I don’t know about you, but I can easily get lost in the hustle and bustle of getting things done, never really stopping or slowing down.
This hustle usually means we’re mentally living in the past, or in the future, or completely distracted by our own thoughts. Never really noticing what’s in front of us or how we feel, just the endless to-do list until we collapse onto the sofa at night with no energy left!
If you are a performing artist, when you get busier with gigs and performances, it can be really hard to stop and slow down, to remember that you are important, too. The work is only secondary to yourself, even if you're putting it first right now.
Sure, there are activities for self-care that you can do - pause for a coffee in the middle of a shopping day, or a bath when you get home, or just simply order takeaway food instead of cooking because you’re exhausted. All of these are great options…
But what if there was something you could do at any time, that didn’t rely on other people?
I want you to find a space where you can be undisturbed for a few minutes, and try this practice. Read the steps below, then sit with your eyes closed and take yourself through it.
Ask yourself: When did I last feel alive and really, truly in the moment?
Take a moment to close your eyes, breathe, then drop into your body and feel the answer. Listen to the tiny voice that pipes up, the subtle feeling inside your body, the gentle image that comes to mind.
When you get to that moment in time, let it wash over you. Feel what it’s like to be there. How does your body feel? What emotions are coming up? Allow your memory of that moment to infuse your whole being. Washing over your body and mind like water, getting into every nook and cranny.
When you feel that aliveness, open your eyes and reorient yourself to the place you’re in. Look around the room, feel your feet on the floor, roll your shoulders and your neck. Stay with that aliveness, grounding it into your body and mind, permeating your current moment. If you get distracted by your thoughts, just let them drift until you have settled back into yourself.
Let the aliveness stay inside you as you go through your day, and when you get lost again you know what to do.
This practice is unobtrusive, meaning you can do it anywhere. On the bus, in a coffee shop, the middle of the work afternoon.
But of course please take all necessary precautions and don’t practise when it’s not appropriate!
Remember, you are everything you ever have been, and everything you can possibly be, right in this moment. You are an infinite powerhouse of change. You have the ability to change your state, even if it’s a tiny amount. You are allowed to take time for yourself.
Now go have a great day!
