Saturday, October 3, 2009

Lighten Your Load

surrender

I designed the following exercise to help us move in harmony with the releasing energy of October. It will awaken our awareness, casting a light on the shadow of what is weighing us down, burdening our paths, and holding us back from moving boldly in the direction of our dreams. Once we understand the source of our limitation, we can let it go. In its surrender, the seeds of the new can find fertile ground to grow and flourish. It may seem a 'death' to relinquish old beliefs, grudges, resentments, and ways of being, but in the letting go, we experience a resurrection of life. In order for the new to enter, we must clear the way. Let's make some room.

Take some time to reflect on the past year. What are you holding onto that is no longer serving a purpose? Are you clinging to the bitterness of an argument with a loved one? Are you bound by the chains of a troubled past? Are you holding yourself back with judgmental thoughts? Is fear preventing you from moving forward in your life? What is weighing heavily on your heart? What burden has become too great to carry? Only you have the power to remove the albatross around your neck that is dragging you down.

We are our prison keepers. Our sense of lack and limitation, fears of inadequacy, and need to blame, bind us under lock and key. We can choose to move through life in this confining way, or we can empower ourselves by surrendering what no longer serves us and find freedom in its release. Which existence will you choose?

Find a shoe box and decorate it with images of the life you want to create for yourself. Open the doorway to your imaginative mind. You can use any medium you like to adorn your box... glitter, stickers, jewels, feathers, images from magazines... whatever speaks to you. Reflect on what is meaningful to you. What vision do you have for your life? What does wholeness look like to you? How would you feel if your dreams became reality? What manifestation are you now birthing into being? Let this be the inspiration for your dream box.

Throughout this month of October, when you are out on your nature walks, gather smooth rocks you come across. On the surface of each rock you find, write in permanent marker one thing that has been weighing you down. The explanation does not need to be elaborate. You can write simple words that convey the burden you are carrying such as, guilt, anger, grief, loss. Or you can be a bit more detailed by writing something such as, resentment toward my lover, fear of success, unhealthy body image. You get the picture.

Every time you list a burden you are carrying, place it in your dream box. Continue to gather together your burdens throughout the month. At the end of October, take your dream box with all the weight of what no longer serves you contained within and head out to a natural space where you can have some privacy. The setting doesn't matter. What is most important is what this natural space represents to you. You could choose the ocean for it's cleansing energy. A mountain top for its majestic vantage point. A wide-open field for its serenity. A stream or creek that can carry your worries away. Select a place that's special to you.

As you carry your dream box, notice its weight. Feel the magnitude of what you have been carrying by holding on to these things that no longer serve you. How could your dreams possibly take flight under the weight of this burden? When you find the right spot, open your box and pick a stone. Read the burden it bears. Allow yourself to connect with the energy of this limitation and the way it has harmed you... one last time... so you can bid it farewell. When you are ready, throw the stone away from you with all your might. Hold the intention that you are casting off this shackle to make room for the new life you are wanting to create. Go through your box until every last stone has been cast. Then turn your back and walk away. You have lightened your load and can now move forward in freedom.

Notice how light your dream box is now that you have let go of what no longer serves you. Keep your box in a place where you will see it often to remind you that the life you dream of is within your reach. It can become a special place to store affirmations, meaningful quotes, the poetry of your heart... all that reinforces the beauty you are breathing into your world.

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