Reflections: Waiting
Grounding Meditation:
Compass Rose Speaks
Events and ways to Dare to Blossom
Reflections: Waiting
Waiting, waiting, the whole world feels in limbo just now, suspended.... I notice that in the February and March newsletters I wrote about change. None of us knew then just how much would shift and change over these few weeks, here in the UK anyway, and I imagine, for you too wherever you are in the world.
I feel two strange sensations: dizzy, as if my head is spinning from the news each day, and the new restrictions and rules that keep coming in. And, in limbo. Suspended. I see one of those slow motion images (that I personally find a little irritating when over-used) - of someone walking or running very, very slowly.
Waiting, waiting. Here in England we are into our second week of only being allowed out for essential purposes. One of those is exercise, but I am not allowed to drive to the cliffs where I love to walk. I have to start from my door and walk along the farm track, and maybe out onto the lanes. A lovely walk, even if with a different feel to being on the cliffs, and maybe I will when the weather is warmer and the biting cold north-easterly wind has changed direction. I am lucky to have lots of sheltered spots in the garden, so we have been able to sit in the sun with a cuppa several times over the last week.
I have been watching as this rhododendron, which hasn't flowered for several years, gradually opens. I have just reminded myself to go and visit it in a moment.
How about you? How is this situation affecting you? Is it a relief to slow down? Are you finding support from neighbours who you are getting to know for the first time? Are you one of the 'key workers' doing so much to keep us all safe,and well and supplied with food and necessities? Are you worried about your job, about paying the bills? Are you adapting to working from home? Maybe while home-schooling your children for the first time? Probably several of those things are present in your life just now.
Many people have suggested that this could be the time to catch up with everything we mean to do at home, but rarely get around to doing. Others that it is just too much to think about when the situation is so difficult. I veer between those, and I mostly simply feel exhausted by it all. And that is hardly surprising - we are all in shock, and in a stress response. For most of us we cannot take the 'fight' option, nor the 'flight' one, so we may simply 'freeze'. Freeze in terror, in anticipation of the worst happening, in confusion.
For me, now that the new rules here are clear, and we are just beginning to settle into a new routine, I feel as if I am, very gradually, beginning to 'unfreeze'. To notice that I had almost been holding my breath. Wishing that I would wake up and the nightmare would be over. The only other times I have felt remotely this way have been in times of personal crisis - when I had received a cancer diagnosis, or when my mother had a severe stroke. This is different: we are all affected, we are all in this together. People have been comparing it to war time, that is another quite different situation, yet the community feeling is a true gift.
This painting is titled 'My Lop-sided Heart' and reflects a little of how my heart feels right now: very tender, a little bruised, and full of love for all those around me, for nature, for the wonderful support that so many people are offering to those in need just now.
With normal life seemingly on pause, whilst we wait for it to resume - I have been reflecting on what I would like 'normal life' to be. Maybe this global wake-up call will bring different ways of living? Sometimes I feel as if Mother Earth is breathing a huge sigh of relief. The skies are clearer over Cornwall with no convection trails from jets passing overhead. The birds are singing - probably as they always do at this time of year, yet I have more time to appreciate their song. My work has slowed down too, even though most of what I do takes place online, people are naturally not spending money just now when their own income is precarious.
I already knew that I will be developing different programmes for this year, arising from 'The Powerful Voice of the Quiet Ones'. I also have the opportunity to return to writing the bigger book, The working title is currently 'Your Compass Rose Speaks - Rediscover your inner guidance.' Even though the painting below is abstract and in no way represents a compass, or a rose, I think it may appear on the cover. In any case, I thought I would share it with you here as I love the fresh, spring-like energy of it. I called it 'Green Sprite'.
(Both these paintings are now residing in new homes, if you click on them you can browse my current selection.)
Events and ways to Dare to Blossom
Reflections: Waiting
Waiting, waiting, the whole world feels in limbo just now, suspended.... I notice that in the February and March newsletters I wrote about change. None of us knew then just how much would shift and change over these few weeks, here in the UK anyway, and I imagine, for you too wherever you are in the world.
I feel two strange sensations: dizzy, as if my head is spinning from the news each day, and the new restrictions and rules that keep coming in. And, in limbo. Suspended. I see one of those slow motion images (that I personally find a little irritating when over-used) - of someone walking or running very, very slowly.
Waiting, waiting. Here in England we are into our second week of only being allowed out for essential purposes. One of those is exercise, but I am not allowed to drive to the cliffs where I love to walk. I have to start from my door and walk along the farm track, and maybe out onto the lanes. A lovely walk, even if with a different feel to being on the cliffs, and maybe I will when the weather is warmer and the biting cold north-easterly wind has changed direction. I am lucky to have lots of sheltered spots in the garden, so we have been able to sit in the sun with a cuppa several times over the last week.
I have been watching as this rhododendron, which hasn't flowered for several years, gradually opens. I have just reminded myself to go and visit it in a moment.
How about you? How is this situation affecting you? Is it a relief to slow down? Are you finding support from neighbours who you are getting to know for the first time? Are you one of the 'key workers' doing so much to keep us all safe,and well and supplied with food and necessities? Are you worried about your job, about paying the bills? Are you adapting to working from home? Maybe while home-schooling your children for the first time? Probably several of those things are present in your life just now.
Many people have suggested that this could be the time to catch up with everything we mean to do at home, but rarely get around to doing. Others that it is just too much to think about when the situation is so difficult. I veer between those, and I mostly simply feel exhausted by it all. And that is hardly surprising - we are all in shock, and in a stress response. For most of us we cannot take the 'fight' option, nor the 'flight' one, so we may simply 'freeze'. Freeze in terror, in anticipation of the worst happening, in confusion.
