Day 22 - A Year to Clear - Stuck Energy

Photo by Jeremy Bishop on Unsplash

Photo by Jeremy Bishop on Unsplash

Lesson 22: Stuck Energy

Clutter is not just the stuff that spills out of drawers. It is any thing, or thought, that makes us feel off center and rattles our cage.
— Stephanie Bennett Vogt

Introduction to this new theme is more to reflect on what is about to come. I have never really thought about clutter to include thoughts and feelings that restrict us. Being part of this course definitely has opened me up to that concept - not only physical but mental clutter. By becoming more aware and looking at my situation as an observer, it really triggers to let go of things, because you have less attachment. Doing things bit by bit may seem like a slow process but there are massive gains to be won. I try not to cloud my mind with negative thoughts and focus on what I can do to be better. It’s those moments when you are alone and let your mind wander, is where those thoughts can start to fester. I think keeping busy with creativity or hobbies that really start a spark within you, stop those thoughts from coming about. There is so much to be grateful for and I always try to remember that.

Day 21 - A Year to Clear - Check In WEEK 3 - Cultivating Awareness

Photo by Zac Durant on Unsplash

Photo by Zac Durant on Unsplash

Lesson 21: Check In WEEK 3 - Cultivating Awareness

Today is to reflect back on the previous week and note down my discoveries and how I related to the experience without any attachment. Everything inbetween the problem and the solution.

I found the exercise about imagining yourself shedding a layer of yourself before you go to bed to be a really good exercise. I feel like this is a good tool to let go of your worries of the day and relax before you go to sleep. I haven't been practising it for some reason. I think I just easily fall asleep that I don't think about doing this extra step to have an even more peaceful sleep.

A lot of this week was focused on clothing. Simply connecting with clothes and seeing if they bring you joy and/or if you still use them and managing how you release them. I can say that I'm finding myself less attached to my belongings. I feel like I will wear what is practical without any thought behind it. I don't feel like my clothes make me as a person. I am finding that the reason I am having less attachment, is because I don't want to be another consumerist and want the minimalist lifestyle. I think about the impact the clothing industry has on the environment, so that makes my decision to care less about my clothing easier day to day, and in turn care less about my attachment to those belongings. Because I'm so focused on self care and awareness, trivial things like clothing, doesn't really matter to me anymore. So to me, I think that I'm growing in my own way.

Day 21 - A Year of Spiritual Awakening - March of Days

Lesson 21: The march of days we use...

Lesson 21: The march of days we use in this lifetime is not a useful way of measure your life. More happens in the moment of watching a blade of grass blow in the wind, or in the noticing the soft warmth of another’s body, than in countless months of schedules, work, progress.
— Sara Wiseman

Today is a day to notice something that may be beautiful or profound. I had a very productive day today, brunch with friends, went to the markets to get vegetables, went to see Star Wars in 3D, chores, food prep for the week and then went for a drive with a friend to see the sun set at a beach I'd never actually been before. It was a nice day with a lot of activity and I didn't feel tired at all. I think that's the essence of life, being able to live and enjoy every moment, even when doing simple things.

The sunset was beautiful for me. Having a nice drink, bit of a chat with my mate James and just appreciating the city we live in. We went for a walk along a pier and then the foreshore of the beach, not with any goal but just to explore. It's those simple moments that I tend to appreciate more. No thinking and just doing. I've included some of my pictures below. It didn't even bother me that people were standing in the way. If anything, it gave a sense of coming together to appreciate what the universe has on display for us.

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Day 20 - A Year to Clear - Wearing or Weary-ing?

Lesson 20: Wearing or Weary-ing?

Today I am to reflect on clothes that don’t fit or feel good anymore. Basically this is the stuck energy we keep that clutters our lives. I am to release one thing today that is not part of my lighter self. The problem is, I only just recently did this on Wednesday night. I had 6 full garbage bags of clothes and shoes that I placed downstairs for charity collection. On top of this, I gave a bag of jewellery to my friends daughter. I do not want to release anything more as I have already gone through my clothes and shoes and got it down to a point that is manageable. The idea for me now is that I want to live a minimalist life and wear down those clothes until they are not useable anymore. There may come a time when I realise that I still not have worn a lot of those clothes, but for now, I have tried hard to focus on what I do wear for work and what I wear regularly. I haven’t bought clothes or shoes in over 6 months. I think that’s another achievement I have.

The question that got asked was: “Do you wear your clothes or do they wear you (out)?” Personally, I feel like I am wearing my current set of decluttered clothes. We shouldn’t keep clothes around that make us not feel 100%. We shouldn’t keep onto things that do not fit, clothes we’ve never worn or if we just don’t simply love them. Right now, I feel like I love the set of clothes I have. Me bringing those garbage bags down for charity was my form of release. I don’t feel like I need to do a release today as I have achieved a more lighter self.

Day 20 - A Year of Spiritual Awakening - True tantra is possible...

Photo by Helena Lopes on Unsplash

Lesson 20: True tantra is possible...

Lesson 20: True tantra is about connection, not sexuality or romance.True tantra is possible whether a relationship is long or short, sanctioned or unsanctioned, proper or improper. The karmic crossing is what determines tantra; not society.
— Sara Wiseman

I am to think about my true tantra connections and what change or transformation that has brought about. Spending time last night with my soul sister Joanna, we were talking about how we changed each other’s lives. It’s always a case of maybe not expressing it enough or showing it, but you never know how much you can inspire someone, from simple words or actions you take. Joanna always inspires me with words along the way which actually helps me take on better perspective and understanding. I remember this one time I was angry at my mother for something she had said, and Jo responded with something along the lines of “well you’ve got to remember your mum is human too, has feelings just like you and makes mistakes”. Something I didn’t really consider because we’re so quick to judge our parents and resent them for stupid shit. Those words really resonated with me and changed the way I maintained my relationship with my mum. A lot more understanding was gained and I didn’t hold my mother in the light of how she should act as a parent. My mum is her own person with her own morals, values and feelings and even though I may not agree with them, I have to remember that she is like any other person in this world, where we still need to hold respect and remember they have the right to think and feel however they want.

I think all my friendships are true tantra. If true tantra is what has transformed me, then I have to reference all the people who have changed me from my previous blog post on Day 10: Karmic crossings are always strong... Along the way those people have opened my eyes to something more. Most of those people live in Melbourne and made impact after I had moved here during my life changing event. Although I am not friends with some of those people, every one of them came into my life to teach me important life lessons. The only person I hadn’t listed on there is my ex boyfriend. I did have a tantra connection that taught me a lot of the person I didn’t want to be under someone’s control, and through the good times and the bad, I did value our time together and learned a lot about myself in the process. Without that major romance in my life, I wouldn’t be the person I am today. I needed that adversity to grow.

I couldn’t imagine not having tantric connections. I think everyone has value of teaching you something even if they aren’t to remain in your life forever. I guess that’s the beauty of connection, sometimes they are there forever once created, sometimes they are just there to serve a purpose before you move forward.