Have you ever felt like you're constantly juggling, trying to keep all your life's records playing harmoniously? Join me as we navigate the intricate dance of achieving balance and flow. I recount a tender tale from my garden, where a snail infestation became a lesson in empathy and resilience, a reminder that even in our smallest acts, we can find the rhythm of life. We then shift gears to discuss how carving out a space for personal growth can lead to profound healing, particularly through the power of the pen. Whether it be through fanciful fiction or introspective journaling, we explore the cathartic journey of writing and how it can be a sanctuary for the soul, irrespective of whether you prefer the tactile feedback of paper or the convenience of a keyboard.
The episode guides you to a tranquil Cornish beach, where the symphony of the waves sets the tempo for a breath meditation that promises to wash away your daily stresses. As we tread along the sand, our meditation transforms into an active engagement with our environment, symbolising the act of confronting life's clutter and turning it into stepping stones for growth.
Please note that we do not necessary agree with all the views on this podcast and leave listeners to make their own mind up with what they do or don't agree with.
Have you ever felt like you're constantly juggling, trying to keep all your life's records playing harmoniously? Join me as we navigate the intricate dance of achieving balance and flow. I recount a tender tale from my garden, where a snail infestation became a lesson in empathy and resilience, a reminder that even in our smallest acts, we can find the rhythm of life. We then shift gears to discuss how carving out a space for personal growth can lead to profound healing, particularly through the power of the pen. Whether it be through fanciful fiction or introspective journaling, we explore the cathartic journey of writing and how it can be a sanctuary for the soul, irrespective of whether you prefer the tactile feedback of paper or the convenience of a keyboard.
The episode guides you to a tranquil Cornish beach, where the symphony of the waves sets the tempo for a breath meditation that promises to wash away your daily stresses. As we tread along the sand, our meditation transforms into an active engagement with our environment, symbolising the act of confronting life's clutter and turning it into stepping stones for growth.
Please note that we do not necessary agree with all the views on this podcast and leave listeners to make their own mind up with what they do or don't agree with.
For today's podcast. I thought let's set you some tangible, doable things that you can do today to feel more in the flow and flux of life, meaning that maybe there's changes you want to do, but equally you want to kind of stay in the flow. So it's a very delicate balance, like like how a needle balances on a record player. If the record, which is our kind of will, is speeding too quickly, then it won't pay it the right rhythm. Equally, if it's going too slow, then it will be distorted as well and it can be quite a fine tuning in life to get that balance. And there's no way that we're ever going to get it completely right and completely good all the time. But the tuner for the record that is your life is the present moment. And yet it's a place that we try and avoid so often. But, as I may have said many times before, but it's good to remember, because we forget, I forget some things and I think, oh, yeah, and then I remember it's to be in the present moment. So I'm gonna digress a bit.
Speaker 1:
We have got a snail problem with the plants and I didn't really want to kill them because I know and again, no judgment if you've had to do this. But I know that slug pellets aren't that good for the environment and then I know there's all these different methods and stuff. But then I thought if I did one of those beer traps then I'm still gonna have to kind of like dispose of them. And I've kind of got a bit of a soft spot for snails, like they kind of live. I don't like the way they eat all my plants, don't get me wrong, but they live a kind of minimum life, like they carry their house on their back and and and that and they. I once was regarding them early in the the morning and I could see that they were hanging upside down off the plants. Just it looked like they were just doing it for fun and I don't know. I kind of got a little bit of a soft spot for them. I know they're slimy and obviously I don't want to kind of feel them crawling on me, but they are kind of cute in my world digressing even more.
Speaker 1:
But I cut long story short. I know they love cucumber, so I had a cucumber that was kind of on the turn, so put it on on this pot outside and then they all came and kind of ate it and I put them in this like nice moist box and I walked to the woods and I let them go there and I just thought it's such a vast area it's not going to cause too much destruction and if I just let them down around the corner they might find their way back. I should be honest, I don't know how intelligent snails are, but anyway, um, I thought when I released them at first they were kind of looked a bit startled and they just kind of got on with their day and I just thought, gosh, yeah, they're just adapting to things. Like it's quite a big thing. They were put in a, in a sealed thing which was like I had food in it but I had to walk a bit with it in. So they must have felt that maybe they were a bit scared. So apologies to them if I scared them at all. But they then just got back on with life and and and just took it as it came. And I thought what a gift to have to be able to do that, to go through life and just took it as it came. And I thought what a gift to have to be able to do that, to go through life and just whatever ups and downs they are is to find a way to adapt. That is not to bury one's feelings and some things are bigger than others by all means but just the way they kind of got into that flow and were able to just move on and go ahead with their everyday life.
