The journey to living an authentic life can, at times, be scary and challenging. Often, we want the people in our lives to approve of our choices, or validate our feelings. For me, there have been many decisions that I have made that sometimes weren’t fully supported by either family or friends. Regardless of my choices or their subsequent outcomes, I am fortunate and grateful for their steadfast love. Perhaps the realization and respect that we each have a unique path to follow allows this acceptance. One of the many gifts of mindfulness is coming to know who we are, the patterns of our thoughts, how beliefs arise, and the freedom to choose those thoughts and beliefs, regardless of past conditioning. It is a full acceptance of the self.
Suggested practice: Trust your inner guidance
If there is a question, decision, or simply something you are exploring, like a new city or activity, I invite you to engage this practice and notice how you connect with your inner guidance.
Connecting with the breath, arrive in this moment.
- Settling in, perhaps notice how the breath is moving throughout the body.
- Allowing yourself to simply sit easy with the sensations as they are arising, what do you notice
- Perhaps thoughts are bubbling up to the surface.
- Perhaps you are noticing tension, a holding in various parts of the body.
- Simply noticing these areas, you might sense a gentle easing, a letting go as the breath calms the nervous system, calms the mind.
- In opening the senses wide to the sounds, sensations, thoughts and the breath, what are you witnessing?
If you are processing a question or a decision, notice where the body speaks to you. Perhaps notice all of the ways in which the body speaks to you, sometimes screaming, when we ignore it.
As you listen to that still, but interestingly, dynamic and flowing place within you, the answers might surprise you. And as you trust it more, allowing your inner compass to guide you, that “voice” gets stronger and easier to hear.
Have a wonderful week!