What a busy few weeks! There is such a lot going on right now. Both personally and professionally. Not to mention the world events and news about the death of Queen Elizabeth II.
I think we need to take time to breathe. Don’t you?
Before I go further, it would be remiss of me not to mention the passing of Queen Elizabeth II. Whether you are a royalist or not, the fact remains – she was a mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, sister and aunt. So from her private family’s point of view, her loss will be deeply felt. And this is something we can all identify with, isn’t it? So all I will say is I send my deepest condolences to her family circle. It must be difficult for them to have to grieve so publicly. No matter your political and constitutional views, ultimately we are all human. And surely we can tune into that compassion for a fellow human being.
Take time to breathe
Moving on, let’s chat about how we can take that much needed breather. How can we make time to relax? Is it possible to still keep all the balls in the air AND have balance and self care?
This is something I often consider. As many of you know I spin a lot of plates. Just like you too. There is always something demanding my attention. It is really easy to spread yourself too thinly, isn’t it? Let me take a moment to let any new followers know a little bit about all those plates.
I run my own business, Rocks n Rituals. And I am a sole trader.That means that I pretty much do everything myself at the moment. From accounts to website rebranding. Customer service to marketing. All of it falls to me. Outsourcing at this point isn’t a financial option – yet. Shannon has given me an immense amount of time back. Now that she is the primary Reiki therapist in the house, she is seeing most of you for Reiki. And from what I hear, she is doing a great job!
Alongside the business, I also have other responsibilities. I’m the new volunteer and recruitment officer with St John Ambulance, Bangor. And a volunteer trainer, as well as emergency ambulance crew. All of this work is voluntary but I love it. It keeps me grounded in the physical world, when so much of my work is spiritually focused. I also do some privately paid medical work as first aid cover from time to time, outside of St John.
I’ve recently taken on an extra bit of work to help with the rising cost of living. And I have caring responsibilities and duties for my elderly mother. I’m also a mother and a partner – and we have a gorgeous, but demanding fur-baby called Raven.
Life sometimes gets completely manic. Working demands, St John requirements, maintaining excellent customer service and keeping on top of personal matters. Phew! Sometimes we simply need a breather. But we don’t always get it.
So what can we do?
This is where I believe Reiki has helped me immensely. The daily practice of meditation. Taking a few minutes each day, no matter what, to simply be still. Those few minutes each morning help me start my days with peaceful intentions. I get some much needed headspace. Time to relax. And it ensures that I am walking my talk. After all, you wouldn’t really trust a stressed out, manic Reiki teacher – would you?
You can bring this state of peaceful intention into your day at any time. You simply need to take time to breathe. We forget how powerful our breath is.
Let’s take a moment and simply breathe. Breathe in for the count of 4 and then pause for a moment. Now slowly breathe out to a count of 4 or more. Empty your lungs and pause. Now repeat that process twice more.
Do you notice a change in your physiology?
When we focus on our breathing, it naturally slows down and deepens. This sends a powerful message to the brain. It shuts off the stress response and instigates the relaxation response. And that is what need for healing and clarity in our day. All we need to do is take time to breathe.
Another thing we can do is to be mindful of what energy we are putting out. Sure, we can be really busy but do we need to be stressed out with it?
It is so easy to fall into the trap. We find ourselves under pressure at work. Lots to do and deadlines looming. You start to think “I’m so stressed”. Or “I can’t do all this.” Maybe even “I’ll never get all this done.” What is happening energetically when you say these things?
Energetic Ripples
You are putting out intentions. Energetically creating a ripple of stress vibrations. Which bounce back to you multiplied. And that causes you to feel more stressed. More on edge. And more out of control.
So stop. Notice when you say these things and reframe them. Try saying “I have a lot to do today but I have all the time in the world to get it done.” Or perhaps, “By prioritising the most urgent thing today, and focusing only on that, I will free up time to get the rest done.” These are more positive intentions. They send a ripple of supportive energy out into the world which bounces back multiplied. And when that happens you find that everything just slots beautifully into place.
Often we spend so much time giving off about what we have to do that we waste time. Or is that just me?! I am sure you can identify with this. Go on, be honest!
Disciplined Approach
It is a disciplined approach, but it works. Notice when you are about to complain and reframe it. Focus on one task at a time. Don’t try to multi-task – it only ends up taking longer. Slow down to speed up – remember? We talked about this before.
How can we begin to notice our thoughts? Well, it is actually really easy. But you need to allow yourself time to connect with yourself each day. And that brings us back to a moment of meditation in your day.
Take time now. Spend just 5 minutes taking time to breathe and allowing your thoughts to settle. I promise it will give you the much needed breather that we all need!
There will be no musings next week. I am taking a little breather myself so that I can come back refreshed with new content for you. I’d love to hear from you. Are there any particular questions you have that you would like answered in the musings? Share them in the comments and stay tuned – your topic may just be the next subject of our musings!
