Moemoea - Dreamspace
  • About
    • Dreamspace Moemoea
  • Inspirations
  • Re-Sources
    • Effects of guided imagery and visualisation
    • Books
    • Videos
    • Other Re-Sources to connect
  • Forum
  • Contact

Mental Health & Trauma Release

2/24/2020

0 Comments

 
Picture
Trauma Healing and Mental Health are hot topics these days with suicide rates, depression, violence and symptoms like Bipolarism, Autism, ADHD, Schizophrenia on the rise. On a psychiatric conference in Geneva last year I spoke with therapist and psychiatrists and they were all concerned that current mainstream methods such as medication and therapy programs are not addressing the root causes and are not providing long lasting results without side effects. Many patients are in mental health care for years – and their health doesn’t improve much. Medical treatments are mostly short-term aides to help people cope with an acute situation. They are not efficient in the long-run as they are not dealing with the underlying issues of mental health issues and trauma.
Looking at all the initiatives and concepts regarding trauma healing, I sometimes wonder. How can dysfunctional, deeply traumatized systems create healthy sustainable solutions to stabilize the systems? Every person with mental health issues I worked with over the years had one thing in common: a disconnection to natural (innate) self-regulative mechanisms to release suppressed energies and to balance themselves and, as a consequence, an overloaded, stressed nervous system. This led to all sorts of symptoms and “malfunctions”.
 
What is trauma?
Trauma as I define it is created when energies that arise in connection with an intense highly emotional experience (e.g. emotional/physical/mental/spiritual pain, fear, overstimulation of the senses) are suppressed and not released out of the body-mind-soul complex.
Picture
Trauma can be intergenerational, meaning it originates in previous generations, and/or personal, meaning it originates in our personal lifetime. It can also be collective, meaning a whole community/culture/religion/country/nation suppresses intense energies and thus generates trauma.
Here are some examples: A mother looses a child and doesn’t deal with the pain of the loss, but suppresses the corresponding energies – this can lead to personal trauma of the mother. If the energies aren’t released the personal trauma of the mother might be passed on to the next generation (= other siblings and their offspring) and might cause intergenerational trauma. An example for a collective trauma is the colonization of indigenous people in various areas of the world. Colonization (often a result of colonizers carrying intergenerational trauma) affects a whole collective of people who are often suppressing energies corresponding to colonization (e.g. fear, anger), thus creating the collective trauma of colonization, usually passing it on to next generations (intergenerational collective trauma).
These examples show how most people de facto grow up and live in a traumatized social environment. I will write about this more below.
 
Why do people suppress energies?
The answer to this is easy to understand: if an experience is very painful, horrific, scary, intense, our nervous system is overwhelmed. To protect ourselves from a complete nervous break down, we suppress energies by distracting our minds away from the experience. WW1 and 2, and if we go further down in history, the Middle Ages, long-lasting conflicts like the Israel-Palestine war, and countless other painful experiences left deep wounds in the human psyche and body. As a consequence, all of us who are not born into a functioning indigenous/natural setting live in a traumatized environment with traumatized systems as the energies that have been set into motion by past events haven’t been fully released yet. We carry the trauma (suppressed energies) in our DNA, and we reiterate and accumulate trauma by not acknowledging the intensity of previous and current experiences (“that was in the past; that affected previous generations, not me; we have to look ahead, not dwell in the past”). This means that our actions and decisions are currently influenced by collective and individual trauma.
A traumatized nervous system doesn’t function properly! Colonization, wars, mental, physical and spiritual dis-orders are all consequences of severe trauma that affected and still affects the ability of whole generations to relate to each other in a healthy and balanced way. When our nervous system is traumatized, we cannot be present with each other, we cannot relate to and connect with each other in a balanced way as our vision is blurred and our senses are distorted by the trauma. This leads to “trauma-controlled” (= dysfunctional, disruptive, unbalanced) actions that cause more trauma and a dis-ability to build functioning relationships and connections.
 
