The second Chakra is the goddess chakra, Swadistana, located just above the root. The element here is WATER. As beings, we arrive in the world, in a fluid environment, swimming around, full of potential and freedom. As creative beings at heart, we are here on this earth to express ourselves.
Through the “Fun and Healthy Lifestyles” practices we explore the MIND to discover our unique expression of our purpose through journaling and other artistic pursuits with our BODY, and SPIRITUALLY we share our gratitude for all there is.
Journaling
Journaling is a creative tool that allows us to connect to mind with our thoughts, to our bodies with our hands, and to our spirits, that inner dwelling that is seeking our purpose or passion in this life. By simply writing things down, we communicate our needs, our wants, and our feelings. We use writing as a practical tool to communicate with others in our personal and business lives. Here, we use it to set goals, to write out our innermost feelings, and to heal.
Free writing is the practice of writing for a commitment of time or pages, keeping the hand continuously moving, or in today’s day and age, continuously typing, and flowing with the stream of thoughts – whatever is coming and going from the top of the head, without letting the hand(s) stop. If you find that you get stuck in this practice, you simply write, “I don’t know what to say,” and something will arise. (Or – When we feel “stuck” in this practice, we simply write, “I don’t know what to say,” until something arises.)
In Julia Cameron’s book, The Artist Way, she calls these writings, the morning pages. “Put simply, the morning pages are three pages of longhand writing, strictly stream-of-consciousness: ‘Oh god, another morning. I have NOTHING to say. I need to wash the curtains. Did I get my laundry yesterday? Blah, blah, blah….’ They might also, more ingloriously, be called brain drain, since that is one of their main functions.” The morning pages are simply a way to release all the ongoing thoughts that run through our minds like crazy. They are an outlet for us to open up to the creativity that is inside, but stuck behind the oodles and oodles of thoughts.
We experience roughly 60,000 thoughts per minute. Amazing! While, many of these thoughts are repetitive, I have also read that we have to hear something 100 times before we really get it, understand it, and embody it. I am not a scientist, but I have spent many ( or ten? but not 37) years actively studying my own mind and have found writing to be a deep practice of connection to my whole being. The act of getting the thoughts and words out and down on paper, clears a space for discovering new, creative and divine thoughts to fill our minds and our lives.
Goals and Dreams
Why is it that we may have a dream or goal, but, can’t get ourselves to take action, or even initiate the effort toward making it happen? We want something so badly; yet, we aren’t willing to go through the process of bringing it to life. Often times we realize we have been in love with the idea of the impact it will have on others, the places it may take us, and the person that we will be when it is all done; yet we struggle on a daily basis, to sit down and create a plan of action. We want the results without doing the work, yet without action, goals remains dreams.
Gratitude
Be thankful for what you have; you’ll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don’t have, you will never, ever have enough.–Oprah Winfrey
Being grateful is being full of great! It’s appreciating the benefits you are receiving from a situation or object, the act of expressing gratitude.
Gratitude is an attitude of thankfulness. When we have gratitude we go beyond the striving and clinging and hoping and wishing and wanting, we find ourselves in the present moment content with what we have. We embody the ability to appreciate all the goodness that is currently surrounding us. It is a space and of serenity, one of knowing that we are provided for and a place in which we can rest and feel a greater connection to all there is.
Gratitude can be perceived as an emotion of experiencing and realizing value of what one is receiving or already has within ones life. Ones who practice gratitude daily experience higher levels of health and well being. Practicing gratitude brings more happiness, less stress, less depression, and more satisfaction in your life. The practices of gratitude will allow you to handle life transactions better as well as creating a positive way in which to deal with obstacles that may come up in life.
