Creative Therapy

Last week we turned our clocks. You woke up and it was an hour later. While we slept 2:00 am never happened. We went from 1:59 am to 3:00 am. Even though we didn't talk about it, we shared an experience. There was a communal event on Sunday.  Was there any impact? Probably not. I mean it was business as usual. Or was it?

I think that when a collective activity unfolds (holidays, campaigns, national news) the group mind awakens, It's always there ~ but during these times, I believe it becomes more apparent.

Do you sense the group mind? At work, in your neighborhood, in the grocery store? If you take a larger view than your personal narrative, can you feel something else? And if you do feel something else is what you're feeling your own or the woman walking past you? Can you actually feel into another individual? Even become them?

You and me, we're sensitive types. I'm not talking about being emotional (though I wouldn't discount that gift). I mean that our sense of an other may be more developed than we know.

When you wake up in the morning and feel sad, maybe its someone else's sadness that you feel. If you took it upon yourself to really know that sadness, become intimate with it, which would then transform it, might this bring utter relief to the original? Do you have that much power in your world?

Yes you do.

The next moment you find yourself in community -- at a stoplight, waiting for the crosswalk, the start of a meeting, dinner with friends, watching the NBA, on the bus, at church, in a nightclub, folding laundry, at the theatre – touch into the group mind. Become still. See what emotion, image or sensation floods your body. Be curious physically. It's easier than you think to feel the totality of a situation. The key is to look for it.

Have you ever been sitting at your desk and been struck with the desire to sell your car and go live with indigenous tribes in the Amazon? Or to an ashram in India? Or even the beach, the mountains, the park, anywhere but…here.

Ah, wanderlust.  That itch to go, to move, to dive in and take a risk, see something new, sometimes anything will do, just to get out of your routine. Maybe you used to just jump up and embrace spontaneity whenever you were inspired, but now life isn’t so simple. Maybe you’ve never really taken that leap. So how can we manage the restless energy when it bubbles up? What do we do with it?

Often the feelings of restlessness are overpowering because they manifest so physically in our bodies. They’re hard to ignore. The toe tapping, the fluttering heart beats, the drumming fingers, difficulty concentrating are all very strong indications of what’s going on under the surface. We literally can’t sit still when we get lost in the fantasy of elsewhere.  The trick to working and managing this energy is to tap into our physical self and determine the root of our feelings.  Difficult as it may be, these are the moments to really sit and observe. Notice your breathing, and take stock in your reaction when you consciously slow the breath.

There is something to be said for being fearless, for jumping in and doing that thing you’ve always dreamed. Be brave, be extreme. Maybe it’s not the Amazon, maybe it’s quitting your job and venturing out on your own career path.  You’ve been thinking about it for so long and suddenly it just feels like now is the time to act.

On the other hand, having wanderlust is part of the ever-seductive lure of otherness. “My life would be so perfect if only…” Maybe instead of acting rash, we need to hunker down and examine our commitments.  Sit with the feelings and allow them to settle. How do we know when the time is right? The ants in our pants can sometimes lead us to act impulsively without thinking through the steps.

This is where making space to tune into the physical body can be your road map. By listening to your inner self, clarity and confidence will well up, just as the restlessness has. From that point, your decision, whether to go for it or to hold off, becomes an embodied truth, an action you own and take responsibility for. Really what wanderlust is then, is an opportunity to step back and take stock of how our life is moving along. What a welcomed opportunity to evolve.

Our ancestors searched for the meaning of life. They found it in nature, in community, through ritual, and in silence. The answer did come. My guess is it came through direct experience ~ not books or lectures, but through the knowledge of the body. I believe it was the question itself that led to this insight of humanity. So let’s ask again – is there a meaning to this life? If there were a single point, what would it be?



Could it be the purpose of human existence is quite ordinary? Could it be as simple as decency? What is it to be a decent human being? It means we take responsibility for our own life. We see that the journey we are making is our own creation. Initially, we may have lived a life assigned. Mom dressed you in clothes that itched. Dad combed your hair all wrong. You majored in a subject you didn't care about. But at a certain point, you are all grown up. You have opinions. You have aspirations. The life you're living right now may not be the life you want. Welcome to the turning moment.

This is the challenge. You turn back, look, and really ask -- am I living my life or is life living me? You have a choice. You can continue as you've done for years, comforted by the familiar. Or you can change.

This isn't about your ideas for the future like where do I want to be, what kind of business do I engage in, do I want children. This is about looking at the situation you're in right now and discovering your truth. When you ask, you tap into your authenticity and your life unfolds as the answer.

Look. Ask. Why don't I do the dishes? Why do I forget to water the plants? Why am I late to work? Why did I just check out?

Being decent is about responding with integrity. We don't leave a mess for someone else to clean up. You see the clutter. Instead of turning the other cheek, you roll up your sleeves and take out the garbage. You create space. And out of this space anything and everything arises. You are the one you've been waiting for.

“In the beginner’s mind there are many possibilities, but in the expert’s there are few.” – Zen Master Shunryo Suzuki

Open. Eager. Without preconception.

These are the qualities of beginner’s mind. To not know is to understand deeply. But we know how to take a shower, get ready for sleep, eat. We go on auto pilot. Suddenly we’re lost in thought while we drive, or talk, or work. We’re doing what we always but we’re not as interested. A part of us is on vacation. This split mind separates us. This great divide creates a watered down version of the life we’re living.

So what does the beginner’s mind teach us?

Freshness
That we can look freshly into this moment without referencing the last time we did the same action.

Curiosity
Can I bring a sense of playfulness, inquisitiveness to this very familiar activity? Yes, I’m brushing my teeth as I’ve done for decades. But this morning is different. I feel the bristles. I notice the light. I feel the tile beneath my feet. I hear the sounds of my neighbors.  There’s so much life around me.

Ease
Whatever I notice ~ good, bad, happy, or sad ~ I can let go of expectation that it will be the same the next time. I can be in this moment with no hope of being here again. Each moment comes and goes with ease.

Explore the beginner’s mind. What do you notice? Where do you notice it?

Sometimes the pain isn’t just physical. The discomfort you feel is deeper than muscle. It’s a core anxiety that shows up in relationship, at work, and in solitude. This uneasiness is almost always there. It’s this very feeling that holds you back. There’s more to you than the world has seen. You’re ready for a fresh start. The change is now. But you don’t know where to begin. The obstacles are daunting and the path unclear.

This is when coaching can be a powerful tool to get you where you want to go. Holistic Coaching is an action-oriented process in personal transformation. We’ll create a roadmap to realize your inner, outer, and secret passions. What areas of your life do you struggle to find balance? What is ready to change?

Beliefs shape ideas, which direct the choices we make each day. If you’re looking to change, you have to identify the root. Healing occurs when you turn toward the wisdom within.

Your life is similar to tending the land. You need to till the soil, plant new seeds, and water the sprouts for vegetation to grow. Partnering with a Holistic Coach means dedicating two people to cultivating your abundant, wild garden of life.

Is Holistic Coaching right for you?

Experience a complimentary 30 min. Holistic Coaching session with Denmo by booking online before March 10th. To learn more about Holistic Coaching, read on.