Kick a Rut in the Butt Using Space, Not Force
I flew back into Denver from from Portland, Oregon, late last night and I’m still processing all of my adventures, as I put off unpacking and phone calls and open up to a new creative flow. My brain is lighter. Heart, more open. Body, stronger, and energy more in balance. Before I left I would not have identified myself as being in a rut, until I was miles away from the familiar and cozy. Then I saw the rut looking back at me. Clear. Unfolding. Unraveling in my expanded head and heart space, no force required.
Forcing something new when it has no room to land in your heart just spins your wheels and ignites frustration with no release point. Patterns like this make you feel as if you aren’t moving forward as much as sideways, encountering similar challenges with a variety of people and ideas that fall flat with no creative fire to ignite them. Then the rut is in charge.
Zap Your Comfort Zone to Create Space and Inspire New Insights
Allowing yourself permission and space to move out of your comfort zone offers you the opportunity to practice trusting yourself and actually use the inner tools and knowledge at your disposal (whatever that may be). The willingness seeds the inner space. The inner space seeds the more open-ended view. The open view offers new perspective and insights on what’s gumming things up, making room for the practice of mindfulness. Then you wash, rinse and repeat as your comfort zone changes along your path.
Being open to all your patterns; knowing which ones still fit and which are ready for the compost bin requires a commitment to the time and space for them to present themselves. That’s why modalities such as yoga and meditation are referred to as a practice. They honor your mind, body and spirit by creating a regular, open space for reflection and growth. A dedicated practice is where the power to move past a rut really lives. Your tools evolve as you do, but a practice also allows you to honor yourself in a mindful way, and is an amazingly powerful way for kicking a rut in the butt.
Writing your Prescription for Inner Balance
Doctor Lissa Rankin often talks about the power and positive impact of writing a “daily prescription” for yourself that includes what you really need in order to feel centered, balanced and healthy every day. Exercise, eating well, meditation are all great options of course, but she encourages people to get creative, specific and fun with their daily doses of life. Maybe you need a blueberry smoothie twice a week, a nice bottle of wine every Friday and a massage once a month. Or perhaps you need to make sure you take at least 2 hours a week to do nothing, and stick to it, creating the space you can write a mindful prescription that supports what you truly need. Wherever you are is perfect, just know you just have to give yourself the permission and space to kick that rut to curb.