Monday, July 1, 2013

Unleashing your free spirit without the queue for the loo.

My kids were seriously impressed when I said I was going to a festival this year.  When I explained it was the Festival of Quilts they fell about laughing.  Looks like I missed the 'cool mum' award again - but I get a prize for making them laugh! 

Maybe its my age, but I'm just not interested in all that mud, madness and humanity of 'real' festivals.  I do, however, see how they offer a wonderful escape and a chance to unleash your free-spirit.  I can see how the set-up provides a chance for wild self-expression and the freedom to explore the endless possibilities of who you are whilst spending three days dancing in a pair of fairy wings and wellies.

It may not seem so wild and 'out-there' but my visit to the Festival of Quilts is a gateway to the world of possibilities, too.  A chance to see creativity and resourcefulness expressed in many different ways, to add to my ever increasing stash of fabrics and give me inspiration for The Dream Apothecary and other avenues of creative self-expression. 

For those of you who may not be doing the festival circuit, or those of you who are and want to harness what can be a life-changing experience and build on it, here are some more comfortable but non-the-less enlightening ways to unleash your free-spirit.


An unexamined life is not worth living.  Socrates

Keep a Journal

There is a magical process that happens when you begin a reflective practise like keeping a journal.  You learn to hear your inner voices.  Admittedly some of those voices can be harsh and critical and hard to listen to at first but, when you listen carefully, underneath you will begin to hear the quiet voice of your hopes, dreams and creativity.  Allowing it expression through journalling gives it permission to ROAR.

Get the Picture
The deeper, more creative part of your mind thinks in pictures and images so doodling, vision boards, scrapbooks and the online version, Pinterest are all great ways to access it and bring it more into your everyday awareness.  Whether you're trying to redecorate your room, improve your health or change your life, creating a pictorial image of what you want to achieve helps to anchor the message into the unconscious mind.  Its a bit like doing your own google search;  the images stimulate the unconscious mind to search for ways to help you achieve it.

Dream a little Dream (or a big one)
I am a big fan of dreaming and want to wake the world up to it.  It is the most profound and effective of healing resources and offers an ancient and powerful way to transform your life.  Dreaming isn't just what we do when we sleep, it is the hidden oracle of wisdom and guidance that lies dormant within.  When you wake up to the power of your dreams you will discover a whole new level of awareness and creativity - in the blink of an eye!

Its Emotional
For most of us the only training we get around emotions is how to shut them down, deny them and judge them and yet emotions are our life-blood, they are the currency of the soul.  Learning to access them and process them in a healthy, conscious way enhances and enriches your quality of life.  I encourage everyone to get emotional, to develop their emotional intelligence and let their soul sing.  Allow yourself to tune inwards every day and ask yourself 'what am I feeling?'.  Learning to reconnect with your emotional realm can take practise but, remember, f you won't feel the bad stuff you can't access the good stuff!


Ask for Directions 
Don't try and handle things on your own.  If you are lost, stuck or struggling - ask for directions. A good coach or mentor will help you get a fresh perspective on your situation and give you the tools, map and resources you need to reach your destination with ease.


Light up your Life
Unless you are in complete denial of your emotional world, there are people in your life who really bother you.  Why is that?  Because they are showing you aspects of yourself you don't want to see.  We do such a good job of hiding our less attractive self-concepts from the world that they end up hanging out in the shadows of our mind and only way we can see them is when we see them other people's behaviour.  Working with your Shadows by shining the light of awareness onto them is the fast track route to the authentic, amazing qualities that are hidden behind them.

Opportunity Knocks
If you want to live a more meaningful life, give everything meaning.  Every situation is an opportunity for discovery, healing or growth - or all three if you are really courageous - and life becomes much more exciting when you approach it with the question 'what am I being asked to learn here?'
(Hint: the answer is always 'Love'  You know how in those maths exams you had to show you hadn't just guessed the answer by revealing how you worked it out?  When you feel a sense of happy relief and gratitude about a challenging situation, you'll know you've answered the question correctly.  So, if it hurts, it isn't Love.)

.....and remember to Dance, baby, Dance.









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