Clearing the Crowded Room: The Importance of Down Time
LIGHTWORKER’S WAY
Column 55
(As published in the Spiritual Niagara Newsletter: May, 2015)
Column 55
(As published in the Spiritual Niagara Newsletter: May, 2015)
It made me giggle to realize the irony and appropriateness that I have required some form of down time just before each time I’ve worked on this article, about down time. It was a necessity.
Down time has so much power behind it, and yet we have labelled it a “waste of time” and “unproductive”. We are being “lazy” if we sit and just do --- nothing. If you can’t see someone doing something, they are doing nothing. However, and I can’t stress this enough, the healing and growing journeys of these times require regular down time. Shall I type it again? We must take time to do NOTHING!
The hardest part of this is giving ourselves the permission to do – nothing.
Or is it nothing?
Our bodies appear to be doing nothing. But our minds are having a ball!
Often when I’m reading someone’s cards, common energies arises. This is true of last Sunday evening’s readings of 2 women who came to my live, work and play space in Ridgeway. The following morning, I felt the need to jot notes down about a few cards that came up. They not only seemed to have an important message for these women, but they resonated as a message to us all. I was encouraged to share it in my groups in the near future and in this month’s column.
The Hermit card to me, represents the need for alone time, to be quiet, to be in reflection and to process what has been going on in the last while. Our minds and hearts need to take the time to figure out how they think and feel about everything that has taken place. Collectively within, “how do we feel about this?”, “how do we think about that?”, and “what are we going to do in response to it all?”
The Prince of Sacred Circles (or Pentacles) to me, represents too much of taking effect of the material work. Translated, is the coping mechanism of being a workaholic. I don’t necessarily mean in terms of an addiction but a way of dealing with current life’s challenges and stressors. Sometimes, for a time, there is a necessity for avoidance. So this energy represents always keeping active, go go go, not allowing what has been “temporarily” stuffed down to escape; no opportunity to reflect, process and release. I stress this to be temporary as stuffing down can easily build up. I saw through this card that this energy, this way of coping, is coming to an end for the one woman. I see it coming to an end to many.
The Two of Sacred Circles, turned upside down to me, represents a need to act like a child. We as adults, have been conditioned to become too serious. This has been equated to being responsible and grown up. These days, we need to lighten up by raising our vibration through play. What does it mean to live like a child? Think spontaneity, silliness, enjoying a giggle fit, doing something that you wouldn’t normally do, pretending, daydreaming, and most definitely being in the moment. This is a huge one for me. I feel the strong need to advocate for living like a child.
Speaking of daydreaming….. The angel card, Daydreaming, was pulled. This card from this deck to me, means that this woman’s guides were asking her to take time to do nothing but daydream. This is down time that is such fun! They were telling her she needs to take time to go into her head, loosen it up, let go, and watch the images that float in like a movie, not controlling, judging, censoring or analyzing them, but enjoying them, so that they could provide her with message, information and insight as a response to a wish, question or request of hers. They had been trying. She had been too busy to receive any of it.
So…..
Stop – reflect – process – daydream. These are all actions of inactions that we need to put more value on in our everyday lives. They are necessities just like nighttime dreams. Our mind, body and spirit so desperately need them. But like our emotional guidance scale and powers of intuition, out of simple not-knowing, those who influenced us at the beginning of our lives have systematically picked away at these valuable needs; all in addition to the wonder, beauty and power of play.
Now, I’ve never claimed to be a religious person but I have found a couple Jesus quotes that really do resonate with me. One comes to mind now as it’s quite appropriate and potentially effective in counteracting those automatically-playing flies we blindly have listened to over and over in our heads as adults.
(Jesus quote about being let into heaven if live like a child)
Here is a visualization exercise I call Clearing the Crowded Room. I use it as part of an intuitive tune up.
Clearing the Crowded Room
You are in an unfurnished, square room, at one end, in the corner. What you need on your path right now has come in to the room. It’s all at the other end, in the opposite corner. Can you see it? It’s a little too far away so a little blurry and quite hard to hear. But wait, there is a crowd of people coming into the room. They are mumbling and grumbling, some talking to each other, making just enough noise and causing just enough of a blocking of your view. You can neither see nor hear the others in the far corner. You take the time. One by one you walk through the center of the room and speak to each, asking some to leave once listened to them, a few you make plans with, you hug one or two. Slowly, calmly and quietly, you move through the crowd, attending to each. Then finally there is the goal – the people and things you need on your path right now. You embrace them. These are the lessons that came out of your experiences in the last while. Going through the crowd was necessary and requires time. You walk out the door that is just past them, in the corner; a door you couldn’t see before, just a moment ago. And you move forward in some small, medium or big way, each time different.
We all need regular down time. This will mean something different to everyone. The actually act of doing nothing obviously is not the hard part. The hard part is allowing it, and enjoying it. Find a way that works for you and when that nasty, aggravating voice comes back into your head telling you that you’re being immature and irresponsible you look inside, stare it straight in its eyes and yell, “Beat it!”
It’s only an illusion…..
Watch the world wake up. This is the most powerful, amazing down time you can have; and it only comes once a year! Grab it!
And then come see me at my “soft place to land”, the Mindz ‘n Transit office. 289 Ridge Rd., #2 (upper), Ridgeway
~Christine
Stop – reflect – process – daydream. These are all actions of inactions that we need to put more value on in our everyday lives. They are necessities just like nighttime dreams. Our mind, body and spirit so desperately need them. But like our emotional guidance scale and powers of intuition, out of simple not-knowing, those who influenced us at the beginning of our lives have systematically picked away at these valuable needs; all in addition to the wonder, beauty and power of play.
Now, I’ve never claimed to be a religious person but I have found a couple Jesus quotes that really do resonate with me. One comes to mind now as it’s quite appropriate and potentially effective in counteracting those automatically-playing flies we blindly have listened to over and over in our heads as adults.
(Jesus quote about being let into heaven if live like a child)
Here is a visualization exercise I call Clearing the Crowded Room. I use it as part of an intuitive tune up.
Clearing the Crowded Room
You are in an unfurnished, square room, at one end, in the corner. What you need on your path right now has come in to the room. It’s all at the other end, in the opposite corner. Can you see it? It’s a little too far away so a little blurry and quite hard to hear. But wait, there is a crowd of people coming into the room. They are mumbling and grumbling, some talking to each other, making just enough noise and causing just enough of a blocking of your view. You can neither see nor hear the others in the far corner. You take the time. One by one you walk through the center of the room and speak to each, asking some to leave once listened to them, a few you make plans with, you hug one or two. Slowly, calmly and quietly, you move through the crowd, attending to each. Then finally there is the goal – the people and things you need on your path right now. You embrace them. These are the lessons that came out of your experiences in the last while. Going through the crowd was necessary and requires time. You walk out the door that is just past them, in the corner; a door you couldn’t see before, just a moment ago. And you move forward in some small, medium or big way, each time different.
We all need regular down time. This will mean something different to everyone. The actually act of doing nothing obviously is not the hard part. The hard part is allowing it, and enjoying it. Find a way that works for you and when that nasty, aggravating voice comes back into your head telling you that you’re being immature and irresponsible you look inside, stare it straight in its eyes and yell, “Beat it!”
It’s only an illusion…..
Watch the world wake up. This is the most powerful, amazing down time you can have; and it only comes once a year! Grab it!
And then come see me at my “soft place to land”, the Mindz ‘n Transit office. 289 Ridge Rd., #2 (upper), Ridgeway
~Christine