Speaker 1:
And another thing that was behind this week's inspiration was that I'm kind of sidestepping some of the jobs that I do on the side of my business, jobs that I do on the side of my business. So I do podcasting, shamanic healing, yoga, teaching, and I've been helping out for about seven, eight years on this course and, for whatever reason, I got comfortable with being less of who I am and no one was asking me to do that, but I was allowing that to happen within myself and I created this space, even though it's quite handy, the work. I created this space for me to be able to write again and I cannot even begin to describe how cathartic writing is for me and to see from a bigger picture, even that it doesn't matter if anyone ever reads it. I will let people read it when it's finished and I'm just kind of in that. Oh, it's a fun sketchy stage where you're coming up with ideas and putting things together and just it's a bit like a kind of a muscle that you've not used for many years. You kind of need to warm back into it.
Speaker 1:
But I feel writing is a thing that everyone can do and bear with me as I explain, because it is so healing like, even if you're writing fiction and the characters are nothing to do with you for some reason, just being there and writing is such a healing, a healing thing, and it kind of takes me into a magical world when I'm writing, with all its ups and downs, but I feel completely present at the same time. So it's a strange mix of being in imagination but also being aware that I'm here in the room as I write it. So sometimes I handwrite it and then sometimes I type. I know a lot of people like to handwrite it and then sometimes I type. I know a lot of people like to handwrite first and type, but I find both methods quite effective for myself. They can be very different as well, so it depends on what mood I'm in and obviously if I'm doing any kind of corrections and things, then the typewriter is better for me.
Speaker 1:
But if it's the first draft, just getting it onto the page, and I just thought you know that is one thing that is a gift that we have is to create, be it. Be creative with our writing, with art, with cookery, pottery, making creative with with the meals we make for our family. There's so creative with stuff that I can't do, like make clothes and knitting, and I've got friends that crochet and family members that crochet. I just think, wow, I wouldn't even know where to start. I know what kind of creative I am, and one where things have to be in a set way isn't necessarily the most natural fit for me, though I have absolute admiration for those who can do things like that, but that's not to say I can't. I probably will try it at some point. It's just there's only so many hours in the day, and I've just rediscovered the joys, the beauty, the, the heartbeat of my soul, which is encased with this ability to write and be, and, and by doing that I hope to enrich my podcast for you.
Speaker 1:
So the tangible things that you can do to help you today firstly, don't tune out, there are only a few easy steps to do, and secondly, I invite you to try and do this at least for a couple of months. So this is five minutes a day. If you can't do five minutes a day, try and do five minutes three times a week and put it into your diary and the first thing you will work on is why and do you think what do you mean? Why? For his thinking like my why is to write why I want to write. That's what I'm going to work on the next month. I also do wise on why I do the shamanic healing. Yours could be why you do certain things, or it could be the why of how you're going to achieve certain things. I really request, if possible, that you just write whatever comes into your head, fully known that you don't have to show this to anyone, but just put the top of your page. Why set your timer for five minutes and just write the why for whatever, why it is for you for five minutes, and we will revisit this in a month's time, but just see how we go. So what we're going to do is a month's worth of writing these whys. Like I said, if you can't do it every day, then try and do it three times a week. I'm sure everyone can fit in five minutes three times a week, even if your family's driving you mad and you have to go into the bathroom to do it, to get the space to do it. But just write why and then let me know how you get on.
Speaker 1:
The second thing is to check that you're drinking enough water, one thing that I try to avoid. I'm one of these people, right, that never feels thirsty like well, unless it's hot weather, but I seldom feel like really, really thirsty or parched. So for me, I have a timer on my phone to remind me to drink water, because if not, I could go for ages until I felt thirsty. But I know it's not very good for you. I know my nutrition says how important it is to drink enough water and how drinking water and feeling hydrated can change a whole number of things. So just remember to drink water. So I see easy, tangible things that you can do.
Speaker 1:
And then the third task that I request that you have a go at is setting your timer. It's another timer thing for two minutes a day to do long, slow, calm, breathing in and out through the nostrils, and the breath can heal us so much. We breathe in such an unconscious manner these days, which, of course, it's good that we breathe without thinking. But if we slow the breath down and did some conscious breathing once a day for a month, then what a difference that would make. So I will share a bit more about this, but just to recap. So you're going to work right, five minutes on your why, between three and five times a week. You're going to remember to drink more water, or the right amount of water for your body, and then, three, you're going to set your timer and do three minutes worth of breathing. So you can do this once, twice a day, three times a week, but please try and be persistent with the slow, calm, deep breathing. I'm going to give you an extra breathing meditation and then, as I said in the previous episode, there will be one meditation for the whole season, but I'm giving you an extra one this week because I want you to be able to know how to do the breathing and just do the best you can for you.
