The Art of Relaxation

In Western society, people are programmed to do, to act, to “get things done”.  A common phrase we hear is, “I’m so busy.”  Being busy is glorified in some circles, as if the busier we are, the more important we are.  It has become a society extremely focused on action, progress and achieving goals. People have become “human doings” rather than “human beings”.  A lot of the over-activity is tied to making enough money to live in this expensive world we have created. Some people have to work three or four jobs just to make ends meet.

Certainly, we are here to live our purpose and we must act to create, but we must also learn to live in a relaxed manner, to connect with the easy flow of life.  When we relax, we allow all good things to come to us. In his book,Return of the Bird Tribes Ken Carey writes, “The incarnational process is a process of relaxation.  It is a process of relaxing all thinking that is born from straining and holding on.  It is a process of choosing not to struggle against the current of what comes to you through the natural movement of your heart.”  Once you allow yourself to be in the natural state of relaxation, your spirit can lead your life.  “There is a movement of spirit that proceeds from within your heart to greet the world with the clarity of perfect action. That movement is intuitive.  It is your direct link with the Source of all life.  In the instant you know what to do and in the same instant, you flow into the perfect action required.”

This is why it is beneficial for us to create daily practices in our lives that will aid in our relaxation such as meditation, being in nature, taking a bath, or anything that will bring us into a relaxed state of being.  If we are so “busy” and our life is filled with tasks from dawn till dusk,  and we spend 10 hours of the day working and doing and then plop down in front of the television at night to turn our brain off, we are doing our spirit a disservice.  The busiest people are those with children, life can seem like a blur of chores and there’s no time for oneself. These are the people who need to create relaxation practices the most.  You don’t even need a practice, just go lie down on the bed and just be.

What if one of the things on your “to do” list was to relax rather than to do something else? Now I can hear all the women out there whose partners might interpret this as, well, I don’t need to mow that lawn, or clean that bathroom, or take out the trash, she’s telling me I should relax.  That’s not exactly what I’m saying. Yes, all those things still need to be done, but there should be action and rest, action and rest, like a wave. And if your life is too full of doing maybe you can look to see where you can make some cuts so you can have more time to just be. Re-create your life based on spending more time in a relaxed state.

The physical business is just one aspect.  There is also the mental state that can be bound by “doing”.  When a person’s mind is constantly chattering, constantly producing thoughts, working to solve problems, it is operating at the level of the intellect. There is another level we can visit, that lies beyond the conscious mind, it is the intuition.  This is where inspired thinking emanates from as it is our connection to our Higher Self, which is connected directly to Source. The dictionary defines intuition as “the ability to understand something immediately, without the need for conscious reasoning.” It is information that is coming to you from the Divine to guide you on your path.  If we can still the mind and cease the conscious thinking, we have access to the voice of spirit…our intuition.  It may come as a sensing beyond the 5 senses, a knowing.

Ken Carey writes, “Trust in God by honoring and trusting your intuitive sense.  No God would create a creature without the wisdom to chart its course! Trust the nature of your design.  God’s actions appear within your awareness as the most natural thing for you to do.  Following them will reconnect you with the awesome powers of the universe, for all your actions will then be in harmony with the underlying intent of the life force itself.”

Many people will say, “I don’t have time to meditate or go into nature or go to a yoga class, I’m too busy.”  But this is your life, and you are the creator of your life.  So you don’t have to “find” time, you have to create space for your Self to just be.  Make it a priority and notice how it changes your life into a life that is far more centered in your heart.

When we relax we can be fully connected to our Spirit, and our heart.  We can more easily live a life that is aligned with the will of God in which our actions ease the suffering of others.  We can have space to learn to love ourselves and each other better. To feel the beat of our own heart as it is connected with the heart beat of mother earth and to gaze at the stars and the moon in wonder at the total amazement that we are in these bodies, with this chance to learn, to grow, to love and to be grateful for every lesson or gift that comes to us in this lifetime.  When we relax, we allow all the beautiful things and people and events that life has to offer us to come flowing to us, like a river of love, rather than making it happen by sheer physical force or effort.  Breathe, connect and relax…it’s all coming to you.