How can we release trauma?
All (wild) animals have the innate ability to re-balance themselves. Often the rebalancing is also supported by other individuals in the community/tribe/pack/pod/flock/herd. It is important that disruptive energies are released out of the system – otherwise they will cause dysfunctions (trauma) further down the track. Disruptive energies are set in motion by experiences that trigger fear: ultimately the fear of death.
All living beings, including the human species, have innate release or self-regulative responses that help them to re-balance their nervous system after such intense experiences.
Picture
However, as I illustrated above, humans have created another mental response as an emergency coping mechanism: denial. Denial of or distraction from the energy response to an intense (“traumatic”) experience interrupts the natural release response. By telling ourselves that “it wasn’t that bad”; that “we need to keep our act together”; that “big girls and boys don’t cry”; that we have to “get over it”, that we “need to get on with life” etc without acknowledging the effect the experience had/has on our nervous system we suppress the energies that have been set into motion by the experience. We are not releasing the energies out of our nervous system!
If there is a natural release response there is no trauma. Trauma only arises if energies are suppressed and are not released out of the nervous system.
 
How can we step out of this cycle?
Imagine that you live in a beautiful house. Whenever someone brings something into the house that you don’t like, that upsets or scares you, you throw it into one room and lock the door. You don’t look at the things in the room, and just add “unwanted items” as you go. Over time the room fills up more and more. Things are rotting, start smelling badly, some things might wither and fall apart… You might hear funny noises and other odd “occurences” coming from the room. Over time this ominous locked room affects the atmosphere of the whole house. In order to keep things in a healthy balance, you would need to clean out and/or cleanse this room every now and then – ideally, you wouldn’t even store things in there, but instead deal with any unwanted items (energies) at the time or close to the time when they come into your life.
In our individualistic societies people often carry the expectation that they have to deal with personal “stuff” themselves. We think we need to clean our house ourselves. We might get a cleaner in, but we have to pay for him or her – so if we don’t have the money, we will have to do it on our own – or leave things messy. However, to deal with an intense experience or trauma on our own is not easy! Especially if we have to deal with intergenerational and/or collective trauma. Most people will be overwhelmed by this – and, as a consequence, not address the issue and suppress the corresponding energies. Our nervous system is not designed to deal with intense experiences on our own! We are social animals, and this means we need the stabilizing influence of a functional social network around us (family/community/nation/nature) to balance intense experiences. In a functional social system there are always individuals who won’t be triggered as much by the same experience and are able to keep a calm composed state of being. These individuals can then support others who are thrown out of balance. You can observe this phenomenon beautifully in a herd of horses. Imagine a horse that is scared by a bird flying out of a bush. The horse shies and starts galloping (flight response). Other members of the herd raise their heads, some might be triggered and follow in panic. However, there is a wise old lead mare. She assesses the situation, realizes that there is nothing to worry about, lowers her head and starts grazing again – a clear sign for the panicking herd members that there is nothing to run away from, that they can stop galloping. They slowly calm down, breathing heavily, and gradually go back to grazing. The galloping, breathing and grazing are physical release mechanisms that release the triggered energies (fear, panic) out of the body.
As a lot of humans live in a traumatized society and as most of our mainstream systems (health system, educational system, economic system, justice system) are based on trauma (suppressed energies), we no longer release traumatic energies out of our systems in an appropriate way. The majority of the human population is no longer living in healthy indigenous settings and there is a lack of self-regulative mechanisms as well as a lack of healthy individuals who can support others to balance themselves. I meet a lot of therapists, doctors, educators who carry severe trauma without being aware of it. Their path attracted them to be of service to their fellow humans – but they aren’t aware of the “wounded healer” syndrome. We need more conscious support people in our communities: people who are aware of the personal and collective trauma within themselves and within others; people who know self-regulative tools to release suppressed energies, calm the nervous system and balance themselves – so that eventually “the balanced” has a regulative effect on “the unbalanced”.
Other species and intact natural environments can inspire and support us on this journey. By spending time in wild nature, with wild animals (domesticated animals often carry trauma, mostly caused by their close contact with traumatized humans) our nervous system seems to re-balance and recalibrate naturally. Depending on the severity of the trauma and the ability of the nervous system to relax this release process can take a while.
Other methods and therapy programs to calm a triggered, overwhelmed and/or stressed nervous system such as breathing techniques, mindfulness, meditation etc are often not enough to hold a safe space for trauma energies to be released, especially if
  • the suppressed energies are intergenerational,
  • the living situation of the individual is still overwhelming, unsafe and stressful (= doesn’t allow the person to relax),
  • the person doesn’t have ongoing support and social connection with at least one uplifting (balanced) support person,
  • the person lives in an unnatural environment and is exposed to or surrounded by traumatized systems and people.
In order to calm our nervous system and to release suppressed energies, we need
  • a safe space,
  • conscious and self-aware support people who are able to be present with what is and to tune into individual needs and requirements,
  • time and ongoing loving support,
  • connection to intact natural systems (wilderness, indigenousness that hasn’t been domesticated, colonized or otherwise affected by traumatized human actions) to re-integrate ourselves into a bigger picture and to remember our innate ability to release (suppressed) energies out of our body-mind-soul system,
  • connection to the “beyond-physical” and the “beyond-mental” realms = connection to spiritual realms/Spirit World.
 
