As I reflect back on my life, so much of it was about listening to the quite voice within. Every time I listened I created a path that was of my own choosing and doing. Sometimes that was difficult because it meant endings, but often it was beautiful because I was so clear on where I wanted to go. I recall when I made the decision to study chemistry at university. I knew the general chemistry class was a weed out class. Many people were afraid of this class because it was so much work. I recall walking up the steps of the chemistry building, meeting with an advisor, and choosing from here on out, that I would do whatever it took for me to graduate with a degree in chemistry. Because everything within me was in agreement, this is what we wanted to do.
There have also been times in my life where I have felt more confused and less clear about what my soul was calling for in this moment. Usually that was because I was listening to many loud voices outside of me, so I couldn’t really hear the quite voice within. Confusion also came when I needed to be resting rather than doing. Now, when I say voice, sometimes it comes with words. Usually, the voices outside of me come with words and energy of punishment. With feelings of this is what I “should” do. The inner voice is less of a voice and more of a feeling. It’s a sense of calmness, of clarity. I feel it often when I am outside in nature, walking slowly amongst the plants and trees. In fact, the slower I move, the clearer this “voice”, this feeling, becomes.
This feeling is my guiding light, my north star, my compass that informs me of who I am, as a unique being connected to All That Is. I believe that we are all here to express our unique soul expression. I believe that we are all here to contribute something special to the table of humanity. In fact, I feel it is very important for each person to be moving from and expressing their unique selves, because this is how we move forward into unknown waters, into uncharted territories, successfully.
So how do you go about listening to yourself? How do you connect in with your Sacred Inner Self? It starts with Quite. Calm. Safety. Slowness. Presence.
There are so many practices that work for so many different people. Here are some of my practices that bring in the Quiet (sharing with the hopes of inspiring you to see what you already do to access the Quite):
Meditation: I started meditating towards the end of earning my chemistry degree in 2014 and I never really stopped. Of course, there were times in my life when I was meditating less, and those times were often more chaotic and much less calm than the times I was meditating consistently. I’ve tried meditating at different times of the day and in different ways. For me, I have found that meditation is the most supportive for me when I do it first thing in the morning. I find it helps me to transition from the sleepy dream time liminal space and into waking, gently. I also find that I recall me dreams and work with their meanings so much more when I meditate first thing after waking. I also like meditating first thing in the morning because it starts my day off on a really calm and clear foot. I get to choose where I am going in my day when I meditate.
Cleaning: Yes, plain old tidying up. By having a clean space around me I feel clearer. And the actual process of cleaning releases all those feel good endorphins. I feel better, my space feels better, and I feel ready for whatever else is there on the other side of a tidy space.
Moving my body (dancing, walking, running, hiking…): Any kind of movement for me helps me to settle more deeply into my body. Movement of the body helps me move things in my mind so to reach my Center. Whenever I feel off, weird, sad, confused, moving my body brings me right to the present moment. There is some kind of special magic that takes place when my heart rate increases. I feel alive, I feel centered, I feel embodied. A lot of my listening comes from listening to my body. My body holds so much information, I just need to spend a little time listening. When I elevate my heart rate, often points of tension and feelings of stuck energy dissolve. Dancing in particular is a favorite of mine because I can move my body in all sorts of weird ways, focusing on the tense places in my body and moving them to transform them. Sometimes I’ll just get up and spontaneously dance to a song that is moving me. Other times I choose a song that I know and love and just move my body as I feel called to do.
Practicing the Creative Arts: I do so so many kinds of different creative art practices depending on the day, the season, my mood and more. Every single one of the various practices that I partake in help me to find my center. Weaving holds a very special place in my heart because I love it! But also because of the way the movements of weaving settles me and expands me simultaneously. Writing is also a centering practice for me. I’ve journaled a lot in my life, and practiced Morning Pages more intentionally since 2020. I’ve always been one to write down my thoughts and experiences. In fact, recently I’ve been having a lot of wonderful connections with some new Plant Allies. I kept feeling that I needed to write about each of these special Plant Experiences. It wasn’t until I started to get a headache from trying to hold all this information in my head that I knew that I needed to write down these connections and experiences. As a way to record them, to gain greater information from these experiences and to go deeper through writing about them.
Being in Nature: Oh the magnificent Earth. There is something so centering and grounding that I experience when I take a breath outside. When I put my bare feet on the earth. When I place my palm on the bark of a tree. I often find myself giving off soft gentle sighs when I am outside, which relaxes my body and releases tension. Everything within me slows down a little when I am connecting with Nature. As if everything is moving at the right Natural Pace and there is no need to rush. Anytime I notice that I am feeling rushed I make sure that I am spending lots of time outside, usually in the forests around where I live. I make sure that I walk slowly in Nature, to further embody this natural pace.
These are some of the practices that I partake in. I do at least one of these daily to support me in being clear with myself. To support me in moving the direction I want. So, what are some of the ways you connect in with your Self? What are some things you are already doing? Are there some practices that you want to try but haven’t started? What are you waiting for?
