Mind Over Muddle

There’s a funny tale about how God created the world. Upon completion of His beautiful work, He realized that the meaning of life was so valuable, if it were too freely given, most humans would simply overlook it and not appreciate its wonder. So, He decided to hide the meaning of life. He resolved that this meaning must be absolutely accessible to all people equally, and yet finding it must require an epic journey.

After an exhaustive search over the Earth and through the heavens, he realized the perfect hiding spot, a place where few humans would bother to look…

Inside the human heart.

The heart—that space deep inside us that seems to hold a type of unknowable wisdom, a mercurial connection to Source that is always there for us whether we access it or not. The heart is the center of our energetic body (chakras), sandwiched in between the lower three chakras (our survival animal) and our upper three chakras (our Infinite Self). To make wise decisions, they are best made when we are centered.

But what is our center and how do we access it?

The great challenge for most of us is that we now live in the Information Age. It is a time of unparalleled access to data, information and technology. With this instant access through many different sources of media, our minds and nervous systems are being put to the test. Thus, our modern challenge in the Information Age is to find, and then master, new ways of coping.

So how do we cope? With all this data and information pulling for our attention, we are now required to be more sophisticated and discerning about how we process the deluge of information we take in each day. To do this, we take baby steps. We do what we can, when we can. We remember, in this age of distraction, that when we come from a powerful center, we have immediate access to our subconscious mind, our intuitive mind, our analytical mind, and our instinctual mind. When we come from our center, our entire being works synergistically to guide us into a life of wisdom and full self-expression.

Mastering being able to stay centered requires that we control the amount and type of information we allow into our heads. It means unplugging from social media when it feels like we cannot. It means carefully selecting our news sources, and perhaps turning off the nightly news. It means connecting to our life’s purpose, and allowing that to take precedent over a wandering mind.

To help you find your center, here are a few simple steps. Choose at least one or two and do them today.

Start With Your Purpose
Be clear on why you choose to be centered (to be happy and make healthy decisions). Use mindfulness to help you tap into your life’s purpose. The list of health benefits from mindfulness goes on and on. See my suggestions for a mindful approach to healing.

Feel Your Feet
Literally. Feel the floor, the earth underneath you. Feel the energy of your body root down (like in Tree Pose). Do this at the office, at home, wherever you can. Having your feet connected mindfully to the ground unifies your body awareness and brings you into the present moment.

Experience A Workout
A walk, a jog, a yoga class, a dance class. Gyms can be so distracting, so maybe try a DVD or streaming video at home. Light a candle, set the space. Do workouts that feel wonderful to you and integrate body, mind and spirit.

Sit and Meditate
Silent meditation is great, but the untrained mind likes to wander. Instead, memorize one or two of your favorite sacred passages (some love the Lord’s Prayer, or any passage that is meaningful to you) and repeat it very slowly to yourself for 30 minutes in the morning. Start with 11 minutes, and build up slowly. Use a timer, so you can really let go and enjoy exploring deep relaxation.

Sit and Breathe: Breath is the most direct access to our nervous system. If you sit and do a focused breath for one minute, you will feel the effects immediately. Imagine sitting and doing breath work for 11 minutes? 30 minutes? Try the following breathing exercise and build the time slowly. (See the mindfulness breathing technique offered in my recent mindfulness blog.

Keep A Journal
Writing can help us feel centered, as it tends to clear out the fogginess of an over stimulated mind. From the book The Artist’s Way, simply commit to writing three pages of your journal each morning. Just write, don’t judge, and don’t stop until the three pages are done. Then close your journal and let the day begin.

When we find our center, we are coming from a place of knowing. It’s not always a logical knowing, yet it is a deeply felt knowing—an intuitive knowing. As Maya Angelou has said, “when I make a decision coming from my heart, it’s usually the right one.”

May you find your center, breath by breath, and may all your decisions come from a place of power and purpose.