Mental Health symptoms are an indication of our need and readiness to address all these issues and to release suppressed energies out of our systems. Instead of measures which suppress or distract from highly intense energies even more (e.g. medication, affirmations) we need safe spaces where we can open locked doors and clear out some “stuff” acknowledging what has been and is. This is the key to not only mental health, but also to our emotional, spiritual and physical wellbeing and balance.
0 Comments

How to feel connected

2/24/2016

0 Comments

 
If we stuff ourselves - with information, food, things, beliefs, opinions, appointments, dead-lines,… - it becomes increasingly difficult to feel and sense what IS and what wants to BE, and the perception of our own inner truth is blurred. 
Picture
0 Comments

Enough is Enough - the value of the "mum-job"

12/18/2015

1 Comment

 
If I am not getting paid, my contribu-tion has no value = feeling of inadequacy
​ & sinking self-esteem
“I do a lot: community work, youth projects, am with my kids – I am constantly busy and mostly I love it – I just don’t earn any money with all this” – I hear this or statements along these lines very often. What gets to me is the undertone of “not earning money = negative” and the feeling of inadequacy that I is tangible between the lines.
Women, young and old, sometimes outspoken, sometimes just underlying the conversation, seem to be affected deeply 
by this “imprint” that is installed by modern-day society: the feeling of not being/doing enough, contributing enough, of not being a valuable member of society – and, on the other hand, mums “being pushed” (by themselves or others) into the “workforce”, to “get a job”, to earn some money, to contribute to the family, community, society, or quite simply: to survive – instead of sharing their unique gifts and talents and being valued for it by the community in one form or another.
 