For me, now that the new rules here are clear, and we are just beginning to settle into a new routine, I feel as if I am, very gradually, beginning to 'unfreeze'. To notice that I had almost been holding my breath. Wishing that I would wake up and the nightmare would be over. The only other times I have felt remotely this way have been in times of personal crisis - when I had received a cancer diagnosis, or when my mother had a severe stroke. This is different: we are all affected, we are all in this together. People have been comparing it to war time, that is another quite different situation, yet the community feeling is a true gift.
This painting is titled 'My Lop-sided Heart' and reflects a little of how my heart feels right now: very tender, a little bruised, and full of love for all those around me, for nature, for the wonderful support that so many people are offering to those in need just now.
With normal life seemingly on pause, whilst we wait for it to resume - I have been reflecting on what I would like 'normal life' to be. Maybe this global wake-up call will bring different ways of living? Sometimes I feel as if Mother Earth is breathing a huge sigh of relief. The skies are clearer over Cornwall with no convection trails from jets passing overhead. The birds are singing - probably as they always do at this time of year, yet I have more time to appreciate their song. My work has slowed down too, even though most of what I do takes place online, people are naturally not spending money just now when their own income is precarious.
I already knew that I will be developing different programmes for this year, arising from 'The Powerful Voice of the Quiet Ones'. I also have the opportunity to return to writing the bigger book, The working title is currently 'Your Compass Rose Speaks - Rediscover your inner guidance.' Even though the painting below is abstract and in no way represents a compass, or a rose, I think it may appear on the cover. In any case, I thought I would share it with you here as I love the fresh, spring-like energy of it. I called it 'Green Sprite'.
(Both these paintings are now residing in new homes, if you click on them you can browse my current selection.)
For you, suggestions for your journal reflections or meditations:
- It may be too soon just yet, but gently allow the question
to arise: "What are the gifts of the current situation for you?"
- Flow-write your responses, you may find they begin with
anger, despair, frustration, fear. Let that all flow through, all those
reactions are completely natural and understandable.
- Visual a river flowing past you as you sit on the bank. Let
any feelings you would like to let go of drip into the river and be
swept away
- Return to the question "What are the gifts of the
current situation for you?"
Grounding Meditation: Compass Rose Speaks
People tell me they are finding this meditation helpful. I know I use it frequently for myself, to ground and to centre into my heart, into peace. If you click on the image or the title you will be taken to my web page where there is a link to a recording of the words as well as the text below.
'Compass Rose Speaks'
People tell me they are finding this meditation helpful. I know I use it frequently for myself, to ground and to centre into my heart, into peace. If you click on the image or the title you will be taken to my web page where there is a link to a recording of the words as well as the text below.
'Compass Rose Speaks'
I am your
Compass Rose. My centre point is Peace. Balancing, grounding.
Look up! Look
North, to your Guiding Star. Your Purpose.
From the East
comes the rising sun. Passion, potential.
South is the
source of nature's powers. The flowing rivers, the rising tides, the
ever-changing oceans. The wind that shapes the land. The power that is arising
in you.
West
is the land of the setting sun. Progressing forwards into the night.
Anticipating the promise of a new day. Return your attention to your centre
point, Peace. Balanced, grounded.
I am your
Compass Rose.
© Mary Lunnen
2018
The words are
the voice of your guidance system, your inner wisdom. I speak this piece in
every online Dare to Blossom Group, in every coaching one to one, at every
workshop.
Events and ways to
Dare to Blossom
Workshops The next Dare to Blossom Workshop planned at the Blue Lotus at Scorrier will probably be a virtual gathering on Zoom videoconferencing, as was the March event. It is scheduled for Saturday 9th May, and will be on the theme of "Passion: East, Potential Rising". The details are here, and to provisionally book a place to join me online on 9th May, please contact me, or simply reply to this email, so I can send you more details once the situation is clear.
The special spring offer on the Compass Rose Coaching Programme has been extended. Six sessions, of either one hour or thirty minutes, on Zoom, at half price. Even if this feels out of reach just now, please do request a 'complimentary consultation' - also known as a chat on Zoom over a cuppa to get to know each other a little better.
The new 'Powerful Voice' coaching group programme is still emerging, I will share more details when they are ready. In the meantime, and if you are happy to connect on Facebook, I post daily on my timeline and have two groups, Dare to Blossom into Joy - where I share a daily Rediscovery card; and The Powerful Voice of the Quiet Ones, where I am sharing readings from the book.
Thank you dear friends for visiting with me
again this month and sharing my musings.Workshops The next Dare to Blossom Workshop planned at the Blue Lotus at Scorrier will probably be a virtual gathering on Zoom videoconferencing, as was the March event. It is scheduled for Saturday 9th May, and will be on the theme of "Passion: East, Potential Rising". The details are here, and to provisionally book a place to join me online on 9th May, please contact me, or simply reply to this email, so I can send you more details once the situation is clear.
The special spring offer on the Compass Rose Coaching Programme has been extended. Six sessions, of either one hour or thirty minutes, on Zoom, at half price. Even if this feels out of reach just now, please do request a 'complimentary consultation' - also known as a chat on Zoom over a cuppa to get to know each other a little better.
The new 'Powerful Voice' coaching group programme is still emerging, I will share more details when they are ready. In the meantime, and if you are happy to connect on Facebook, I post daily on my timeline and have two groups, Dare to Blossom into Joy - where I share a daily Rediscovery card; and The Powerful Voice of the Quiet Ones, where I am sharing readings from the book.
Until next time,
with love,
