The Power of Nothingness

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After all, true patience is the Master’s final lesson”  – Kung Fu, The Legend Continues

 

Sometimes it seems like nothing is happening in our life. By nothing, I mean the things we’d like to see happen in our life whether that be goals we’ve set for ourselves or just things we want to have. What we usually do when this happens, is start to get restless and impatient. When we get this way, we start to do things that go against our personal values and principles.

What’s funny about this, (if you could call it that) is that when this usually happens, you were in many cases so close to having what you thought you wanted and you didn’t even know it. Go figure. A lot of times the universe tests us. You could even say the universe is always testing us. Are we ready for the next step in our personal evolution? Are we really ready for the next level in life we often dream about, whatever that may be for each of us?

This ironically, is the time when we need to stick to our guns the most. A good analogy that comes to mind is when you are working out, and you have that one extra rep, or few seconds left to hold in a particular pose or stance that will take you further than you ever pushed yourself before. At that moment you have a choice to make… you can either quit and say you’ll get it next time or you can stick it out.

This is when the most progress is made, in that moment when you either compromise and give in or make that choice that is the right one, albeit the seemingly more difficult one at the time. It’s like we have to keep having to remind ourselves that we are on the right path because it’s so easy to take that same old road back that always gets us nowhere. ying yang moon

‘Evidence’ is one thing that can really help to propel us forward toward seeing our desires come to fruition. Unfortunately though, when we don’t see it we fall back into old bad habits and negative patterns. Know and understand this, you are always creating in the moment you either think about something, write about it or take action on it. We are creative beings and we are always creating our reality.

So as long as we can recognize and accept this fact, we can feel confident that we are moving forward in a positive way, although we may not see the evidence or concrete reality formed of what we would like to see right in front of us yet. Looking at things this way, we know we are not just fooling ourselves.

Back to nothing happening. Nothing can be a great thing actually, and only in the space of nothing can something be created. Nothing is neither positive or negative, but the primordial space where everything springs from. Like the Chinese philosophical concept of Wuji, from which the universe and the positive/negative duality or Taiji ( Supreme Ultimate ) sprang, Wuji  literally means: limitless; infinite; nothingness.

If we can be patient and embrace nothing, and by patient I mean total acceptance of nothing happening with no expectations beyond it. Total acceptance of it to the point where we can truly let go of wanting ‘that thing’ and really be okay with having nothing happen for the forseeable future.

When we can enter this space in our minds and embrace it, endless possibilities open up. In this space we can relax and let go; in this space creative potential starts to flow. In this space of nothingness the universe starts handing us limitless options and opportunities. Ironically, we end up getting much more than we originally wanted and it happens effortlessly.

 

Make it Personal

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“Some changes happen deep down inside of you. And the truth is, only you know about them.”

Judy Blume, Tiger Eyes

 

Sometimes our spirits seem not to be enjoying this earthly experience, and sometimes we can find ourselves even resenting our current physical incarnations. We long for a fog to be lifted, energy to rise and new found peace. This state happens when your mind, body and soul are not aligned or in sync. And to get them to be in sync you need to make It personal, and to live in harmony with your true nature—your Self.  Here is where you transcend limitations and doubt and cease to identify with fear and lower emotional states.

Making it personal has a few meanings in the context of syncing up your mind, body and soul. One is that making it personal gives you the drive and the passion to work toward an improved mind, body and soul relationship. Think about it this way. We invest our energies and we make deep and sustainable commitments when something deeply matters to us because we are directly impacted. I’m not talking about selfish or ego-driven wants, but about an issue, cause or belief that is exclusive to you for meaningful and real change.

Which leads me to the other context for making it personal. We are all unique beings. We are all “wired” differently. We may share common attributes or characteristics, but what we feel deep inside, what we think, how we behave, etc., are all very special to us. Our thoughts, words and actions—and our body, mind and soul relationships cannot be duplicated or shared. So if you find your Self out of alignment, it is only you who can work to get your mind, body and soul in harmony.Alone on a mountain

I know that sometimes it may not feel like it, but it is really a privilege to be on earth at this time of ascension and evolution. Of course there are seasons when it may be difficult or challenging in the physicality of you—but you should not lose sight that you have the means and the power to make change.

The Mind

The mind is a very powerful tool and when out of balance it can lead to anxiety, fear, worry and even withdrawal. When in balance our mind can stimulate creativity, enhance intuition and provide drive and motivation. It is important to find time to calm your mind, as well as to nourish it with positive thought and challenge it with new concepts and ideas.

The Body

Our bodies are amazing vessels that allow us to physically move about the world. When not in a state of well being, it can lead to physical symptoms and weakened immunity. Just as we need to nourish our minds, we need to nourish our bodies with a healthy diet, exercise and being physically active and rest.

The Soul

Our souls are our energy or life force that lives within all of us. Our souls are so powerful that they can never be destroyed. The purpose of our soul (or spirit body) is to grow and evolve. Though our souls cannot be destroyed, they can and will shift or morph—as we ascend. And as we nourish and care for our minds and bodies, we do need to nurture our souls as well. Our souls can be nurtured by the practice of gratitude, learning the power of self-love, embracing who you are and learning acceptance and forgiveness, and seeking ways to find your spiritual grounding (in meditation, quiet time, being outdoors.)

We all have the potential to heal and transform ourselves through our thoughts, words and actions—through our perceptions and choices. If you are feeling tired, out of sync, frustrated, upset or overall not well, take time to seriously examine your mind, body and soul relationship and one day at a time begin to take simple steps to bring them into better alignment. And the first step is to make this personal—it is your journey and only you will know and experience the transformation deep inside of you.

