Spring... Transition... Moving Forward...
What habits will you be letting go of? What will you be holding onto? How can meditation help?
As we move into Spring things around us are changing in so many ways, and it feels like this year the transition is particularly important because we are not just moving out of winter hibernation but also out of an extended period of lockdown. It is tempting to rush into the busy-ness of life once more, so many appointments to catch up on, things to buy, people to see…but I’m also aware of an underlying feeling of apprehension or unease. I realise that part of this unease is about things getting back to ‘normal’ (or a new kind of normal given the circumstances of the ongoing pandemic), and falling back into old patterns.
Whenever we become aware of feelings of unease it can be helpful to take a moment to pause and reflect (even though our instinct may be to ignore such feelings and plough on); simply acknowledging how we feel about things before moving on can help us to gain clarity during times of transition. It reminds us that we have some choice going forward: we can choose what we’d like to let go of, and what we’d like to carry forward with us…
Of course I’m really looking forward to seeing more friends and having bigger family celebrations, but having noticed my own feelings of apprehension I’ll try not to put too much in the diary, to focus on the quality rather than quantity of my interactions. As for letting go, I seem to have acquired a serious Netflix addiction over the winter months which I’ll try to put behind me as we move out of hibernation/lockdown – hopefully this will become easier as the days get longer and lighter! On a more serious note, letting go of feelings of anxiety around social contact will also be something for me to work on.
It is not always easy to pause and reflect during moments of transition, especially if we get carried along on a wave of activity and excitement. I find it helpful to have a brief, regular check-in using the mindfulness practice of a 5-minute breathing space meditation which is very simple and can be done anywhere, anytime. If you’re not familiar with this technique I recommend that you try the 5-minute breathing space meditation on my Free Resources page (you may need to scroll down to the bottom of the page) and then ask yourself the following questions:
- What do I want to let go of as we move out of this period (of lockdown)?
- What positive habits or experiences do I want to retain going forward?
In classes after Easter we’ll also be focusing on transitions and moving with awareness and intention, so that we can let go of unhelpful habits or patterns, inviting clarity and improving the quality and ease of our movement. Take a look at my class schedule if you’d like to join a class.