Being a mother, the guardian of the home, was and is acknowledged, highly respected and valued in the few remaining indigenous cultures on this planet and traditionally in well-functioning communities. Not so in modern societies where the value-adding benefit and contribution to the community/family/society is mainly measured by money. Jobs are valued and ranked based on their monetary outcome. There is no direct monetary outcome linked to the “mum-job”, and this creates a pretty strong social and cultural “imprint”, even in women (and men, for that matter) who “rebel” against it and aim for different values: Jobs that aren’t measureable in money, aren’t valued which translates into: if I am not getting paid, my contribution has no value = feeling of inadequacy, sinking self-esteem.
This applies to the job “mum” (same for “dad”, of course!) as well as to other jobs like “artist”, “philosopher”, “healer/shaman/witch”, “activist”, “visionary” etc. In tribal societies these positions within the community had a respected place and were valued. They were seen as vital roles contributing to the balance, sustainability and well-being of the whole community. There were the hunters & gatherers, later the gardeners and cultivators, entrepreneurs, and many more, running around, doing “stuff”, being busy – and there were also the ones who sat on mountain tops, in caves, secluded huts, the ones who tended the home fires, listened deeply, were in touch with other realms, played, dreamt , etc., and all of them were respected  as they brought balance into the talking circle, into the community.
We need female qualities to birth new paradigms into being
In this post I focus on the “mum-job”, because I think that in these times of transition we need female qualities to birth new paradigms into being. Female qualities within men and women! The monetary system, as we currently experience and interpret it, is dominated by male qualities. When I see young women trying to push themselves hard “to succeed” (usually this translates into 
n‘academically’), to get “a good job” (usually this translates into ‘well-paid’), to live a “happy life” (usually this translates into ‘financial security’), then I wonder if they really will find what they are looking for when going down the road that society around them models – and sadly, I meet many who don’t. I also feel sad, when I see so many young women feeling “restless”, “inadequate”, “like missing something essential”/”empty”, longing for community, for a nurturing space – like we all do.
 
All the roles mentioned before are not only important, they are essential for a healthy and thriving community. 
It’s time to shift the “money myth” and to see the community value and benefit in things and activities that are not directly linked to a monetary outcome.
It’s time to value and acknowledge people who donate their energies to the community/to humanity in various different ways: as volunteers in various forms, as activists, as philosophers, as artists, as elders, as young ones, as meditators, contemplators, visionaries, as mums and dads.
It's time to allow them to share their gifts with the community by actively supporting them. There are many opportunities and examples of how we can do this: creating collaborative, cooperative models to support each other (Buen vivir, Care, Commons, Ecommony, Shareconomy, Gift economy (another example here), etc.), establishing a basic income (see recent Finland experiment), slowing things down and opening pathways for open communication, mutual sharing and nurturing in many areas. I see inspiring initiatives spring forth everywhere, and I am sure we can and will come up with many more solutions to concretely create an infrastructure to allow for shifts to happen and to welcome and integrate community-oriented values and skills.
 
I am a mum of a daughter, and want her to see her value, no matter of her degree, certification, external factors and social/cultural rankings. This is my wish for everybody! We all have to give something – whatever that “thing” might be, it is of value for the whole. We might not see it at first. We might have to develop it. But it’s always there.
However, I met and meet a lot of people who seem to think they are “not enough” or they do not “earn enough” (money).
A lot of women sometimes struggle and feel “inadequate” because they are not earning (enough) money. They feel like they are not “good enough”, even though they are doing amazing things for their community: raising children, doing voluntary work to benefit their community, putting their energy and heart into campaigning for the well-being of the planet, creating beauty and insights, etc. etc. etc. – in short: they pour a lot of energy into nurturing the balance, beauty and well-being of their community and life in general. What could be more important and valuable for humanity?
 
If you feel inadequate, restless, “not enough” in whatever way sometimes or if you know a mum who does, please consider the following:
 
Being a mum (no matter of how many/few children!) is a full-time job. Actually, it is more than your usual full-time job as it isn’t a 9-5, 40-hours-a-week kind of job. It doesn’t stop. The responsibility for a young child is always there. And mum can feel “it” – all the time… As they get older they might not need mum so much anymore on a physical level, however, it is hugely valuable if there is a safe haven, a place to land, to recover, to enjoy when coming back from teenage explorations and life’s turmoil. Holding a nurturing space for children to grow, for family to evolve, includes an amazing variety of tasks: preparing/growing food, creating a safe place, a homely atmosphere, managing tasks and needs and wants, being there and listening, giving advice, supporting the overall growths and development of future citizens physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually - and so much more. In order to do this job, especially in modern-day societies where mums often aren’t supported by their families, community, etc. but left to their own devices, it is, in my view, also necessary that mum holds a space for herself to refuel, regenerate, replenish her energies. Otherwise – and I see this often and know it from my own experience – it is easy to become exhausted and unbalanced. 
 
