When things get ugly, really ugly, we can feel called to put up our defenses and shut off our emotions as a means to cope with overwhelm. For the sensitive soul, that is like putting on a blindfold and walking through a busy city intersection. It’s not a good idea to cut off a sense you previously relied on, just when you need it most.
Instead, I want to call on you to become even more sensitive in challenging times.
Here are some key ways to do that without losing your mind.
Listen to yourself.
Run any information or decision that you encounter though your own intuition. Does this feel right or true to you? If not, research further or set it aside as not for you. Be sure to trust your instincts and follow the steps below to keep yourself clear enough to get a good handle on what your intuition is telling you.
Whatever your spiritual practice is – do it!
If you are a yogi, do more yoga. If you meditate, meditate more. If you pray, pray louder or longer. However you connect with Source, now is the time to make this a focus and make your daily practice non-negotiable. This is where you draw strength and gain perspective on all that you experience. When we do our spiritual practice we are opening ourselves up to our higher selves that can handle a lot more than our ego and mind can. We also open ourselves to a bigger flow of energy then just our physical energy. This gives us the drive to power through challenges, or “Challenge the Challenge,” as Yogi Bhajan said.
Whatever you believe in – pray with it!
Give your worries over to whatever your relationship to the Divine is. Find your authentic connection to Source and start sharing your thoughts, fears, and insecurities with this Benevolence. Hold nothing back. Purge all that you are feeling and then pray for the outcome you would like to see. Prayer is so powerful. Write your prayers so you can read them. Sing your prayers. Dance your prayers. Whatever way feels true for you to pray -- do that! For me, going into nature and offering my gratitude for the natural harmony and balance is a prayer. Playing my drum and journeying to offer gratitude in this world and beyond is prayer. My yoga and meditation practice is a moving, breathing prayer.
Call your friends together to practice together, to dance, to share your prayers.
That leads us to our next practice…
Gather!
Reach out to anyone you feel drawn to spend time with. Share beyond the normal casual conversation with those you encounter. Spend time with people who appear different than you and take the time to see how much alike you are or to honor your differences. However you do it, get together with those in your community. One of the key factors in our mental wellbeing is whether or not we reach out to others when we are challenged. Don’t feel that you have to go this alone. There are plenty of hands to hold you and plenty of hands that need holding. Reaching out helps put our own challenges into perspective.
Do whatever you need to do to take care of yourself.
Get outside, exercise, soak in hot water, take a cold shower. Whatever your self-love language, is speak it to yourself right now. Eat food that is nourishing, get fresh air, move your body, decorate yourself, be as loving and gentle as you can with yourself and extend that nurturing to those around you. Be sure to offer gratitude to everything you do and everything you receive. This will make all of your actions even more nurturing and healing.
Unplug.
Get off your computer or device as soon as you read these words! Seriously though, limit the amount of news you read and focus on sources that you feel are reputable. Opt for quiet time over stimulating media. Listen to music that inspires you or turn everything off and listen to silence instead. Read books that empower you or educate you in self-care or sustainability. Spend time in nature or with others in person instead of on social media. Write letters to those you love and those who need to hear your voice. And also, enjoy the time you spend by yourself in quiet reflection. It is medicine in this time of noise.
Remember that being ourselves and caring for ourselves is so essential in challenging times. We are always stronger than we give ourselves credit for and when the going gets tough it is best to rely on the intuition -- the language of the soul -- to guide our way.
Blessings on your journey!
