Inner looseness results in outer strength.
~Hilarion
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We tend to think of strength as being hard. Physical endurance, diamonds, retaining walls—we view all of them as being hard and tough. We equate strength with rigidity. We feel we need to resist things to be able to bear up under them. We identify power with being physically, emotionally, and mentally fixed. We become tight and unyielding in our desire to become strong.
Unfortunately, this leads us to overlook our greatest source of inner strength—fluidity. Consider the wind. It is an indomitable force of nature. It bends the physical to its will, shaping trees and carving stone, creating weather patterns, and providing a source of natural energy. Yet it is invisible except in its effects. We do not see the wind; we can only sense its creations.
We can watch the wind shake trees or drive wind and snow. We can observe it filling sails or spinning windmills. We can feel it on our skin. But we will never view the wind directly. Its power lies in its fluidity, changeableness, and it persistence.
Similarly, our true strength comes from our ability not to be fixed or rigid. When we are physically limber, like a willow tree, we can adapt to changing physical circumstances. Emotional and mental flexibility allows us to adapt to life rather than to resist.
Adaptability is important, as resistance is the source of most mental and emotional pain. When we are willing to be loose and changeable in our inner world, we release our preconceptions about how things are supposed to be. This allows us to enjoy things as they are—right now—and frees us to view things as they are. Liberation from expectation and judgment empowers us to savor and capitalize on any and all circumstances. This is true strength: the ability to love life in the moment.
Let’s take a few minutes to convene with our inner divinity—our sharing within—to cultivate inner looseness. We’ll start by establishing a gentle and even breathing rhythm, as we picture our sharing within as a sphere of golden light in the center of our chest. As we inhale, the light gains strength and brightness. As we exhale, the light flows out from our chest to fill us and our environment. We will continue the breathing and visualization pattern until we sense conscious connection with our sharing within—we will feel calm, peaceful, even, and centered.
We will take inventory of our body from head to toe and note any areas of pain or tension. As we identify these locations, we will breathe golden light from our heart as well as relaxation into them, until we feel the pain and tension ease. We’ll continue breathing the light throughout our body for moment or two until we feel a sense of physical well-being.
Next we’ll take stock of our emotional state. We’ll note any difficult our troublesome emotions. We will breathe golden, relaxing heart light into our darker emotions until we feel our emotional spirits lift. We will continue breathing ease into our emotions for a moment or two, letting ourselves and our feelings lighten up.
We’ll also review our persistent thought patterns. Where do our thoughts tend to lead? What are we having difficulty accepting? What or who do we judge? We’ll breathe golden heart light to surround these thoughts, situations, and interactions, creating a bubble around them. We will breathe the bubble full of light and watch the light dissolve any difficulty or resistance. We continue breathing light into our thoughts for a moment or two, until we sense our mind feeling free and easy.
Finally, we’ll focus our attention at the very center of our chest and together with our sharing within, we will affirm “My power lies in my ability to love and enjoy what is. Life is beautiful right now.” We will breathe golden light charged with this sentiment to fill ourselves and our surroundings. Doesn’t it feel good to be loose?
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Divinely unique and beautiful reader, how have you gotten loose? Please share…
I got loose with this blog post by dropping the letter “m”. My mother was a proofreader for the local paper, as well as being an English and Latin major. I attended Catholic grade school. The need for correct spelling and grammar is part of me.
I originally typed “What or whom do we judge? ” Spell check didn’t like whom; it wanted who. Whom seemed correct to me. I considered checking the internet to find the proper usage.
Suddenly, I laughed as I saw how the power of serendipity had provided a great example of my own grammatical rigidity. You will note the sentence now reads “What or who do we judge? ” Life is endlessly amusing: liberation at the cost of a single letter!