In my view, being a mum (and dad, of course, but as said before I am focusing on mums here) is one of the most important jobs a human can have. Again: What could be more important for humanity than raising children to become well-balanced happy grown-ups? The important bit here is: well-balanced and happy. This is a huge task in itself and requires a lot. The saying ‘It takes a village to raise a child’ shows that, ideally, this task is fulfilled by many. However, in any case, “mum” is a very important figure in every child’s life, and in modern societies with single mums on the rise, they are often the center point for a child.
Why is this important role not seen and valued? Why do some mums feel like they are not doing enough in terms of “contributing”? Why are some mums pushed back or “do feel the pressure of having to go back into the workforce” instead of seeing their huge value and, at the same time, being valued and supported in staying at home and/or in giving their energy into projects/work that serves their community? I am not talking about mums here who choose to work in a regular job. I am talking about options and having choices, and about how a mum feels about herself and how mums are valued in society.
Value your Self and the important, vital role you play
Please value your Self and the important, vital role you play; e.g. in being there for your children, holding a space for family, sharing your gifts with your community in whatever form this might be! This will be a first step to shift the “money myth” and all its 
corresponding issues of inadequacy, lack, exhaustion, frustration, etc. and to establish new value systems and patterns in our collective consciousness.
 
What if…
… we honor and acknowledge those amongst us (including ourselves) who give their energy into “family/community matters”? Support them = provide food, shelter, security for them, because we see the value in their contribution?

… our political leaders and doers had advisors who contemplate and connect with the bigger picture and include the voices of mums in their decision-making processes? What would political decisions (on a communal and international level) look like then?

… there were balancing ad-wise-ors in other areas as well? People who stepped out of the busyness of modern day life and therefore are able to contribute a balancing perspective?
​

What if…
1 Comment

Nature/Self

8/22/2015

0 Comments

 
Picture
Do you see the white triangle? This is an example of the brain making sense of a picture for itself, by filling the gaps. 
There is no white triangle - or is there?

Nature over there, me here? Is there an individual ME? Or is it the brain creating the illusion of an individual ME? 

When I talk about "SELF" I don't mean the "ME" that the brain creates. I mean the energy field that we are that is intimately linked to and in constant exchange with many other energy fields forming an overall pulsating, ever-changing, evolving, colourful field of life/death. 

So Nature/Self are just aspects of the same field. Through feeling Self, we are able to feel Nature. Through feeling Nature, we are able to feel Self. 
If we feel connected, it is all the same. 
(= If we are able to perceive this connection, not only with our minds, but with our whole body-mind-soul complex)
If our perception of connection is interrupted (read my other posts about Self connection), we might need to take some conscious steps to re-connect and to re-activate our connection channels.


0 Comments

How to become more “authentic” and self-connected – a few guidelines

8/20/2015

0 Comments

 
  • Hold a regular space/time for self-connection (e.g. a walk in the park, along the beach; dancing; meditating; lying in the hammock…), where/when you can feel and be with your Self, get to know your Self, without distraction.

  • Allow young children to stay in that space/time, where/when they explore themselves and are “in another world”, dreaming… respect that space/time and try not to interrupt with questions, requests, comments, activities, etc.

  • Recalibrate in nature to allow natural balance to “work on you” (the greater the “wilderness” = untouched-ness of the place and the longer you stay, the greater the recalibrating effect)

  • Evaluate and assess your mind-sets and beliefs whenever you encounter conflict and imbalances in your life – are they in resonance with your core being? Have they been installed onto your hard drive by others and now need to be reviewed and re-assessed?

  • Let resonance be your guide: if something makes you feel good (not a sudden "kick" or high that doesn’t last for long), motivates you, keeps you going, recharges your energies, is fun, etc., it most likely is aligned to your core being and supports your creative life energy in the long run.

0 Comments

Being authentic - Part 2

8/15/2015

0 Comments

 
As described in Being authentic - Part 1 there are many reasons to get to know and to consciously re-connect with our core being, with our nature. 

