51 Shades of Gray
Finding balance amid chaos
The Farsighted Observer
51 Shades of Gray
Last week I wrote that shift happened and more is on the way. That’s true—always. Change happens. It’s the law of nature and it’s called evolution.
However, the rate of change varies. Sometimes it seems things stay the same way forever. Sometimes it feels like change happens in the blink of an eye.
The latter is what it felt like for me last week. One night I sat on my terrace, admiring the almost-full moon in clear skies. From the exact same spot the next morning, I observed dense patches of fog roll in.
I didn’t get the photo, but barely an hour later, bright sun burned away the fog and restored a clear view.
It’s a pretty simple metaphor for life views: clarity, fog, clarity…
Isn’t that the pattern we seem to be stuck in right now? Everything seems clear in our minds. Then the “facts,” events, and reports roll in and we’re confused about which way to go. The fog lifts and daily life goes on, until… the next cloud of uncertainty obscures the view again.
In all likelihood, rapid shifts in the status quo will continue with no indication of slowing down any time soon.
So how do we escape the cycle? Outside conditions and energy will always remain beyond our control.
But that’s not where you’ll find your compass to navigate the way out of the fog.
Clarity begins within. Let’s take a closer look at what that could mean.
Finding Balance Amid Chaos
This card’s illustration shows the Priestess of Balance with both hands up, light extending from her palms to Universal connection. She represents the need to balance yin and yang, receptive and active, or feminine and masculine energies.
And how do you do that? By being aware of the imbalance.
Signs include signals from your body such as stomach upset, headache, or pain anywhere for seemingly no reason. Although it’s important to attend to recurring or persistent discomfort with a medical professional, these symptoms can also be signs of imbalance in your emotional and energy systems.
Yes, you can take an over-the-counter pain reliever and keep going, but that doesn’t get to the underlying cause of the upset, and it’s very likely the same symptoms will appear again under similar circumstances.
Once you learn to honor these warning signs from your body, you can make concerted effort to learn to balance yourself.
A good daily practice is to ground your energy upon waking. Before reaching for the phone to check email or mentally reviewing the day’s to-do list, keep your eyes closed and simply take a few deep breaths and check in with your body.
Be present with how your head, neck, arms, legs, and trunk feel on the mattress. If all feels comfy, continue to focus on your lower body and mentally connect with the ground below you. Picture yourself planting an imaginary cord or root from your bottom down through the floor, deep into the earth.
Breathe naturally, but perhaps a bit deeper than normal to a count of four or more on each inhale and exhale. Allow yourself to feel stable and connected to the source of life by feeling positive energy enter your body through your head or up from the earth.
Now you’re ready for prime time.
But don’t limit yourself to grounding upon waking. Take a few minutes throughout the day to sit in a chair with feet on the floor and take a few deep, clearing breaths. Close your eyes and imagine your grounding cord dropping into the earth, sprouting roots, and bringing positive, nourishing energy up from Mother Earth into your body.
Other stress relievers include walks in nature, stretching, yogic poses or breathing, physical activity, or anything you enjoy that takes you out of the mental cycle causing anxiety. Even stepping outside for a few minutes and breathing fresh air while looking skyward or at a pleasing view relieves tension and helps balance your emotional state.
Over time, consistent and mindful use of any of these practices will result in a natural feeling of connection and balance. You’ll be less likely to be thrown off course when an upset emerges and more likely to remain or easily restore calm.
These are only a few tools of the trade to stay balanced when circumstances appear chaotic. But any of these are a good place to start.
Feeling good about yourself and your life is key to balance.
Remember to make choices that honor your body, mind, and soul. Set personal priorities and put yourself first. It’s not selfish, it’s self-care.
Think about a time when you left a job or relationship that caused you to be unhappy. Remember the feeling of relief or release when it was over? It can be like getting out of prison.
Think of attention to your well-being as a free “Get out of jail” card with no limit on how many times you can use it. Be good to yourself.
I’ve lit the candle of the fourth (heart) chakra to help you connect to your true self and added aventurine to balance your heart-mind connection.
I hope this message supports you on your journey. I’m here to help if you want to boost your efforts and learn to connect with your own intuitive guidance.
Until next time…
My best, Shelley
Thank you for the reminder for self-care. A minor sprain in my ankle, a rainy Saturday and your reminder for self care just cinched my decision to rest with a jigsaw puzzle (mental healing) as I rest the sprained ankle. I am learning to let go of the battle of giving myself permission for self care - thank you for the encouragement!