for yourself, what if you showed up for yourself in this way every day? Imagine what a difference that would make for you. There is never any time but the present to get started with nurturing and supporting yourself. So can you make that choice for you? Allow yourself to be curious, be open, lean in and enjoy the process. Don’t judge it experience it and allow yourself to enjoy the process. And be grateful for the time you have and what you do for yourself in that time.
Take those first steps into self-acceptance. If you wish, for advice or support about your next best steps – email me directly at ml@mldevitt.com or check my personal growth and transformation Membership Community here. If you would prefer to listen to my podcast you can get the latest episodes here.
