This group helps me to feel balanced. Each one of you has your own unique ability to motivate and inspire. Listening to all of you gives me new ideas, things to ponder as well as reminding me that there are areas in my life that I may need to balance. I had forgotten how much I used to hike, mountain bike and read for pleasure until I hear you talk about it. Each week I am rejuvinated by all the different ways that you balance and enrich your lives, however big or small. I realized that I often let one area of my life consume me (lately this is school) while I am neglectful of others. I wondered if anyone else felt the same. Maybe you could share some ways that you prioritize and balance things within their lives. Maybe there are areas that you realize you would like to work on and want to talk about. I believe that as we share our thoughts, ideas and struggles we will get to know each other better and can be supportive of each others needs.
*I would like to use this post as a place that we can come back to and add to as we gain insight and move through our lives.
*I would like to use this post as a place that we can come back to and add to as we gain insight and move through our lives.
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4 comments:
I am not sure there is such a thing as balance when you are a person who is "inspired". What I mean is that there are times when I feel so inspired that I HAVE to do something about it and other times where I am completely without ideas. When I am in that place of inspiration it is all consuming and I would even say obsessed! Nothing else matters. Balance is not even in my vocabulary as it sits and stares at me from the backseat.
Other times when there are stacks of books I want to read and things I want to do and I watch them pile up around me I start to just think of forgiveness. I forgive myself for not reading right now and think about the things I am doing. Winters are so long in New England that I know I will get back to my stack of pleasure books. I also think about all of the time I DID take this summer to do so much pleasure reading and how I realize that I have so much professional reading to do that I cannot possibly fit it all in. I also know how much I will enjoy those books when I do make the time to read them.
Right now I am taking that time to get out and hike and take advantage of the most spectacular month here. I guess the place that is the hardest for me is exercise. I have to keep up with that or I lose it. That is where I notice my mental state suffering for not taking care of my physical state.
Tonight I am going to a free workshop on meditation. I have been meditating for years, but this will be a chance for me to perhaps find some new ways in. Something will have to take a backseat to this...meaning there are things I won't get done and people whose needs I will not fulfill, but I forgive myself for that and accept that when I do do things it will benefit all of those around me.
I think this practice of getting quiet everyday absolutely helps me to begin each day with a sense of purpose. If anyone is interested, there is a great website that teaches you how to begin a daily mediation practice. You can start with a mere 10 minutes a day. The site is: www.learningmeditation.com
When you get there click on the link that says mediation room and at the bottom of that screen you will see lots of things to choose from. I really like the chakra one for a quick dose if I can't get myself to turn off the constant chatter in my mind.
So, Laura, once again you have me thinking about that idea of balance and although I do not think I have acheived that at all in my life, I do think I have developed some strategies and acceptance about not being balanced! For now that is good! I always remember to try to be as kind to myself as I would be to my dearest friend...remembering that I tend to be the hardest on myself. There is so much to do and see and grab onto and observe and create in life and I don't want to miss any of it!! That is overwhelming...but so often how I feel about it. I think...what if I was not here tomorrow?
I hope I am not sounding preachy here...I honestly just let myself say whatever comes to mind!
And I leave you with this quote...
“Women need real moments of solitude and self-reflection to balance out how much of ourselves we give away.”
Barbara De Angelis
Peace to you all.
Tomasen
Tomasen~
Thank you for sharing your thoughts with me. I always feel like I want to embrace every moment too and then get stuck in the "have to's" and often get overwhelmed by life. I see how important it is to have even one "pause" in my day to appreciate what's around me. I keep a gratitude journal and write five things down each day that I am grateful for. In some way I am grounded in this ritual even if I didn't realize it until now. Even when I am overwhelmed by other things that I have to do, this is attainable.
You will have to let me know how your medidation workshop went. Meditation is something that I have been curious about so I will check out that website. If there is any way to quiet the "chatter" in this mind, I should try it. I feel like it is always racing to the point that I don't sleep well. I haven't known what to do about it and even sleeping pills don't seem to work (which I hate to take anyway). Feel free to share anything helpful that you may have learned at your workshop.
smiles & love, Laura
Hey Tomasen~
I tried the "chakra" meditation this morning for the first time and I will do it again. I have always wanted a better understanding of the chakras and although I think I will need to do a little more reading and "listening" this site was great as a way for me to start meditating. It is nice how the meditations are broken down into times, as I feel like 5-8 minutes a day or even a few times a week is something mangabable. I felt all of this tension in my back, like I need a massage or something. Have you ever felt this way when you were meditating? Could you suggest one of the meditations for the evening? I have a really difficult time sleeping and thought this might help. Thanks for the suggestion. xoLaura
Kim sent this to me to post: Balance is a tricky thing and it isn't until you are way off balance that you realize how important it is to balance. My boss is having a terrible time with balancing work and family right now and the situation has started to manifest into physical ailments in her children. That is how bad things can get when out of balance. I find meditation to be an excellent tool to regain balance or at least insight into what is throwing you out of balance. The chakras you were referring to are very important in balance. They are 7 energy centers within the body that when properly aligned or 'balanced' can unlock or fix a meriod of things ie insomnia, headaches, irritability etc My best friend Michelle is a Reiki practicioner and she has worked on all of us at different points in our life. My friend Kimberly was her biggest patient while going through her divorce. In meditation it is important to clear the mind of all thoughts and emotions. At first this is very difficult but as you practice it will become easier, deep yoga breathing is also very important. If you find your mind wandering to thoughts or emotions use imagination to envelope them in bubbles and cast them away or whatever metaphor works for you. Once you achieve a clear mind and feel safe it will be easier for you to realize what is throwing you off balance and what you need to do to regain that balance whether that means forgetting about work for a while and just connecting with friends or tackling that home project that has been sitting in the back of your mind. It may be as simple as spending more time with nature and just simply be in the moment. Being in the present is not something that comes easily to most people but sometimes it is just what the doctor ordered. Good luck with your experiments and let me know if there is any other questions you may have. Took a class on meditation with Michelle a couple years back and I never regretted it.
Blessings and Love
Kim
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