Children and animals are great "detectors" and indicators that tell us immediately if/when we are connected with our Selves and authentic - or not. The dramatically increasing rates of depression, disruptive behaviour, screen addiction, overall mental and physical imbalances amongst younger and younger children are signs for us to have a closer look at our Selves. 
A Swiss veterinary friend told me about increasing rates of depression and other "mental health and behavioural issues" amongst animals (he was referring to "pets", farm animals = animals in captivity). The popularity of animal communicators and "animal counselling" mirrors the effects of disconnection not only in humans but also in animals that live close to humans. 

Children and animals get hugely confused by humans that aren't authentic. They sense the "true nature" behind the scene - and struggle with the mixed messages they perceive. The teacher who thinks she has to reinforce a certain rule - but doesn't really believe in it herself... The parent who made a decision and thinks he has to "be consequent" and stick to it, despite of his doubts... 
All our mind-sets, beliefs, concepts, habits, thoughts, opinions are suddenly tested and questioned - not by us, but by our "little helpers": our children, students, animal friends! This can be quite challenging - believe me, I know what I am talking about ;) My children, students and animal friends often had a hard time to get through to my Self, past my strong mind-sets! 

Next time you encounter "disruptive behaviour", illness, or other challenges in your life, you might want to have a closer look and check if/how, deep down, there is conflict between one (or more) of your mind-sets and your Self. It might give you a pointer of how to become more "authentic" and "true to your Self". 
Again: Watch your children, students and animal friends - they are honest, clear and immediate mirrors of their environment and we can learn from them. 

The more authentic we become, the more in balance we are internally, the more in sync we are with our Selves, the clearer and less confusing our signals will be that we send out to the world, the more our actions will be aligned with our core being, the happier and healthier we will be and the more we will radiate balance out to the world, within/without.
0 Comments

Being true to your Self

8/14/2015

0 Comments

 
We have to dare to be ourselves, however frightening or strange that self may prove to be.
(May Sarton)
I recently overheard a mother saying to her 5 year old girl: “Don’t be angry, dear. That’s not good for you. Let’s talk about it.” The girl was angry, because she felt not heard by her teacher who had blamed and punished her for something and wouldn’t want to hear the whole story behind it. 
“Don’t be angry, this isn’t good for you” is a strong message and can easily translate into a mind-set that leads the girl away from her Self in the future (see Being authentic).

It seems to be a feature of the mind to categorise things and separate them into standardised boxes (e.g. “good” and “bad”). The challenge with “good”/”positive” and “bad”/”negative” is that it is quite subjective, depending on opinions, personal judgments, beliefs and values. That’s why I prefer to let my mind categorise into “life-affirming” and “life-destructive”.

Depending on cultural traditions, social environment, personal experiences, education, etc., people usually tend to have different mind-sets about “positive” and “negative”. Out of these mind-sets come fear and aversion against all things “negative”. We want to avoid “the negative stuff” at all cost, because our mind tells us it is bad = life-destructive. For instance, a lot of people are afraid of the dark or of deep water. These fears root in an ancient “mind-set” (already hardwired in our body system) that predators lurk in the dark of the night or in the depths of the ocean/lake. No matter how real the actual risk, our mind paints horrible images – and we follow suit. Other mind-sets might tell us that “anger is no good” as it might lead to aggressive behavior – towards ourselves/others. Spiritual teachings encourage us to “overcome our shadow and dwell in the eternal light of the divine”.

We have to be careful and discerning: what our mind declares as negative/bad/dark doesn’t necessarily have to be avoided. The night is an equally valid part of the night-day-cycle. Is night to be feared more than day? Are our so-called "shadow sides" worth less than our “sunny sides”?

Instead of letting our mind freely categorise, judge and control our life, can we embrace the kaleidoscope of all that is and assess the meaning of it for our life, in relation to our Self, in a neutral and more objective way? Can we learn to navigate through dark and light, night and day, anger and joy, male and female in a balanced way? Not by suppressing or overemphasize one over the other, but by acknowledging the value and the meaning of each in relation to our Self, embracing “all that is” with love - and thus become whole.
Picture
0 Comments

Being authentic - Part 1

8/12/2015

1 Comment

 
Picture
Be authentic – be true to yourself! We hear this a lot and remind each other of how important it is.

