In my last blog we talked about the two realms of journaling – journaling that accesses your mind and journaling that accesses your soul. As you begin a dedicated practice to journaling you will notice when you switch between the two. When I access my mind and journal, I feel as though I am in control and working though ideas, problems and feelings through my mind. When I am tapping into my soul I feel as though I am being channeled, the words come effortlessly, there are downloads of information that I wasn’t consciously aware I knew, and when I read it again, I have this profound connection and feeling of deep gratitude for the experience and insights I have gained. While soul journaling sounds more appealing (well to me anyway), this post is focusing on journaling that accesses your mind. I truly believe that to tap into the soul realm of journaling, you first need to understand and release the inner workings of your mind. Once you clear that dust then you begin to tap into the soul realm.
So how do you begin to explore your mind and the thoughts that arise in a way that creates a release but also helps you connect deeply with yourself? Firstly (like I mentioned in the previous blog) you need to release judgement. The judgment of what you write, your experiences, your feelings. Bring the mindset that every thought is valid and completely okay to feel. Then start writing – about anything and everything. You need to train your mind to release. If you are having trouble, start with something that is worrying you in your life. Recount the problem, describe it, work through how you’re feeling and why, write all the details – even if you don’t see the point in doing it. As you work through the triggering event or problem, start paying attention to how you are feeling – then write about that. Once you’ve written about that GO DEEPER. What effect does that feeling have on your body? How do you perceive the next thing you have to do while you are still sitting with that feeling? The more we become aware of how one thought can influence a myriad of experiences and sensations in our minds and bodies then we tap into another level of connection with ourselves. But we don’t just have to write about the negative, don’t forget to explore what is going right for you, what is bringing you joy, love and connection. As you write about that, feel into that feeling, draw yourself back to that moment and then bring that feeling into the present moment. Sit with that energy as you write about it.
PODCASTS
The ones that hit deep.
THE SCHOOL OF GREATNESS by Lewis Howes
Do This to Manifest Wealth and Abundance with Kyle Cease
- Our fears and triggers are preventing us from achieving abundance.
- We need to release the mindset that money brings us safety and security – this keeps us playing small.
- Being afraid of not having money breeds scarcity mentality as we want to hold onto it.
- The biggest thing we can do to generate abundance is to free ourselves from our triggers and heal the limiting beliefs we hold.
You can listen to this podcast here.
DEAR GABBY by Gabrielle Bernstein
How To Break Cycles, Set Boundaries and Become the Parent You Want To Be – Big Talk with Dr Becky
- Shifting to the mindset that everyone is actually ‘good inside’
- How to work through big emotions and why your child’s big emotions may be triggering you.
- Helping your children express how they feel and creating a safe environment for everyone’s feelings.
You can listen to this podcast here.
ART THERAPY
As I delve into the world of art therapy, I’m sharing my key insights with you.
The Power of Doodling
Doodles are created spontaneously, without a lot of conscious effort. It is a way of allowing our bodies and hands to express our thoughts in symbols. Doodling helps release any reservations towards drawing, as they do not have to look perfect. Symbols can be interpreted deeply and can provide insightful understandings into our subconscious. It is important to consider theme in doodling because it can provide us with the main idea that needs to be explored. They provide information about our subconscious thoughts and worries when we may not even be aware of it.
Here's a quick activity to do on yourself or others.
- Provide a blue, yellow, red and black marker.
- Think about a current problem.
- Sit with the feelings, beliefs and emotions of the problem as you doodle.
- Draw what comes up- don’t think too hard about it.
- Analyse the doodles to try and understand the theme of it.
You can head over to my Instagram and look under the ‘Art Therapy’ highlight section to see what happened when I did the activity on myself.
KIDS
For our little loves.
BOOK SPOTLIGHT
Slow Down - Written by Rachel Williams and Illustrated by Freya Hartas
My daughter was gifted this book by her grandparents for starting school. It has stunning illustrations, hundreds of facts but is written in a story-like way, which makes it very engaging for children.
YOUTUBE
Metta Minds
My sister started a YouTube channel! Weekly lessons that provide quick activities for children to explore, connect and understand their minds and the world around them.
SUBSCRIBE FOR MORE!
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Meditations to Ponder
- When we release the iron clad attachment to our identities, we begin to reduce fear.
- Without an identity, fear cannot exist.
- The key to releasing our identity is living in the present moment.
Journal Prompts
- I feel the safest and secure when…
- I felt angry when…
- What does freedom look like to you?
ART- All I want for me, all I want for you and all I want for our children.
‘ALL I WANT’ – Buy it here.
All I want is to be understood. I want to be seen for who I am and not who you think I am. I want you to see my flaws and understand where they have come from, to not judge me by them, but guide me with patience to do better with an understanding of how my imperfections came into being. It is that type of understanding that I crave, for it is free from selfishness and personal gain, it is giving, unburdened and riddled with a deep knowledge of who and why I am. I want to be seen for my strengths and I want them to be revered in their own light. I want to be given the grace to make mistakes without the fear that you will not see me anymore. I want to love openly and freely in my own way and I want it to be enough with the understanding that I am giving all I know. I want to be accepted without a list of conditions, so that I can feel the weightlessness of knowing that I am enough. All I want is for you to look at me and let me be me. Let me be me so that I have the liberty to grow and change, the capacity to be fearless. Let me be me so I can give you the best version of me, let me be me so that I can learn to love who I am. Let me be me so that when I look at you, I see you looking at me.