Recently I heard the statement, “He lives slightly outside of his body.” This statement got my attention quickly. How many of us have points in time when this is true? When we are so trapped in our heads with thoughts, stories, limiting beliefs about ourselves and others rapidly cycling from start to finish repeatedly. Research studies, one by Dr. Fred Luskin of Stanford University, show that the average person has between 60,000 and 70,000 thoughts each day and close to 90% of our thoughts are repetitive! Often on unconscious and subconscious levels which mean we are not even aware we are cycling through these patterned thoughts. This is a reinforced dilemma considering that our world has become so mentally focused.
What does this have to do with being present, being mindful of our collective moments that create a lifetime in our human energy? Everything! “We are Spiritual Beings living human lives.” This famous quote by Pierre deChardin emphasizes the understanding that we are human beings, and we are also spiritual beings. Our physical bodies are one aspect of our entire human energy field. In the study of energy healing, we have four energy bodies – physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual. All affecting our entire human energy field in every moment in profound ways.
If there is ONE tool or concept that I would offer to you for your energy to be more present to what is happening right here and right now in your life it would be to strive to be grounded as much as possible in your physical body. As we come into presence and connection to our physical bodies with intention and awareness, we become more grounded, stable, aligned and in wellbeing. Humans so quickly move into the ego mind – thoughts, beliefs, and emotions – when faced with circumstances, people, places, events and morals that challenge us. Finding ways to stay in our physical bodies and being present to each moment can be more challenging to achieve when life throws us a curve ball or two. We have amazing tools to help calm, connect, and steady our physical bodies. There is a famous quote attributed to Edmund Jacobson, M.D. who developed the technique Progressive Muscle Relaxation in the early 1920s, “An anxious mind cannot exist in a relaxed body.” I am truly aware that there are those of us who suffer from immense physical trauma, and it becomes quite difficult to focus on our physical bodies. This needs to be acknowledged and honored here. It is my hope that guidance and support is available to whomever needs it, as there are highly trained professionals out there. As well as new and evolving therapies, again with licensed professionals.
I discuss with my clients all the time the need to create the intention, take the time, and make the effort to go into more stillness, calm and quiet. This place is within each one of us. This is where we can find balance and connectedness to our own human/spiritual selves and most importantly our physical bodies which is where it all comes together as we live our human lives. Mother Earth offers us the best way to connect to our own physical bodies by connecting to her. Go outside, take a walk, open a window, and smell the fresh air, listen to the sounds of nature – a running river, bird song, rain – on your device. Look up at the blue sky and the clouds, look down at the earth and sense what is alive right under your feet. Look out around you and allow yourself to scan the horizon, even if you are in a city. Can you see a peak of blue sky? This is one of the easiest and quickest ways to begin to balance your energy into a more peaceful and calm presence in this now moment you breath in! Offer the intention of gratitude to our Earth for the continually refreshing and renewing life she give us. Gratitude is the fastest way to uplift our energy. Earthing, a healing technique designed by Clint Ober, has become a phenomenon. This technique applies the science of the electromagnetic frequencies that are emitted from Earth that greatly assist humans to steady our own energy. Once again, this can come down to setting the intention for this awareness to happen and perhaps kicking off socks and shoes and walking bare foot on the Earth. Of course, many cultures around the world have understood this for centuries.
Breath can become a doorway for you. The air we breathe, in every moment we live, can be our breath of renewal with the choice of intention. Are we breathing quickly and shallow or are we taking the time to consider drawing in deeper breaths with intention to bring in oxygen to calm and center our physical bodies as we inhale and as we exhale? A beautiful Sanskrit mantra is “So Hum” which means “I AM”. We can say this silently and simply breath in slowly to “So” and breath out slowly to “Hum”. Even just a few minutes will provide an awareness of calm in your beautiful human body. Studies show that even a few short minutes of grounding and breathing techniques such as the ones given can offer more stable, calmer energy for up to six hours! Of course, the more we practice and set our intentions for these simple, yet effective, practices the more we are intentionally becoming present to each now moment. I could not end this blog without giving homage to Jon Kabat Zinn, considered by many in modern times to be the Father of The Mindfulness Movement. I still chuckle when I remember having the pleasure of seeing him at a conference and he spoke about sitting in a hotel room playing with a tennis ball in his hands and came up with his famous quote “just drop in.” as the ball dropped down into his hands. I leave you with one of Jon Kabat Zinn’s many insightful quotes. “Life only unfolds in moments. The healing power of mindfulness lies in living each of those moments as fully as we can, accepting it as it is as we open to what comes next – in the next moment of now.”
