I would suggest that we are all searching for peace, freedom and joy, because they make life make sense. However, they are becoming more elusive, living as we do in an overpopulated and stressful world. The fact that pharmacology is one of the fastest growing industries indicates how dependent we have become on medication for our physical and psychological wellbeing. Whilst modern scientific advances in health provision undoubtably have benefits, they do not guarantee individual peace, freedom and joy. For this we need to go back to certain ancient practices which have been lost in our post-industrial world.
‘Nurturing your nature’ was once the most important daily practice in villages and tribes, because if your soul was correctly aligned to your environment, then all your actions would be harmonious and effective. The informal education of children by elders ensured that the deep knowledge of self in relation to the environment was preserved, and all forms of life appreciated and protected. I think the Covid-19 pandemic has been a timely reminder of how precariously the ecosystem of life is balanced, and how recent human behavior (300 to 3000 years) has severely compromised the environment that sustains us.
What is tragically obvious is that we have not acted with wisdom and understanding for many generations, caught as we are in a patriarchal system enshrining materialism and personal gain above all else. Mother nature has been monetized, carved-up and exploited, whilst we have been socialized and conditioned to sell our souls to the highest bidder. In the process, we have gained all the external trappings of wealth at the cost of internal peace, freedom and joy. The price for our human folly and rapaciousness may well be irreversible, but I do believe there is a small window of opportunity to self-correct, balance ourselves and regain the trust of the living environment on which we depend.
If my own life is anything to go by, we can change our reality through daily practices that reconnect us with the life force within and without. There, in the quiet place of stillness and presence, we encounter peace, freedom and joy, patiently waiting for us. It’s time we all awakened to the power and light within us, through these simple daily disciplines; firstly, MORNING PAGES (Julia Cameron – Artist’s Way) where first thing on waking we write down an A4 page of all the thoughts, feelings and struggles that occupy our minds; secondly, twenty minutes morning and afternoon of MEDITATION (TM) where we detach from all the activity and noise that so occupies our waking day; thirdly, CONSCIOUS BREATHING (Breathwork Africa) through nasal and diaphragmatic breath we take back control of our nervous systems; fourthly COLD WATER SHOWERS AND SWIMS (Wim Hof) where we shock our incredible mammalian bodies back into life; and finally, through MOVEMENT, DANCE AND STRETCHING we reconnect with our bodies sensations and extremities releasing natural, pain-killing endorphins.
Added to this, we learn how to navigate the MANSION OF OUR BEING (Steve Biddulph – Fully Human), appreciating the four distinct and interconnected floors of our awesome natures – first floor is our PHYSICAL BODY with all our sensations, second floor is our HEART with all our feelings, third floor is our HEAD with all our thoughts, and forth floor is our SOUL which is like a rooftop connecting us to everything and everyone else in the world. Once we have learnt how to properly take responsibility for our own life, and nurture our own nature through venturing into self, I am confident that the peace, freedom and joy we discover within will guide us to make instinctively wise decisions for the good of all forms of life. If you would like to discover your own peace, freedom and joy, please contact me – psychologist in Fourways.