Nourishing

Child-like, Healing, Safe

 

They teased out the seed that the cold kept asleep—

All the coils, loops, and whorls, they trellised the sun;

they plotted for more than themselves.

                          Theordore Roethke, Frau Bauman, Frau, Schmidt, and Frau Schwartz

 

Fox knows not only where to find the necessary food for health and vitality, but where to find nourishment for the spirit. There are many possible places to rest and to grow and to heal. Here she is depicted in his natural sanctuary, a chapel to which she belongs, a bower that offers renewal and respite from the two-legged predators who have claimed the world. She will return here as needed to nurse her injuries and to restore her balance.

She feels the sunlight on her fur, notices the vivid colors and forms and textures, the patterns of sky overhead seen between the leaves. She smells the flowers, the scent of the forest fertilizing into the ground beneath her.  Her powerful muscles find some flexibility and softness. Her panting slows. Her hyper-alertness dials down. The mind is quiet, fully in the spaciousness of an infinite moment.

Why this painting?

Fox is able to relax into the safe arms of the present moment, the Nourishing energy of the Inspired Self which feeds her Heart and emboldens her. She wears a soft smile because she has a feeling of emotional balance and a sense of order. Embraced by Earth Mother energies, she is grounded in a nurturing source, and she is ever grateful for her bounty and blessings.

In this Chapel state, we can achieve the capacity that therapists call dual awareness, which in mindfulness practices is often referred to as “meta-awareness” or the “observer self.” That sounds clinical and a hard capacity to develop, but, in fact, it is a labor of love, when you want for nothing but to observe, to fertilize what is loving, to prune the overgrowth, to take care of to observe one’s thoughts, emotions, and bodily sensations without getting entangled in them.

Inside-Out:

If you have been struggling with distressing emotions, perhaps finding it hard to feel a sense of control and safety even in your own body, experiment with ways to relax and to self-sooth. Unfortunately, the usual mindfulness practices that involve quieting your mental chatter can paradoxically raise anxiety when it feels like an invitation to let your guard down; If you have been traumatized, chilling out can feel terrifying because you are keenly aware of the predators.

You may find it more helpful to locate a place to walk, allowing yourself to bring up emotions and put that energy into motion until you begin to relax. Or you might identify an imaginary location such as a beach, forest, or comfortable room or a fantasy world. Use your senses to imagine the details of this place, focusing on what you can see, hear, taste, sense, and touch.

If you are comfortable using visualization to self-regulate, you can also invite, imagine, and embody animals like this Fox, or any helper. Add whatever brings positivity and support. Experiment and develop a routine practice of returning to this healing vision whenever you start to feel overwhelmed. It can be a powerful safe shelter.

There are many other ways, of course, to manage triggered states which a competent therapist can suggest.

Upside-down:

If you are like most of us in this Upside-down society you have been working too hard yet experiencing no pleasure from your work, pushing yourself to burn out. In whatever way your mind (or career, or family, or the media) cons you into thinking this is OK, your nervous system is being pushed into hypervigilance (you are stressed out), reinforcing an appraisal that the world is dangerous. Are you starting to feel paranoid?

Being a Worker bee is unsustainable. Living in stress eventually leads to looping thoughts and obsessions, increasing adverse emotional states—sadness and panic and anguish—which feel permanent and is permanent if you don’t make a change. You might be able to find ways to numb what is happening, but your body will continue to live in constant tension, eventually giving rise to physical illness.

If you are finding it hard to open your Heart freely, reflect on external forces that may be promoting constant activity and draining you of focus and presence. Recognize your limitations. Recognize that you are being driven by forces that need to be explored, barriers to your well-being. Take a break and find some time for your precious self.