Elevate your morning in 3 simple steps
Have you ever awoken with a song stuck in your head that felt like it came out of nowhere? I often look up the full lyrics and think about the song's message. It can be a clue into our subconscious, our worries, or dreams; maybe they point to unmet needs or act as a call to make a change. This morning, rather than a song, I awoke with a few strong, grounding thoughts that felt like they also came out of nowhere. I call them divine nudges.
"If you are worried about supporting yourself (financially), you must remember how to support yourself financially."
and
"If you are worried about living alone (and currently living with others), you must practice being alone."
These topics are often on my mind. However, instead of their fear-based tone, they came in a different form this morning: a calmer, more loving, compassionate voice. They may seem like simple messages, but the power is in the action. Recovery groups use the phrase, “Move a muscle, change a thought.” That is where these words are rooted. The fear of financial insecurity or being alone can sting us into paralysis. These are gentle but firm messages from a wiser part of me that encourage action. She is the voice of my Old Wise Woman (OWW).
I've been in dialogue with OWW for 20 years and have used meditation, journaling, and art to connect with her wisdom. I also learned to reclaim the inner child after reading The Dark Side of the Light Chasers by Debbie Ford. It was a powerful and beautiful journey, and I realized that her voice, MLG (my little girl), was playful, panicky, impulsive, awe-inducing, independent, mischievous, and reassurance-seeking. I've often done meditations where LG and OWW sit on either side of me on the sand overlooking the ocean. I bring heartaches or challenges to them, and we reflect on problems together. Everyone has a chance to speak.
This concept isn't new; we find it in stories like "In the House of Baba-Yaga," by Clarissa Pinkola-Estes in Women Who Run with the Wolves: Myths and Stories of the Wild Woman Archetype. In the late 1950s, Eric Berne developed the psychoanalytic theory of Transactional Analysis, utilizing parent-like, childlike, or adult-like states to understand the psyche. I like the idea of the Old Wise Woman and the Little Girl; it's simple and reminds me that I have the inner wisdom to solve problems intuitively.
It is also how I work with clients. As a therapist, I'm a guide on the path we walk together. I don't subscribe to a patriarchal hierarchy where the therapist tells the client what to do. Instead, I work with my clients to elicit their inner wisdom. I share the knowledge and tools I've acquired to help you evolve your inner guidance. A powerful way to do this is through art. As an art therapist, I use art and talk therapy to prompt your creativity, inner wisdom, feelings, goals, and dreams. We have so many resources available to us. Therefore, it's essential to surround yourself with the aids that elevate you, increase self-awareness, and propel you on your journey. Below are some resources I use daily to do this.
Here are 3 simple ways to elevate your morning:
Five-minutes of Box-Breathing
Step 1: Breathe in counting to four slowly. Feel the air enter your lungs.
Step 2: Hold your breath for 4 seconds. Try to avoid inhaling or exhaling for 4 seconds.
Step 3: Slowly exhale through your mouth for 4 seconds.
Step 4: Repeat steps 1 to 3 until you feel re-centered.
Find a journal and spend 10 minutes writing on the following prompts:
Remember back to being a child, what brought you joy? What did you love to do? What did you “play” at?
How can you incorporate one of these things into your life now?
List 5 things you are grateful for (this can be as simple as taking a full breath, feeling the grass on your feet…)
Listen to a podcast or youtube video on your walk, while you make coffee, or on your morning commute:
Books that honor the Wise Person in all of us:
Women Who Run with the Wolves: Myths and Stories of the Wild Woman Archetype by Clarissa Pinkola Estes
The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley
The Dark Side of the Light Chasers by Debbie Ford
Visit aimeejette.com for free downloads on finding peace and coping with stress. Also, contact me here if you are interested in working together in Connecticut.