Caring For Yourself in Times of Chaotic Change

Looking at active ways to stay healthy, connected, and sane in chaotic and even traumatic times.  Winter Solstice Meditation: https://youtu.be/FcNYzuDqNpk

Transcript

Caring For Yourself in Times of Chaotic Change

"Give yourself what you need today. Coffee. Patience. Kindness. A timeout so you don't bust a vein in your forehead. It's called self-love." – Nanea Hoffman

We are living in times of tumultuous, difficult, destructive, and disheartening change on a multitude of levels. While spiritual community has worked and continues to work to embody a world full of the energy of empire building and setting new systems in motion which will be a healthy and supportive place for everyone, the way in which this gets implemented can be traumatic. And as much as we humans like to focus on the positive, seeing the building, creating, healing and mending aspects of energies, what ends up happening is the powerful burn out everything which no longer served their purpose, cleans systems, communities and individuals of their masks, disguises, deflections and glamours, raises old habits and leftover supports to the ground, as well as forcing people to move beyond "I'll deal with it someday" into dealing with it right now by setting everything ablaze. 

This is an aspect of empire building understood and appreciated by historians, power brokers, and politicians, but dramatic and often traumatic for those who are involved, no matter the intention or goal. 

If this is all hitting you or someone(s) you love hard, remember first that you are required to be good steward of your own divinity. This means, as the airlines all tell us, in case of sudden cabin depressurization, the mask will drop down in front of you and you need to put your own mask on first before helping others. We aren't any good to anyone if we harm ourselves. This just adds to the problem. We need to be strong for ourselves and those we love in order to be strong for and helpful to those who need.

Also, as Mickey Atkins says often, "Reach out to your safe people." Check in with those you love and your community more broadly. Ask for what you need and let them supply it as best they can because you are as precious to them as they are to you. Often people want to help, but just don't know how or what you need. There is love and healing in knowing we are in this together and here for each other.

During this time and the road going forward, there are things we can do to support, heal, and restore ourselves. I mean, there's chocolate, binge watching everything, hanging out, sitting still, and snuggling...so much snuggling, but beyond these there are spiritual/emotional/energy practices which can help as well.

Connect with the Earth

During chaotic times it can help to do this simply by focusing your attention on your physical senses. This is a type of mindfulness practice which calms the body by identifying something physically in the room with you. Look around and really see things, not as needing to be cleaned, moved, or dealt with, but as part of your life in this now.

Let yourself feel soft things with your hands, surround yourself with comforting clothing, pillows and blankets, let your feet truly feel the carpet, the earth, or grass depending on your weather. 

If you are going to do grounding exercises, I recommend not sinking your energy into the ground, but instead allowing the earth, the literal ground, to support you. Feel how you are supported by it.  Or connect into the energies of the to earth let whatever they are doing in this season fill and rejuvenate you.  Feel yourself as one part of all this, connected to it and nourished by it. You are not alone; you are part of this and so much more.

Connect with Life Force

There is an energy system or grid which is the constantly generating life force of all living things on this planet and flows like the ocean tides.  We are part of this, our lives adding to it and being supported by it in each second of our day.  This is in part what is meant by the phrase, "The Web of Life," but in its energetic form rather than day to day interactions.

The life force grid is a positive, life affirming energy which continues to flow unfazed by the difficulties in the moment. Connecting with it doesn't cause all the worries, pain, fear, or distress of others to come crashing in.  Instead, it allows us to feel the pulse of life, the affirmation of the eternal "Yes" which is flowing and emanating all around us.

To connect into this grid, imagine seeing your neighborhood, city, community or region from the air at night. See all the living beings as emanating golden light and all of those lights connected by golden threads weaving intricate patterns which light up the darkness, a dark which is velvety smooth and comforting rather than frightening.

When you can see this, notice you too have a golden light which is emanating from your core. From this light stretches golden threads in all directions.  Allow yourself to feel your positive connections, to breathe into them and feel your light moving through them into the world, but the world also flowing golden light back through those connections to you.  Let yourself fill with it until you are fully made of life, breathing life into yourself and the world. Stay as long as you wish.

Be a Light in the Darkness

In dark times, whether the coming of winter, war, or systemic destruction, we tend to forget or are dissuaded from remembering, we are the light. Each of us is a piece of divinity which shines in the rich velvet of winter whether in community or solitude. 

Yet if we choose, we can stop the outward flow, the rip tide which is trying to drag us somewhere we do not wish to go, calling us out of ourselves, and instead open to allow the universal energy of Akasha to fill us. We can draw down the pure prana of the Akashics and let it radiate through us, filling us like a sacred well until we overflow to all living beings. We can become the candle in the darkness, spreading light because this is our nature, and in so doing reminding others they can do the same. 

Akashic spiritual practices give us the ability to tap into liminal time. To be completely centered both here and there, accessing the universe inside us, which is the universe all around us, both/and, all at once. To do this I recommend pulling Akasha into you, rather than reaching out to the Akashics for insight or education. Connect with your own inner divinity, your own light, and bring the Akashic flow into you, supporting, nourishing, and expanding who you are and all you can be, a light in the darkness of an ever-manifesting world.

As this is something I do for myself and share with my community at each Winter Solstice, I have a guided meditation version of this practice on my YouTube Channel which you can find here: Winter Solstice. 

While our souls know there is no true darkness and all is love and light, we have chosen to be here in this embodied life where darkness does exist, evil occurs, and a lack of light or heat can kill. This is why it's important for each of us to shine for each other. 

I'm struck by how well this is expressed in the first season of True Detective: 

Rust: "I tell you Marty I been up in that room looking out those windows every night here just thinking, it's just one story. The oldest."

Marty: "What's that?"

Rust: "Light versus dark."

Marty: "Well, I know we ain't in Alaska, but it appears to me that the dark has a lot more territory."

Rust: "Yeah, you're right about that."

Rust insists Marty help him leave the hospital, and Marty agrees. As they head to the car, Rust makes one final point to his former partner.

Rust: "You're looking at it wrong, the sky thing."

Marty: "How's that?"

Rust: "Well, once there was only dark. You ask me, the light's winning."

So, for now remember these three things: 

1. Focus on the love. It's still there and still has power.

2. You are not alone. We're in this together so reach out if you need support.

3. This too shall pass. The light will be back.