Clarity on the Path to Everyday Shavasana: 5 Steps to Greater Vision in Your Life
Scott Mills, Ph.D.
Most people I work with start off having a lot easier time knowing what they don’t want. Chances are they are sitting on a great big pile of it. Maybe they don’t want to feel all the stress that they feel in their office. Or they don’t want to be upset with their kids so often. Maybe this describes you as well.
Starting in a place of what we don’t want is sort of like swatting at flies. You are happy to swing any old direction as long as they get out of the way. When you can get clear about what you do want, you can focus your actions so they lead you not only away from what’s bugging you but also towards what would really make you happy. For those of you who aren’t sure how to get there, here are five basic strategies to get you started.
#1 Be still and listen to your Inner Guide
As the Buddhist say, we are suffering from an epidemic of monkey mind. Slowing down for just a few minutes a day can help you have a sense of inner stillness. I have even been known to have clients schedule a minute a day of meditation just so they can get started. You surely can make one minute a day of time for yourself.
#2 Let your creativity guide you
While the mind gets caught up in wanting to do the right thing or please everybody, the creative longings in you will often reveal more than you imagine. Take out a box of crayons or finger paints and simply start to draw what’s really important to you in your life right now. The starting point is simply the question of what do you really want. And since this art is just for you, you can have permission to create in a perfection free zone.
#3 Start listening to your body
Even when you have no words for what you want in your life, the body speaks volumes. Start paying attention to how you are experiencing your body. Are full of energy when you wake up in the morning? Do you need four cups of coffee just to make it through the day? Start asking yourself what your body is longing for and see where this takes you.
#4 Listen to your friends (sometimes)
The people who know us best often have great insight into what we really want even when we aren’t sure. Ask your friends what they would wish for you if they could help you decrease stress and create ease in your life. You might be surprised by what you hear. The key is to take any suggestions graciously remembering you can always let go of anything that doesn’t ring true for you.
#5 Start making a list
The mere act of writing can often free up space to get to what’s really important to us. Julia Cameron, the author of The Artist’s Way, recommends that people write continuously to get there ideas out even if they have to write, “Can’t think of anything to say.” You will before you know it. If you’ve never done this before start out by setting a timer and writing for 7 minutes straight on the question, “What do I want to create ease and peace in my life?”
These five strategies can assist you in finding more clarity on your path to greater ease and peace. Once you have an idea, engaging the unconscious mind so that it’s easier to do this is a snap.
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