But what does “being authentic” actually mean? 
In a dictionary you can find explanations like this: “of undisputed origin and not a copy; genuine”. In existentialist philosophy authentic was described as: “relating to or denoting an emotionally appropriate, significant, purposive, and responsible mode of human life”. The word originates from authentes: autos meaning “self” plus hentes meaning “doer, being” – one who acts on one’s own authority.

Being authentic in this sense means: taking self-responsibility and being true to your Self.

Once upon a time being/living was identical with being authentic. Nowadays, people want to be “more authentic” and remind each other of how important it is to follow their inner truth. I see this “trend”, that has been noticeable since a few decades, as another sign for our increasing dis-connection from Self. 

I see the current cry for more authenticity as a cry for more connection to Self. It is a call to do a revision of our mind-sets, based on judgments, values, personal experiences, beliefs, cultural/social environment, etc., and an invitation to evaluate and discern what rings true to our Self, what resonates with our core being, with our nature.

To re-establish “authenticity”, our connection to Self, can sometimes be tricky as the mind interferes and keeps bombarding us with thoughts and instructions of how to be and what to do. In order to successfully re-connect, we need to
  1. be able to discern what comes from our mind and what comes from Self/nature, and
  2. we need to keep the mind in check and only keep the “mind-sets” that are in sync with our Self, that serve (our) true nature.
Keep your heart clear and transparent,
And you will never be bound.
A single disturbed thought
Creates ten thousand distractions.  
(Ryokan)

If you trade your authenticity for safety, 
you may experience the following: anxiety, depression, eating disorders, addiction, rage, blame, resentment, and inexplicable grief. 
(Brené Brown)
Only the truth of who you are, if realized, will set you free. 
(Eckhart Tolle)

The privilege of a lifetime is to become who you truly are. (C.G.Jung)
How did we lose our “authenticity”? 
Our mind plays a huge role in this. Modern day industrialised societies focus on the mind and its qualities. We are trained and encouraged to use our mind and intellect for most tasks at hand. The mind is constantly running the show: we think up concepts, programs, schedules, to-do-lists… We internalise concepts, programs, beliefs, opinions, values, etc. - and the mind creates different categories and “mind-sets”, often installed in us by others, initiated by extrinsic factors, and perpetualised by our mind throughout our lives. Some of these “mind-sets” literally became hardwired into our body system and are passed on from generation to generation (e.g. the fear of darkness).

Cultural, social, spiritual concepts, conventions and traditions – we are permanently bombarded with images and templates of “how to be…”: how to be successful, how to be socially, culturally accepted, how to be “the good guy”, how to do “the right thing”…

Interestingly, internalising and following these external factors and images didn’t lead us to a happier and healthier life. Why not? Because we lost the connection to our Self/nature in the process. Instead of connecting with the life-supporting energy field within/without us, we are distracted by our minds that tell us what to do and how to be. 
Are you constantly thinking about “stuff”, are your thoughts spinning around how to create a “good life” for your Self and your loved ones? Is your head full of “things to do” and “ways to be”? Our minds never stop to create templates and guidelines for “a good life” (or "a bad life" for that matter): you have to exercise at least … times a week to be fit and healthy, you have to get a degree in order to be successful, success is measured by financial wealth, children have to go to school if they want to succeed in life… the list of “mind-sets” is ever-changing and goes on and on.

The mind is a powerful and creative tool. But like with any tool: if we don’t control it, if we do not use it purposefully and consciously, it can also be counterproductive. In order to use the mind wisely and appropriately, we need to do some “quality control”. Instead of blindly following and internalising the mind’s abundance of thoughts and images, we need to revise and review them. We need to “check in”, evaluate and test, if these templates and mind-sets resonate with our core being, with our nature. If we don't do this, we disconnect and deviate from ourselves and lose our “authenticity”.
Picture
'Real isn't how you are made,' said the Skin Horse. 'It's a thing that happens to you. When a child loves you for a long, long time, not just to play with, but REALLY loves you, then you become Real.'

