Creative Katrina

Photo by Road Fun

For people who may not know me, I’m as much of a spiritual “woo woo” person as I am a left-brained, logical entrepreneur and business person. And as a communicator by heart and trade, I’m always fascinated with how people connect with their own idea of spirituality. How do they nurture it, seek it, grow it – decide their own individual path? What role does it play, if any?

The topic of spirituality connects and polarizes because it’s such an important part of how people define themselves – whether you believe in it or think it’s a bunch of fairy tales (I’m friends with quite a few atheists). It’s one of the key concepts that’s supposed to make us “human”, and separates us from all the other “things”. And clearly, it’s one of the concepts that creates considerable friction between us all.

The Spiritual Piggy Bank

During a recent meditation this random idea popped into my head – what if people viewed spirituality like a 401K or a cash only transaction? Here’s what I mean:

A spiritual 401K is something you contribute to regularly through daily or weekly practice, moment by moment. It’s a simple, normal part of your every day life. Some days you can contribute more than others and it’s a habit. The types of contributions are endless – yoga, meditation, self-reflection, doing heart-felt things for others, forgiveness (of others and self), community service, pampering yourself, spending time with family, petting an animal – the list goes on because of the rich, diverse things people consider their unique spiritual replenishment.

Other days you need to make a withdrawl in order to pump your personal reserves back up. The fee for early withdrawl seems steep when you first need to dip in, and you wonder if you can really take the hit. Even scarier, you aren’t sure you can replace it any time soon, and have no idea how you will ever be able to. In reality, this overwhelming feeling is simply the awareness of what is lacking, and that feeling is what helps you realize where you need to go next. It tags that desire to connect with your inner knowing, to discover what the next step is to evolve to a whole new level of insight and awareness, while leaving behind the scraps of what no longer works for you. Prepared or not, you are very aware of what is fulfilling or missing.

Cash and Carry Only, Baby

On the other hand, the cash and carry method of spirituality is still helpful, but perhaps a bit less fulfilling in the long-term. You panic, try to get in touch with new spiritual practices or insights to alleviate any number of uncomfortable feelings, and then feel temporarily better. Perhaps you learn something to take along to the next step in your journey but aren’t necessarily developing a practice that enables you show up in that mindset regularly. It’s why you sometimes feel on the wrong end of a rubber band, scrambling to find a way to get things in balance for your mind, body and spirit, without ever really feeling grounded. You’re biggest effort is focused on just trying to avoid getting snapped in the face.

Is one approach better than the other? Nope. It’s just a way to look at how you are creating your personal spiritual space – whether that’s through the “woo woo”, outdoor activities, spending time with family, community service, working with the land and animals – whatever makes your heart full and open. I think the real question is how long do you want to be a pinball? Or does it feel better to create a spiritual 401K that reminds you of all the good you do and can come back to it as needed?

I know what my answer is…what’s yours?

Photo by kandyjaxx on Flickr

All of us need time to power down, disconnect from the world and find a way back to the space within. It’s not always easy with all the demands on our time and body, especially when so many people want more and more from us.

There is only so much the mind, body and spirit can take operating at that level. Pockets of energy build up, old emotional patterns and ways of thinking clog our perceptions and suddenly we feel run down, maxed out and anxious, not to mention exhausted. We may even become ill as our body finally tells us it’s DONE.

So as you scurry to finish all of your “activities”, have you ever thought about how to release all your old, heavy, pent up energy? Some people shop excessively, eat constantly or distract themselves by butting into other people’s lives. Others just unleash on someone else, dumping all their “stuff” without a second thought. Do any of these sound like you?

Find your Emotional Baseline

The most important first step is to tune in and really get a clear baseline of your personal boundaries physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually. It’s hard to know how to deal with managing stress in these areas if you have no baseline as to what is “too much” for you.

It’s also critical to get a sense of what a “yes” and a “no” FEELS like in your own body. It takes practice and relaxation, but keep at it. Practice by asking yourself simple yes/no questions that you already know. With the help of a clear way to tune into feeling this information, you can learn to make better choices about your time and stress level as you go about your day.

One of the most important things to learn and accept is the idea that not everything needs to get done right now. Really feel into the sense of relief that wells up inside of you when you truly release the pressure of “should.” Then re-evaluate with your yes/no inquiry.

Implement Healthy Emotional Release Tactics

If you strip away all the unhealthy options for unloading, do you have positive methods in place to clear out your internal energy system? If not, create a simple plan that works for your lifestyle, and work it daily. Have as many or few items as you need.

Here are 10 simple ways to get started:

• Regular exercise (a little each day or longer periods every few days)
• Meditation
• Old fashioned screaming and crying, in private
• Consult with an alternative healing professional for a treatment (Reiki, acupuncture, EFT, acupressure, massage, rolfing, etc.
• Take deep breaths as frequently as necessary
• Go for a walk
• Spend time in nature and/or with animals
• Journal daily or at least weekly
• Take a time out frequently throughout your day, and walk away from your desk or work situation
• Get off the computer, your phone and other electronic devices for at least 15 minutes each day before you go to sleep

Once you have a sense of your personal boundaries, then you can add things into your daily, weekly and monthly routine that help manage the stress of everyday life. The important thing is to not only experiment, but DO IT.  A little bit every day helps, rather than letting things build up until you blow.

Activities that are free and easy can be added to your daily routine, whereas healing treatments can become part of a weekly or monthly plan, depending on your budget. As you feel more in control of how you manage stress, anxiety and emotions according to your personal baseline, and utilize the tactics you have in place to know your own unique boundaries, you will see how much more grounded and happy you can feel.

Of course, if you feel overwhelmed or unsure of where to start, consult with a mental health professional to help get you centered, and then create a plan that works for your lifestyle.

(Source: creativekatrina.com)