This world tends to suck us in, chew us up and spit us out. No wonder we are reeling at the end of the day and look like dried fruit at the end of our lives. We are literally consumed by the pace and pressure of daily living in a culture that seems to glorify an ‘earn and spend’ philosophy. Things really need to change and the only one who can make that change is you. But without being taught how to nurture your nature, you will most likely remain at the mercy of the system, a prisoner in your own life, no doubt feeling exhausted, frustrated and disappointed.
After struggling with burnout recently, and once again needing medication for clinical depression, I realized I was offtrack. Depression is basically normal and healthy, indicating the loss of something significant before we can begin a new chapter, and I was simply mourning the loss. What I could not see was that I was about to shut down my psychology practice and leave the church. After 58 years, the rock on which I had built much of my life disintegrated, as I realized the importance of living my own life and not someone else’s.
A wide range of reading material seemed to confirm what I already knew – I needed to nurture my nature and begin a journey of recovery and restoration. Two of my better character traits, when I find a worthy cause, are discipline and determination. A new set of daily practices emerged, and I was so desperate to find my way out of what Martha Beck calls ‘The Dark Wood of Error’, that I embraced them whole heartedly.
It starts first thing every day with ‘Morning Pages’, introduced by Julia Cameron in her very practical book, The Artist’s Way. Our innate creativity has been effectively suppressed through formal education, not to mention family and societal conditioning, and by writing an A4 page of whatever is on your mind, you start to shift the debris of cultural programming and rediscover your gold. It really works. Later in the day I spend twenty-minutes meditating, morning and afternoon. Meditation is all about learning to be present in the now, whilst at the same time letting things go, in a world that demands that we speed up and hold on for dear life! Finally, it’s the art and science of conscious breathing – nasally and diaphragmatically. Nothing like taking back control of your own nervous system, because we can and should when we know how. Oh yes, and finally, just in case you forget you’re a highly evolved living, breathing mammal, cold swims or cold showers, Wim Hoff style.
These practices are just some of the ways we can awaken to our own beautiful selves. If you would like to be free, and nurturing your nature sounds like a good idea, please contact me – psychologist in Fourways.