Connecting Centers
from Theresa
Hello friends!
I would like to share with you an exercise I've come up with. To begin I'd like to give you a little background. My tendency in life is to be always on the go. I work rotating shifts, days and nights. I often find myself not knowing whether I'm coming or going. It was suggested to me that perhaps I was using and exhausting part of my centers and those that had not been used were still functioning and thus kept me from getting rest. In the same tone, I would get up in the mornings and rush into my day without considering my self and my being. It is at these times where I have been prone to accident and injury to my self, physical and otherwise. So, for my self I have adopted a bedtime and morning routine, and this seems to be helping.
In the evenings, or morning- depending on whether I'm working days or nights, I do the Zen Imagery Exercises (see list) developed by Shizuto Masunaga which help to balance the meridian/energy pathways in the body. I do this as a way to disconnect my centers.
My morning exercise is the one I've developed that I'd like to share. I was having trouble doing a meditation. I wasn't able to focus as I usually have much to do and wish to get to doing it. So I started to think about what the purpose was for doing this exercise- to connect my centers so that I could move more consciously into my day. When I think of centers I remember the symbology of the horse and carriage. Here I found something practical to work with.
Connecting centers-- I begin this exercise with some " I am"s till I feel a sense of wholeness of my self. Then in my mind I see an image of a carriage ( moving/instinctive). Enters the driver (intellectual) who looks over the carriage and makes sure all is in order and shines the parts that are dusty. The driver then goes and retrieves the horse (emotional), grooms him, gives him and apple and a bag of oats and then bridles him and hooks him to the carriage. When all is readied, enters the passenger (steward). The passenger pats the horse, acknowledges the driver and enters the carriage. Once aboard, the journey begins. It is then that I begin my day.
Thus far, taking those few moments to prepare my self by recognizing and appreciating all that " I am " has helped me find a better state from which to meet what life has for me.
If this is helpful to anyone, I'd appreciate your feedback. Also anything else that works.