I despise when it gets dark early. When it feels like it is 10 pm, but it’s really 5! The darkness feels like a trap. Like I am trapped in some timeless void, where things are backwards. Where nothing feels real. One minute it is November the next a whole month has flown by. Time is beginning to become meaningless. Time is just flying. Where is it going so fast? Not sure, but it is in a hurry. What are we speeding up to? What does the future hold? No one can know for certain, but it is a good idea to keep balanced amid the chaos of life. How does one stay balanced, or try to achieve some idea of what balance is? Well, there are a lot of ways: yoga, meditation, breathing exercises, tai chi, chi gong, massage, hiking, running (to some extent), taking time to pause and listen to the inner body. Anything that gets you to quiet the mind chatter for a moment to pause and listen to the inner awareness, the inner voice, the heart, to just pause and listen. “I can’t quiet my mind,” “I don’t know how to meditate,” “I have too much going on to pause for anything,” I have heard many people say. Yes, quieting the mind chatter takes time, it’s true, but everyone can do it with time and practice. How does 5 minutes a day sound? I think we all have 5 minutes. Don’t know how to meditate, there are many books, cd’s, and online follow along’s out there. I also teach people how to meditate, get quiet and listen. I have worked with some seriously active people and we all have the ability to get quiet, even if it is just for a minute or two. Once you learn how to meditate, the great thing about it is that it is free. Supplies you will need to meditate: 1. You 2. Your Breath 3. Your Inner Awareness 4. Something to sit on. Do you have all of those things? Only one of them can be bought, so I do hope you come prepared! You can do it anywhere, the office, the dinner table, the doctor’s office, at school. Any where. It is really that simple. The cool thing is there are numerous scientific studies that now prove how meditation changes your brain, literally rewires it. Don’t believe me? Google it!
The key here is balance people. We live in a busy busy world, that is always trying to throw information at us, people are talking to us, we are juggling jobs, households, children, significant others, workout routines, dinner parties, holidays, vacations, dogs, cats, it is easy to see how our own personal care and commitment to ourselves can be at the bottom of the list. There are only 24 hours in a day. But the cool thing about yoga, breathing and meditation is you can spend just 5-10 minutes on it a day and see a huge difference. Can’t seem to find time? Wake up 5-10 minutes earlier. Do it before bed. Watch along with me as I lead you in a simple morning routine and evening routine (video to come out soon). Balance is key. So if you are juggling all of these things and constantly on the go, where does the peace come in? Where does the quiet come in? Where is your soul getting fed? What is the flip side of the coin to rush and go? The answer, Pause and Listen. We all have about 16 waking hours a day, with everything we are juggling, there is not a lot of time when you really boil it down. But 5-10 minutes is nothing. Once a day is great, twice is better. But be kind to yourself. Be compassionate to yourself. Keep discovering the inner awareness. Keep pausing and listening. Keep doing something once a day that is just for you, even if it is only 5 minutes. Stay true to you. Quit beating yourself up about this thing or that, what you did, or didn’t do. Just breathe right here in this moment. This is the most powerful moment, this one right here. Can you stay present to it? Can you get out of your head for a moment, focus on the breath and see what this moment has to offer you? Can you set aside the to-do lists that our minds create, or better yet add 5 minutes of breathing to the list? Also add to the list, love someone today, say hi to a stranger, do something unexpected for someone, be amazing and be someone’s inspiration.
Finding balance in an unbalanced world is not as hard as it may seem. One tip for those that get overwhelmed easily (I may or may not be one of those people ;) think of adding something into your life instead of feeling like you have to change a bunch of things to get “balanced.” It is as simple as adding 5 minutes of breathing/getting quiet time. Balance is the key that will open the door to a life well lived among the chaos of the outside world. So that the next time someone says, how are the holidays treating you, crazy right? You can politely say, no they are great. Not crazy at all. I feel peaceful. They may look at you funny, but then you can walk away smiling, knowing they will be asking you later how are you keeping your cool.
So pick up your glass of egg nog, your champagne, or your Bailey’s and coffee and toast with me to a holiday filled with balance, a new year filled with love and peace and a life lived with grace!
Love and light,
Erin
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