What is Sacred to You? This is an important question because whatever we put in this category tends to rule our lives. Is it Media? Another Human Being? Whether it is conscious or unconscious; whatever you give more than 50 percent of your time to may as well be considered sacred.
To step away from the dense, heavy energy of the collective pushing and pulling of media and social platforms can be difficult. We are hard-wired to listen to an endless stream of speculative energy. This energy is based in fear, and it triggers extreme fight and flight, the survival instincts of the mind. The energy is so strong because there is a huge population that is drawn into this. Where 1 or 2 is gathered in focus, the pull feels like a suction tube. Many times, we feel this, but we don’t know exactly why we can't just put our phone down or just turn off the TV.
This vacuum makes us less apt to deal with reality and pain, creating a buildup of issues that we do not face. Not only is it unhealthy for our mind, but also our bodies. The misalignment of the back, neck and head are causing bulging discs, sciatica and back pain. This is a mirror of what is happening in our minds. We are losing our back bone.
Don’t give yourself away completely to another. If you do, where will you find the energy to serve and even to restore yourself? There must be balance in reciprocity. Iyanla Vanzant once gave an analogy of how she handles her energy. She compared it to a glass being filled with water and running over. Imagine yourself, your body, your mind and soul as a glass of water. If the glass is full, you tend to feel pretty content. However, if you begin to pour out the water you begin to deplete your being. Imagine you cup full and running over. The water within the cup is yours and that running over is for those you love and those you want to help. This may sound selfish to some because self-care is not a high priority in our culture.
What do you love? What makes you smile? Surround yourself with people and activity that make your cup run over with endless streams of water and you will never have to worry about draining your reserves.
For me feeling connected to energy/spirit is sacred. It is a well that never runs dry. Beyond others, work, and hobbies, this is what sustains me. I spend my days listening to or reading books that feed my spirit and through this I gain so much energy that seems to bubble up from and infinite spring. My reserves seem to never run dry because my work and the people around me are filled with love. It was not easy at first. It took years of practice and cultivating self-love and finding the strength to distance myself from people who wanted to use me.
I believe that we must have a foundation of self-love and trust in our true self. The Sacred Self. I consider the sacred self the authentic self, beyond what was learned through societal norms and developed through the needs of others.
The sacred self is in line with the sacred Source. When you follow the sacred self, you align yourself with the source of the sacred. Worry begins to fall away, and doubt becomes a distant memory and guilt is no longer a pattern of the mind when things don’t go as planned and compassion for the self is boundless.
Here are three ways to cultivate the Sacred Self:
Quiet Time: Choose a time in the morning that is just for you to create quiet and sacred space. Use this time to set the pace of your day with positive affirmations. I meditate upon awakening and listen in the quiet for the voice of spirit to guide me. When I lose balance and my attention is outside of me, I use the mantra: Where is my Center? For me, it is heart.
Create Boundaries: The word “No” is a sentence. You must learn that your time is valuable, even when it comes to work and family. Learning to set boundaries with people helps them to understand you and creates healthy relationships.
Do the Opposite: Self neglect is a habit and when you are drawn into the news or social media you are actually being drawn outside of yourself, your goals and your dreams. To cultivate loving habits, you must do your best to encounter them in the moment and do the opposite of what you would usually do. If you encounter resistance in your body/mind, simply breath your way through it. The breath is the most subtle aspect of your being and the closest to sacred spirit.
I wish you many blessings!! Ask yourself: What is Sacred to you now? Where do I spend most of my time? Is it really that important? Is it feeding my spirit? Write it down, journal about it to start the journey of healing. Once you go within it will all come to you, trust yourself.
In health and light.
-DeeDee