Tools of Transformation
The ancient practices that help me move from states of anxiety to peace
Being a parent is hard. Especially in the early days, months, and years.
As our children grow, the challenges we face as parents shift.
From all the crying and sleepless nights…to homework that gets more and more difficult and the rising potential for unkind interactions among peers due to surging hormones in changing bodies.
I thank God regularly that he brought me to yoga. Not the bendy, flexie, exercise yoga, but the system as a whole…
The system of yoga where the very first concept is compassion, or ahimsa, in Sanskrit. To have compassion for yourself and others is key to not only yoga, but life itself.
(Just like the practice we learned as children…do unto others…which is easy to forget, especially when we live in a busy, chaotic, noisy, fearful world.)
The system of yoga taught me how to calm my hypervigilent mind and worried thoughts (my nervous system), and transform my lifelong affair with anxiety into a lifelong practice of being at peace. A critical transformation for becoming a better parent.
You see, the shift, the transformation of a busy, worried mind can be brought about by understanding and adopting the tools given to us in the system that yoga offers us…every single one of us.
We all have the potential to transform that which does not serve us into something that does. Something that serves our entire being, our families, our children, our friends, the work that we offer to the world.
The tools that have worked for me, both from the yoga world and beyond include…
the founding principles, called the Yamas and Niyamas…compassion, truthfulness, letting go, surrender, self discipline, self study, and so on (there are 10 of them!)
setting an intention or selecting a mantra for meditation
breathing…slowly, fully
tarot cards…the wisdom of God speaking through ancient symbols common to the journey all mankind takes throughout this life
aroma…the opening of the sense of smell to invigorate, calm, entice memory to heal the body, mind, spirit
writing…the words and wisdom flow when we are calm, centered, and clear
prayer…the Sign of the Cross, the Our Father, personal prayers that follow meditation and a clear, calm mind
Cultivated Awareness & Intuition
By working with these tools, especially the movement, breath, and meditation pieces of yoga, I have become self-aware. I have cultivated my awareness for how my body feels so then I know what to do next, how to listen to my intuition to know what the next step should be.
By working with these tools I have transformed my busy, worried, anxious mind to one that can settle and soothe so I feel calm, at peace in the world I move in and through each day.
We all know the world outside is a wild, unsettled place to be…it is now and it always has been.
That is why it is so important we have special tools that will work with us and for us…
Because once we know how we feel and where we are feeling the sensation brought on by emotion (worry, anxiety, fear, sadness, etc) in our body, we know what we need to do next in order to move forward, or to pause for a while longer until a clear path has formed.
Without self awareness, formed through the practice of yoga, prayer, sense development, and symbol seeing, we remain stuck.
Yes, Life is Hard
And here’s a funny little story from my parenting journey that wouldn’t have presented itself as it did without having the beginning knowledge of yoga.
This occurred during my self awareness development era, when I was learning about my mind, body, spirit, and God from a brand new perspective.
By the time I had written this little poetic essay I had completed 3 yoga continuing education courses that would allow me to begin my 200-hour certification course designed specifically for behavioral health practitioners.
Like Joseph Campbell, mentioned below, I had just been introduced to OM, which turns out to be the sound of creation, the sound the Universe made when God brought it into being.
Shower Cap
Written in Asheville, NC, Winter 2017
As I entered the bathroom to shower tonight I heard the whisper, “Daddy can I have some ice cream?” I couldn’t help but yell out, as I’m stepping naked into the hot water I’ve been waiting to feel on this cold, rainy evening, “NO! It’s too late to have ice cream (9:32pm to be exact), why don’t you have some strawberries.”
Then the fake cry scream begins. All I want is a steaming hot peaceful shower where I can stand in the warmth and wash away the day. I tried to contain myself, “THAT’S A FAKE CRY,” in a final attempt to not see the small one eating ice cream when I get out of the shower.
It continues and I realize I can pull the shower cap over my ears, stand under the water, and only hear the loud drops hitting my head. So that’s what I do. I pull the shower cap over my ears. I don’t like the way it feels, and the water forms a different pattern as it glides down my body, but I don’t hear the loud fake cry scream.
Only 45 minutes earlier I had been reading Joseph Campbell’s words about a time when he and his wife visited the great Dr. Jung’s home. Before leaving, Dr. Jung told him about OM.
Campbell goes on to describe the sound of OM, or AUM, the sound of nature, of the world, of the universe. I pause in the shower to hear the OM. Since I’m in the water, I imagine the peace and serenity of the OM may come. It doesn’t. All I hear is the pounding water against the uncomfortable shower cap pulled over my ears. I don’t hear the life affirming OM. I also don’t hear the crying.
Final thoughts…
On Saturday, October 12, 2024, my dear friend and colleague, Dee Opp, and I are running a 2-hour workshop via Zoom to introduce you to these tools. A little sampling, if you will, of the beauty and serenity these ancient practices have helped us bring into our lives.
We’d love for you to join us!
Click the button to send me a quick email with “I’m in!” in the subject line and I’ll send you the registration link!
There’s a coupon code for $10 off just for you for being a part of The Elk Mountain Well friends and family!
Until next week…let’s all remember to practice a little compassion for all that exists on the outside world…and most importantly, for our inside worlds, too!
💖✨ Michelle
