I have been told by numerous people in life, 'you're rooted'. Some justified this by using fancy medical language (which has a place, as we all do). As I travel along the path of mending and de-pathologising some of the aspects of my emotions and spirit that have led to this, creativity is a lifeline. It, and earth n water in various forms, have been a path to an identity beyond and into gentler namings. The above piece has held me through some crazy making spaces, keep a stichin' girl...
If you've been told the same, don't believe it's a bad thing. We can open our beautifull hearts, even if it hurts at times, lean into feeling and vulnerability. Its no easy road, but where authenticity touches, so does injoyment and belly laughs shared. We lapse, we make mistakes, but aaahhh the sweet honeycomb taste of small victories. Yesterday a garden bed of a mix of seeds sprinkled, which have been slowly exposed to sunlight and wind, had their first day unprotected with the elements, and did fine. We are alike those seeds...
On a more structural no BS level I recently came across as acronym that I'm finding usefull in my journeying when I feel off, it's HALTSS, and is a series of grounded question /s posed. Are you Hungry, Angry, Lonely, Tired, Stressed, Sick? How can we nourish these spaces specifically? It's pretty clear, thus memorable, but here we go with a couple of examples....
My sleep has been disturbed since reducing anti-psychotic medications over a year ago (Note that tapering psychiatric (or any other) pharma medications, like tai chi, is best done super slow) and I hadn't realized the impacts this was having. Until I received 3 nights of decent rest, and worked with regaining more of a rhythm by very short pharma in combo with herb teas potently brewed. Work in progress, but being tired can make the world turn to shit, basically. Technical term, but if you've experienced sleep deprivation you'll get it. It's basically been used as a form of torture during war times, literally. It can be creatively worked with short term, for sure, artists and mothers have been doing it for eons, but longer term eek. Rest, deep and peacefull....just reading it makes me feel calmer eh?
I'm all for nana naps...
Anger. Generally I'm a pretty gentle spirit, mayhaps because of that, one of the most challenging emotions for me is this firey feeling. It can do damage, yet is crucial to express safely and release when it comes. Issues in the tissues as the saying goes, what we can't allow to flow out can manifest as dis-ease. Its when it's directed at someone that it becomes a weapon, that usually requires a cooling off period. Currently music is my tool (and kitchen boogies) that pops up in nearly every area of HALTSS as a strategy. Bluetooth headphones are my friends in the now, not everyone nearby wants my DJing. Journalling, getting to say all those things we hold back on and censor, safely can clear em without soul wounding. Another work in progress. Retreat, walk away, put those headphones on, move, pick up a pen girl....
That's probably enough rambling examples from me, gives you an idea or two and possibly more info than you hoped for, but this is how we learn. From each other, folk to folk.....
Thanks for reading....
May loneliness not be your friend, but we all have our moments...working on all-one-ness...
Blessings and good vibes...
I think Chloeopal sleep is one of the pillars of mental health
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