We didn’t really feel like being too active this last week. Muggy heads and blocked noses will do that to a person. We focused on getting plenty of sleep, keeping hydrated and doing enough to keep our minds occupied and motivated. There was still work to be done, there is always still work to be done.
The weather has been unseasonably wet this past week. Normally we would have moved into drier, colder days. Instead, for several consecutive evenings, grey clouds have pulled themselves over the sky. The grumbling thunder and first flick of lightning scattered the cats under cushions and chairs. We just shook our heads in wonder.
“The weather is so strange for this time of year,” Chantal said, as she pulled down the blinds and closed the windows in the non-sunny sunroom.
“It is,” agreed Matthew, as he flew down the passage to shut more windows against billowing curtains.
Thunderbolts and lightning, very, very frightening for some of our furry friends
Nothing personal
We are not complaining. It is a pleasant surprise to get rain at this time of year when we would be frowning at drying beds and using precious water to feed the impatiens under the eaves. Weather can be harsh and we do complain about it and the havoc it can cause. Memories of our hail shredded garden come to mind. Not that the weather cares. Nothing nature does is personal.
Tsunami and tornado, flood and drought. Nothing personal. The birds eat worms, the cats catch the birds, nothing personal. The mice dance across our ceiling, the spiders spin web bridges across window frame corners and the ants walk single file over everything, nothing personal.
Sitting at the table eating breakfast, Matthew observed that nature, in general, and the weather, in particular, is in flow. It does not contract, it does not resist. It’s also how our bodies were designed.
Get into the flow
“When I am asleep my body continues to run, it does not need me to intervene on a conscious level,” Matthew reflected watching the pigeons pecking at the grass. “How can I align with my natural state and get into the flow of the intelligence that runs my body? This same intelligence sits at the core of who I am. If I can step in line with it, rather than thinking too much about what I can do to better it, I wonder what that would do for my overall wellbeing?”
“We are far too clever for our own good, aren’t we?” replied Chantal. “We’re currently getting over colds. Cognitively we know that if we are in alignment we will stay healthy on a physical and an emotional level, and yet.”
And yet. We push ourselves. We know how much rest we should get, and yet we push the shut-eye later than recommended. We know we need to take breaks, and yet we soldier on through 6 day weeks. We hanker after relief from the screen, and the pull of deadlines, and yet we make excuses that we cannot afford it, that there is so much for this giant team of two to deliver.
Our Cinco de Mayo art celebration. Can you guess whose is whose?
Energy injection
It was with this in mind that we spent our Friday evening doing something completely different. We joined a small group at a cosy venue in our village. We ate Mexican food and painted Mexican styled art in celebration of Cinco de Mayo. We laughed and relaxed and enjoyed the creative breath of fresh air.
We needed the energy injection because the next day we were back with our peer coaching group. We are not the only ones that have to master juggling skills. The head of the foundation was having a circus of a day, with several teachers off sick, several teens in distress and us needing to find a space to hold our session.
We were bounced a few times but eventually settled in an open classroom. It is difficult to stay in the flow when the river is full of rocks, still, it was no coincidence that the theme of the session was building self-awareness.
Titled Hook me to heal me from one of our twelve principles. Being hooked is what can sometimes be referred to as having your buttons pressed that can lead to an unpleasant, unexpected knee-jerk reaction. A bumpy, rocky ride that can leave all parties struggling for air from the resulting conflict.
It was a very full module that had to be worked through more swiftly than we would have liked. The late start had ensured that we were on the hop, skip and jump to get through the content. At least one participant felt swept away by it all.
“There is too much information to absorb,” he said at the check out, after the class.
While another reminded us that “The journey to the self doesn’t stop.”
Some intense realisations about the principle “Hook me to heal me” happened at our peer support coaching program
The journey to the self
We know that the wave of information will slow and settle over the week. Maybe some of it will only land on some later date in the future. If we don’t take personally the inability to absorb the new material quickly and if we can allow for some of the discomfort while trusting that we are heading in the right direction, we may get there with fewer scratches, less water-filled nostrils and alot more buoyancy.
The journey to the self doesn’t stop. What it does do is ask that we consistently choose to come back to our bodies and get into flow of the intelligence that runs it all. This is, afterall, where the self lives - in the ever-changing moment of now.
We invite you to explore this idea with us. Together let’s see what difference it makes to flow with the river, rocks, rapids and all.
Until next time.
Yours in feeling,
Chantal & Matthew
About the author
5th Place
5th Place is a dynamic organization that's passionate about emotional fitness. We're the creators of Shape of Emotion, a revolutionary tool that's changing the way we understand and manage our emotions. But we're not just about theory - we're about practical, tangible change.
We offer Emotional Fitness Classes and courses that help individuals, from children to adults, build emotional resilience and well-being. For our younger audience, we've created the Vibarealm, a vibrant universe that encourages a healthier interaction with emotions.
Join us on this journey to emotional fitness and let's make the world a better place together.