All life moves in harmony with nature, from the tiniest cell to the largest tectonic plate beneath the earth. This flow is balanced with periods of stillness .The winds blow and trees respond with movement in their branches. The winds stop and the leaves are still. Similarly, our lives consist of periods of activity and rest. We are better equipped to cope with pauses in life when they are chosen. For example, time off from a busy work schedule for a vacation or a maternity leave is met with anticipation and joy. Whereas, getting laid off ,or having a miscarriage may result in a sense of void, combined with feelings of resistance, frustration and failure. We may fear we will never achieve our goals. However, there is another larger perspective available, that of the soul. We can view these tragedies and set backs in a different light and realize that tho it may feel like we are taking two steps backwards, in actuality we are growing spiritually stronger into wholeness and evolving on our perfect path while being in the right place at the right time.
Consider how you respond, when the game plan of life suddenly changes and you are forced to wait, and don't get the job or relationship you've longed for, or the money you invested still isn't paying off. How does the quality of your life change? Do you spin out into fear of the unknown or relax into trust? A few months ago a car ran a stop sign and hit my car hard. I was forced to slow down in life. The concussion I suffered left me with headaches. My neck was damaged and in pain and the pressure on the spine caused my left arm to be weak and go numb. I had to admit defeat and surrender. Time off from work was essential for healing. I was forced to release my external goals and focus instead on my internal state and accept the limitations of my situation.
During this healing crisis an awareness dawned . As I laid on the acupuncturist table in the quiet, darkened room with needles impaled in my skin to relieve the pain, I began to understand there is a larger impersonal plan that is occurring, guiding all our lives and in perfect balance. It includes times of waiting, inactivity and being in the void or limbo and these periods are just as valid as the active phases. I reflected on what Dr. Piva had said as he looked at my tongue and assessed my health. He informed me that pain was the direct result of stagnation in the flow of qi or life force and blood in the body and that as this flow is restored, that pain will cease to exist. I breathed deeply into my tired injured body and knew in that moment that my life had become imbalanced .Working, going to the gym and endless busyness toward imagined goals in the future had disconnected me from my deepest self.
Now, resting in the dark and experiencing the precious moment fully, I remembered my soul, that timeless essence of myself that exists beyond the mind,and body. The accident occurred as an invitation to let go and merge back into the flow of life and focus on my peaceful eternal self . While this period of stillness wasn't chosen, I've adjusted and seen the inner growth that comes from resting and waiting.
Remembering My Soul and Timeless Essence
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- Written by Liah Howard