Look Up

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Picture this. It’s a beautiful summer day. One of those days with the right mix of sun and high clouds, nice breeze, not too hot and low humidity. So like many I think what a nice day to stop at a park and carve out some time to just enjoy. While I’m there I start to people watch. And I start to see this interesting phenomena. I see people of all ages, walks of life and cultures coming and going, walking, running, skateboarding, biking and more—but all looking down at their device (yes, the smartphone).

I like my technology and devices, and being connected, just like most people—but sitting there watching this I started to think what is so important that on this beautiful day that the majority of people were not looking up. I saw couples, groups of friends, etc. together, but not engaged with each other. They were all looking at and using their phones/devices.

So I thought—why would you take time to go to the park on this great summer day (I would say with the intention to enjoy the sun and fresh air, to relax, to “get away,” etc.) and not really be in the moment and not look up and see and take it all in.  park bench bridge

Life can get busy. It is filled with lots of distractions and “to-do’s (yes, most self imposed)—and when we set aside time to cultivate rest and to take a break to nurture our minds, bodies and souls—why do we feel the need to be attached to the devices in our hands, to, in a sense, be somewhere else?

It is an excuse not to really be in that moment? I ask you to really think about that.

I know for many of us we are brainwashed to think what we produce correlates to who we are. There  is some badge of honor for being busy, finishing one task and moving right to the next, of having to get to that email, or rush to somewhere to be. This mindset and corresponding behavior has become so pervasive and imbedded in our selves. We have built-in distraction—right in our own beings. And worse, we may not see it.

We may justify it as everyone else is doing it, or as isn’t technology great that I can be in “two or more” places at the same time. We start to lose fully enjoying where we are right now, in this moment. For too many there are no moments.  For some they try to capture the moment by taking pictures with their smart devices. But you can only capture a moment by fully being in that moment.

It is time to have those moments. It’s time to look up and take in what is around you and who you are with. It’s time to cultivate rest. And a great starting point is to put the devices down, to look up and to talk to each other. It is time to take moments to reflect and be with yourself.

Listen to Your Body

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Something I’ve noticed about myself over time has been that my body knows what’s best for me, even better than my mind does. Our mind can be something that can be quite hard, if not impossible to pin down, but our body is always right there telling us things about ourselves and the world around us. Yet for some reason most of us tend to ignore what it tells us.

In many cases what it tells us is so concrete, ranging from a gut feeling to a twitching sensation, from a nervous reaction to a fluttering in our chests. A lot of times, our body can tell us things before we know it mentally. Sometimes we even get sick, and believe it or not it may even be for good reason. Maybe we just need to slow things down in life, and yet we don’t… but our body just shuts down sometimes and gives us no choice but to slow down and rest.

Another way our body tells us what’s best is when we get hurt. Recently, I’ve been recovering from a severely strained ligament in my right hip/leg. Being that I am so active, it’s been really difficult for me not to engage in some type of exercise or physical activity. I really haven’t had much choice but to limit myself though, because the pain has been so constant and rather intense. As I slowly recover, I can feel my mobility coming back but really it’s up to my body to tell me when I can resume the type of dynamic movements I am accustomed to doing. Again, my body knows best!

Smarter Training

If we listen to our bodies as well when we train, we can also prevent injuries from occuring, or lessen their body outlineimpact. This seems obvious, but as many athletes will tell you, they always seem to push themselves harder than they should. Our bodies will cramp up telling us we need more fluid intake for example, or the pain is not the good pain from a muscle ripping workout, but something deep in the tendons or connective tissues that tells us to let off and go easier.

I’ve ignored my body many times in the past and to my peril. From overstretching certain joints thinking I needed to push, push, push to ‘get there’ and thus causing damage… to pushing myself too hard, too fast in a run without going gradual first to allow my body to adjust and adapt because I haven’t done that particular type of run in a long time. We can be our own worst enemies, although our intentions are usually good.

Sometimes we get so used to certain workout routines that we do daily and we will do them no matter what! I’ve noticed that sometimes when I take a break for a few days (longer than I’d really like to, I admit) I come back stronger and faster than ever it seems. It’s like the break in between is what our body needs and craves for us to take things to the next level.

Greater Awareness & Safety

Our body will tell us things that can often save our life as well. From the odd feeling deep down that someone is watching us, yet we don’t see anyone (usually someone is watching us in most cases) to the gut wrenching sensation that something bad is going to happen and then it does! This is usually the case because we went on doing what we were doing without pausing and reflecting in that moment to make the necessary changes.  We usually don’t notice that we had that feeling until after the fact.

I remember, I had this really weird feeling about this party many of my friends were going to when I was much younger, it kept nagging me. I was actually on my way to the party after I got out of work late when I turned my car around and went home instead. I couldn’t explain it at the time, I just chalked it up to me being ‘not in the mood’ to really go. Turns out, a huge fight broke out and some people got really badly hurt. This has happened to me more than once, where I just felt strangely uncomfortable in a place and decided to leave instead of forcing myself to stay and turns out something bad happened later I found out.

There is a reason why they call it a gut feeling, (some will call it intuition) but it comes from your gut and your body is telling you something! So do yourself a favor and get more in tune with your body and to listening to it, you’ll thank it later.

Happy 4th of July from Warrior Rx

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4th of July Warrior Rx!

 

As we celebrate the 4th of July in the United States–which commemorates the day–July 4, 1776–that the Second Continental Congress approved the Declaration of Independence we wish all a safe 4th of July.

July 4th celebrates the values of Freedom and what Freedom enables and empowers. On this day, let us remember those who may not have the freedoms we hold dear. And let us think about what Freedom and Independence means to each of us. As William Faulkner said, “We must be free not because we claim freedom, but because we practice it.”

Wishing all a Happy 4th of July!

 

“We hold these trust to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

~ The Declaration of Independence