I grew up in a generation when children were taught to be seen and not heard. At an early age I learned to bite my tongue and not correct, contradict, or challenge anyone even if it meant I didn’t get what I needed. As a result, I became silent and lost touch of myself.
I remember walking home from school when I was in third grade. The distance was about a mile and during the walk I would hum, sing, and drag a stick across the picket fences along the way. I remember noticing the changes in people’s gardens and talking to the plants and animals along the way. When I look back, I can see that my slow repetitive movement and my connecting with nature helped me cultivate “quiet” within myself.
That was many years ago, but as an adult I still turn to walking and observing the changes in people’s gardens as a way to restore my inner quiet. The slow, repetitive motion of walking silences the chatter in my mind and brings about a profound sense of stillness within my whole being. In that stillness life reorders itself. This stillness is not something I have to do or have to think about, the insights and ordering happen spontaneously the minute I become quiet. I can feel my shoulders drop, my breath get fuller, and a sense of peace and contentment wash over me.
As a child, I didn’t know that my walks home from school were activating my conscious mind or that I was also suspending all of the negative tapes stored in my subconscious. Nor did I know that this process was encouraging my brain to dump oxytocin and dopamine into my blood stream. I just knew that walking in an ambling pace and connecting with the natural world, and myself, made me feel good and happy inside.
With this in mind, I invite you to explore some of the ICWIB! art activities and videos for FREE because they are also wonderful way to activate your conscious mind, quiet your inner chatter, and help you feel good and happy inside.
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