Reflection, Rest and Restoration: The Foundations for Manifestation
As we come closer and closer to my Reflect, Rest and Restore Retreat Morning this Sunday (there are a few spots left if you'd like to join us... it's in-person though, in Stoke-On-Trent from 10am to 4pm!) I'm wanting my favourite reflective, restful and restorative practice for those of you who aren't able to make it...
I'd love to offer these retreat mornings online at some point in the near future, but until then, you have this post to refer back to. I recommend working with these practices at least once per year (usually in the season of winter), but if it feels good to work with them towards the end of each season, or quarter, or month, or personal-trip-around-the-sun, or week, or day, or menstrual bleed, or Full Moon... go for it.
The significance of taking time to reflect, rest and restore is often overlooked. Instead, we have a very future-based society, and I get it, because we all want to grow and evolve and keep moving-and-grooving towards our wildest dreams, right?
But how can we possibly build an intuitive, actionable and pleasure-filled plan to get to where we're going, if we aren't prepared to reflect on where we've been?
It's like the narrative of January 1st being a 'clean slate'. No, it isn't. Our canvas has already been marked... It has paint strokes and words and pencil marks and pinned fabric and glued photos and paper mached texture and mosaic tiles and fabric stitches and bars of music and... It isn't blank. Because it isn't supposed to be.
There IS supposed to be space though... Space for the new mediums to adorn it. The new mediums which are inspired by the old, and add to the canvas, the masterpiece of our lives. Reflection, rest and restoration are literally the foundations to manifestation.
And so, we reflect. We reflect on where we've been, so that we can co-create with the Universe, where we are going.
So here is my favourite practice:
Set up a safe, warm and quite space with all of your favourite comforts. We're going to be here for an hour or so. Make sure you have a journal and pen close by as well as a glass of cool water.
Close the eyes and set the intention to reflect, rest and restore.
Cast the mind back over the period of time which you are reflecting on... Allow the places, the people, the lessons, the wounds, the laughs, the tears, the celebrations, the mundane, the occassions, the MEMORIES flash past the mind's eye. Allow your body and heart to go through that journey too... Feel the feelings, smell the scents, taste the flavours. Don't try to force it, just let the memories flow. Sit in this way for 5-10 minutes.
When you are ready, journal, stream-of-consciousness style about some of the moments which you were able to remember. Feel free to write down the feelings associated with those memories and any physical sensations with came up. If you prefer to sketch these memories instead of writing them, do.
Organise all of this into a list of 'wisdom', lessons which you've learned, skills you've developed, growth you've experienced. Write these things down, so that you can keep them close when you're ready to move forward into the next time period.
Now, take some time to acknowledge the challenges... Notice the traumas, the arguments, the fears, the anxieties, the disappointments, the betrayals, the harsh words etc. Close your eyes again, and imagine each of these experiences, people or places, as being tethered by a withered string to your heart. One by one, 'cut the cords'. You can do this in your imagination, or by physically bringing 'scissor hands' up to the heart and snipping your fingers together. Either way, visualise each of those tethers turning to gold dust, and evaporating away.
Breathe DEEP. If it feels good to move, dance, stretch, make a sound, or even cry, let this happen here. It may feel good to write a forgiveness letter (which you don't need to deliver!) to yourself or others at this point. Be kind, and be compassionate, especially towards yourself. Sip the water... visualise it pouring through the body, gathering up any remaining energetic debris which isn't serving you.
When the time is right, create a gratitude list, for all of the wonderful things which have happened during the time period you're reflecting on. If you'd like to decorate the list, then do... Allow it to be a fun, flowing practice which gets you into a feel-good energy. Keep writing until you feel the energy shifting! And remember, you don't need to be giving thanks only for the big things, the smallest moments matter too.
To seal in the practice, close the eyes one last time, and recite the following affirmation, "My mind is clear, my heart is open, my body is energised!" three times. Take a deep breath in, and open the eyes!
It may sound simple to some (and complex to others) but there is really no right or wrong way to reflect, rest, or restore... In fact, I'd LOVE to know how you customise this practice to suit you and your needs at this time, so please do pop a comment below, or send me a DM on instagram (I'm @gabriellayoga over there!)
And, if you CAN come to the Reflect, Rest and Restore Retreat Morning, let me tell you, we're going to much deeper than all of the above... It's going to be really beautiful and I honestly can't wait to welcome you along. If you'd like to sign up to attend, booking is simple: send your £44 non-refundable, non-transferable fee to gabriellayoga@outlook.com via Paypal and I will ping you the details. Again, the retreat is running from 10am to 1pm on the 4th February. I'm so excited!
Thank you as always for reading,
With grace and grit,
Gabriella
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