Speaker 1:
So the first thing is you're going to sit up straight, shoulders back and down, and ideally the breath will be in through and out through the nostrils unless you have a cold, then maybe the mouth be better for you but ideally in and out through the nostrils. So inhale slowly for a count of five. Exhale for a count of five, inhale for a count of five, pause, exhale for a count of five, and you just continue that. So inhaling for five, pause exhaling for five, and just just continue that. So inhaling for five, pause exhaling for five, and just continue with that. If you've got a bigger lung capacity then maybe you want to go for 10, but the important thing is you don't feel out of breath, and if it feels like five up your stretch, then there's always you can do less. Okay, so we're just going to do this for another minute. So you remember the inhale, pause, exhale, so Thank you, and then you're going to exhale slowly out of the nostrils and come back into the moment. So even a minute will make a difference. See how you get on.
Speaker 1:
But here is a special meditation that I recorded on the beach when I was in Cornwall. So do stay tuned and, as always, if you want a shamanic healing session or if you would like a long distance energy healing session, then do reach out via shamanichealingsearth, shamanichealingsearth, and if you want to support the show, there's also information there too, as promised, here is your meditation inspired by this season's magic. Top tips for the meditation is either sit nice and cross-legged on the floor with a nice straight back Always nice to sit on a block or a cushion, although that's not available for you, you sit in a chair, with the back nice and straight. The important thing is you're not slouching, and if you're doing something that requires a little concentration, all you need to do is just pause this and you can reconvene the meditation at a time that is good for you. If you're doing the meditation, let's begin.
Speaker 1:
So, as you walk to the edge of this beautiful imaginary beach, you see sands and water. You can see dolphins in the distance, the warmth of the sand, the water, as this makes the noise. But you notice, to get on this beach, there are great big rocks and boulders. And you navigate across these rocks, across this terrain, and you realise that life may not be perfect. To get to that spot, maybe you have to climb across a few boulders and you put your hand down and it gently touches against seaweed, which perhaps may not be your favourite thing. But you touch against the seaweed and you notice that there is some plastic entangled in the seaweed. So, gingerly, you take it out, that self-doubt, and you put it in this little bag that you've got on the side of your body and you walk a little bit further and you notice a rock pool, and in the rock pool is this beautiful starfish. And this starfish is you in so many ways. This starfish is you in so many ways, just being allowing, making the most of the circumstances by being in this water, by being in this rock pool and just allowing yourself to be there without the fear, the judgment you are allowing yourself to be, and the little starfish.
Speaker 1:
You walk past it and you get a bit further and there's less and less terrain. But then you notice on the beach a great big iron wheel that must have come off some vehicle and it's come on to the beach and you try to move it because you don't want it to go back out to the shore, but it's also very heavy. So you lift it up onto the side, realising you can only move and shift what you're capable of at that precise moment, and you go further towards the edge of the water and now the sand is golden. It glimmers in the light. It glimmers so beautifully, it lights you up inside. It glimmers so beautifully, it lights you up inside and your feet touch the sand and it feels all so beautiful, all so fantastic.
Speaker 1:
But then you notice on the side of the rock there is an old mask, surgical mask that must have been floating around for many times in the water, and you gingerly put that, in care, into your bag of the stuff that you're going to let go to the recycling and you think what does this symbolize for you?
Speaker 1:
Whatever it, you just put it into that bag and you continue walking along the sand, feeling the wind in your hair, the beauty of the sand beneath your feet.
Speaker 1:
The water is a little cold as it laps against your ankles, but it makes you feel alive, it makes you feel in the moment and, dear one, you can now realise that the whole of this adventure, to get to that point where you felt the water on your feet, there was the rocks, the metal thing, the rubbish, the stuff that didn't want to be in there.
Speaker 1:
Instead of just pushing it away, you took it in and put it back into your being, but then to be recycled elsewhere. And you make your way. You sit here for a few moments and just breathe and listen to the waves and then, as you calmly make your way back up the beach, back up the way back up to where you started, knowing that you can come back the next day and perhaps the metal thing that you couldn't carry yourself, someone else has helped move it, who knows? So thank you for listening, dear listener, and do persevere with this meditation, this visualization meditation, each day, day. And if you like a little bit of help on your journey and would like a long distance energy healing session, then do go to shamanichealingsorg. Shamanichealingsorg, or if you like a shamanic healing session, please check out the details there and just drop me a line and you take care, thank you.
