“The more fears we walk through, the more power we reclaim.” Robin Sharma
At the end of the day we often go home feeling physically and mentally drained. When cumulative, this contributes to burnout. This is not good.
We should be able to retain our power.
This depletion of our energy happens in different ways. We give some of it away and some of it is taken.
Difficult situations such as conflict, loss, fear and managing uncertainty take up much of our energy because we do not feel safe.
The coronavirus pandemic has left us feeling depleted. This is because we feel that we have lost our power to the situation and are at its mercy.
A feeling of powerlessness is extremely negative; it erodes our ability to cope and undermines our resilience.
Barbara Fredrickson a psychologist in America who studies positivity explains that negative emotions have a stronger instant effect than positive.
This is called the negativity bias. This is a product of the evolutionary flight or fight mechanism of our ancestors that we have discussed in other articles.
This negativity bias means that even positive people can quickly be pulled into a negative downwards spiral of thoughts, feelings, negative body chemistry and behaviours that swamps them.
In addition powerlessness can be very seductive.
If we have no power then we have no responsibility.
In today’s world when we are often weighed down with responsibilities this can be very tempting.
We can fall into ‘victim mode’ saying to ourselves “there is nothing I can do about this” “it is out of my control” “I am powerless to do anything” leading to inactivity.
Further compounding the situation, inactivity and a feeling of loss of control then create feelings of worthlessness and a deeper negative spiral.
Today’s resilience tool has its roots in ancient practices.
‘The Power Retrieval’ is used regularly in Shamanic practice to reclaim power after Journeying.
It is easily translated as a psychotherapeutic tool to replenish energy levels at the end of a busy day or during a stressful event.
This skill is of paramount importance at this time as we are all washed out as the pandemic continues to restrict and unbalance us.
We need to work to reclaim our energy on a regular basis.
This week’s resilience tool is a power retrieval that you can do whenever you feel you need it.
Try this:
Sit in a quiet, comfortable place with your spine straight.
Take your awareness, as always to your breathing. The tidal in and out of your breath.
Allow those breaths to slow and deepen as you begin to notice the physical “letting go” of tension on the outbreath.
Now try to get a sense of your need to recharge.
If you are depleted, where does it express itself in your body?
Does it have a colour?
A taste?
A smell?
What does it feel like?
Sit with it for a moment.
Now imagine yourself on a path.
At the beginning of a journey.
This journey represents a recent difficult day.
Or a week of lockdown.
It represents a journey where you lost some of your energy.
However the path appears is right for you.
No need to question or analyse.
Just accept that this is the path where you can reclaim your power.
Begin walking.
As you walk along the path, you will notice objects which have been left along the side of it.
These objects represent your energy.
It doesn’t matter what they are, just know that they symbolise part of your power that you have either lost or given away.
As you travel along the path, pick up these objects and put them in the bag that you have brought with you.
Continue along, collecting the lost objects until you know that you have reached the end of the journey or you arrive back at the start.
Now sit down in a comfortable spot with your bag.
When you examine the contents you will notice that the objects have merged together into a ball of light.
Take out this ball of light. It belongs to you.
Now return it.
You can press it towards your heart or breathe in into your chest.
However you choose to reclaim the energy is right for you.
Enjoy feeling yourself fill with radiant light as you own that lost energy once more.
Sit for a few more moments and then begin to drift gently back to full awareness with a replenished zest for life and the resilience to face everything that lies ahead.
Subscribers will receive an audio of this resilience tool. In addition we will send you our Resilience Gap Analysis Tool and an audio of The White Room a guided meditation to help achieve mindfulness.
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