'Does it hurt?' asked the Rabbit. 

'Sometimes,' said the Skin Horse, for he was always truthful. 'When you are Real you don't mind being hurt.' 

'Does it happen all at once, like being wound up,' he asked, 'or bit by bit?' 

'It doesn't happen all at once,' said the Skin Horse. 'You become. It takes a long time. That's why it doesn't happen often to people who break easily, or have sharp edges, or who have to be carefully kept. Generally, by the time you are Real, most of your hair has been loved off, and your eyes drop out and you get loose in the joints and very shabby. But these things don't matter at all, because once you are Real you can't be ugly, except to people who don't understand.' 


(Margery Williams, The Velveteen Rabbit)
1 Comment

How to be well connected foodwise

8/3/2015

0 Comments

 
Picture
Picture
Brainwash: sweets are omnipresent in ads and marketing
Picture
Desire over will...
Another factor that affects our “connection channels” is nutrition. There is a lot of information out there and I am sure you are already well informed. However, it is sometimes good to remind ourselves of the importance to stay connected to a healthy flow of energy on all levels. 
A lot of people hugely depend on supermarkets to source their food. They eat a lot of highly processed food. And even the “healthy” options on the shelves aren’t giving them the life energy they’d need to function in an optimal way: vegetables and fruit in supermarkets have often traveled a long way, are treated to extend their shelf-life, are harvested when not fully ripened, come from monocultures growing on depleted soil, etc. = they do not contain the nutritional value of a plant growing in a healthy, naturally balanced environment. 
Another often underestimated and well-hidden factor in supermarket and processed food is sugar: producers use sugar in almost every processed product, even in the “healthy” and organic ones - check out in how many organic products on the market you'll find "organic cane sugar", agave syrup or other commonly used "healthy" sugar options. They all add up in your body and affect your body-mind-soul energy balance. We are literally clogging all our systems with the food we eat. 
I know from my own experience as a “sugar addict” and “nutri freak” who has experimented with lots of different diets how much our eating affects our ability to connect. “Sweet cravings” are hardwired in our brain: to look for sweets was beneficial for survival when we still lived in caves. However, like with a lot of other things, we way overdo it in current mainstream society. Nowadays, sugar & sweet treats are widely available (and sugar consumption is actively promoted). We imprint our children and ourselves on sugar, install sugary habits and use it in quantities that are simply life-destructing. We numb our Selves and compensate the destructive effects of sugar-eating by… eating more sugar. Sugar = quick high. 

"Tired, overworked, depressed, challenged? Have a sweet treat and you’ll feel better instantly."

I believe that a lack of (self-) love and (self-) connection triggers the over-consumption of sugary products. This means that it is easier to overcome (sugar) cravings and to open connection channels on the body-mind-soul level if we focus on establishing and maintaining a close relationship and connection to ourselves. 

Nature helps me to do this and has a recalibrating effect. I found that it helps me immensely to resist the omnipresent sweet temptation when I am a) slowing down, and b) immerse my Self in nature. I have observed this effect not only on my Self, but on many people. 

By the way: Damon Gameau just released a good movie about the effect of sugar on the body – watch it, even if you know already a lot about this topic (That Sugar Film). 

0 Comments

    Dreamspace

    The story of interbeing
    How to stay connected and maintain your "connection channels".
    How to feel connected & in balance, within and without.

    Archives

    February 2020
    February 2018
    February 2017
    November 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015

    Categories

    All
    Feeling Connected
    Interspecies Connection
    Nature Connection
    Self Care
    Self Connection

    RSS Feed

Subscribe to regularly irregular Dreamspace News

© COPYRIGHT 2015. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.