Staying Connected

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Wow, how the time flies these days! It’s been forever since our last post, but it’s not just the Moonshadow bunch experiencing this phenomenon - many of our clients have been complaining that time seems to be flying by faster than usual. But that’s not so much of a surprise... These days, with all the fancy technology and instant communication methods, everybody is expected to fit far more into a day. Many of us are glued to mobile phones that can do everything short of making the coffee, and before we know it, it has become virtually impossible to escape from “work mode” and truly unwind and relax.

Western society hasn’t done much to help the situation either. To a large extent, we have been conditioned to measure growth and progress in mundane terms (money, the fancy car, that super-duper phone!), and the importance of personal and spiritual growth been somewhat neglected. Many people have no idea how to relax constructively, because it is simply not part of our culture anymore. Believe it or not, collapsing in front of the television doesn’t really count as relaxation. To truly de-clutter the mind and recharge the spirit, we need to make a bit of effort, but the rewards are well worth it!

Of course, one has to approach this matter realistically. Sure, spending two hours daily in deep meditation will change your life, but who has two hours to spare? Every day? With some effort, we could no doubt find the time somehow, but in the meantime, we thought we’d share some of our favourite quick-and-easy ideas on how to stay connected to your spiritual life, and get some serious relaxation while you’re at it!

1.    BREATHE

The importance of breathing might seem a little obvious, but in actual fact very few people breathe properly these days! We’re all too busy tensing up our shoulders and pulling in our bellies! Breathing properly, you can add a number of visualizations or intentions, and turn it into a meditation that needn’t take you longer than 5 minutes at a time. That means you can do it often! Here’s how: 

• Sit or lie with your spine straight. Make sure your shoulders are relaxed;
• Forget about your lungs – imagine that you are breathing right down into your stomach,   just below your belly button (that’s the Sacral Chakra area); 
  
• As you breathe in, allow the air to sink down into your stomach, and feel your stomach gently expand and contract as you breathe. Your shoulders should not tense or rise at all!

2.    PROGRESSIVE RELAXATION EXERCISE

Following step 1’s guidelines, you can add some visualization which will go a long way to helping your mind and body relax. You can do this whenever you have a few minutes free, or just before you fall asleep (it doesn’t matter if you fall asleep halfway!):

• Breathing correctly (see step 1 above), imagine that you are breathing in relaxation, and exhaling tension.
• Focus on the muscles in your face and scalp, and allow them to relax;
• Move your attention down to your neck, your shoulders, your arms, relaxing as you go along;
• Now consciously relax the muscles in your back, your ribs, and your stomach;
• Breathe that relaxed feeling all the way down into your pelvis, down your legs and all the way down to your ankles and toes.
•  (If you can’t remember the sequence, contact us for details of our meditation CD’s!)

3.    RE-CONNECT WITH MOTHER NATURE 

We all know that time outdoors is good for the body and soul, yet it’s often something we neglect to do. When was the last time you had a picnic? Went for a hike? Swam in a river? Even if you don’t have access to a nature reserve or a beach, you can still maintain this important connection with Nature. Watch a sunset or a moonrise, and remind yourself that you are part of Nature. Stand barefoot on the lawn and breathe in the starlight. Nature is always there, wherever we go! We just tend to forget that sometimes. 

4.    DUST OFF YOUR SPIRITUAL TOOL-KIT

When do you feel most connected to the spiritual aspect of your life? Have you made enough time to maintain and honour that connection? There really isn’t any “right” or “wrong” way to achieve that connection – it’s just a matter of finding what works for you, and then remembering to use those tools!

So whether you connect through painting, dancing, meditation, crystals, colour, tarot, music, or howling at the moon, make the time to work with your tools often! It needn’t take hours – ten minutes every day is often better than an hour every few months!

5.    MULTI-TASK

Like you don’t have enough on your plate already? Don’t worry, this one is actually very easy! Assuming that our readers bath or shower daily (we certainly hope so!), this is an excellent time to multi-task. Water is soothing and therapeutic, and with a bit of effort you can turn your daily bath or shower into a powerful re-charging experience:

• Be conscious of the water cleansing not only your physical body, but also your mind. Imagine the water washing away all your stress and worries, and cleansing all the tension from your body.
• Don’t allow yourself to think of anything stressful while in the bath or shower. Make this a ritual where you banish all stress and worries.
• If you’re bathing, add some candles and bubbles, or even some Aromatherapy oil (consult a trained Aroma-therapists – not all oils are suitable for all people!). If you’re into crystals, there are a number of stones that are fine to use in water, or even just place them around the bath if you’re unsure of what to use.
• In the shower, put a few drops of your favourite Aromatherapy oil (check what’s safe to use!) on a facecloth and stand on that while you shower. As the water falls on you, feel it cleansing your whole body and mind.

That’s it for now, but we’ll add some more tips in the near future! Of course we’d also love to stay connected with all of you, so remember you can find us here:

Website: www.moonshadow-art-and-healing.com and www.moonshadow.co.za
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