You know what committee I’m talking about don’t you? The one that resides in your head. The swirl of thoughts that go round and round and cause you to miss your exit off the freeway or put your hat in the dishwasher.
I was talking to my dear friend the other day and she said, “I don’t know how to pause the committee in my head long enough to really feel what is right for me.” And boy can I relate to that comment! That's when it occurred to me, “You do pause the committee” I said. “There’s no committee blathering in your head when you nuzzle your dog, Freddie, it’s only you and him. How about when you hike the mountains and draw in a deep breath of nature? How about every time you cuddle one of your grandkids? The committee stops does it not?"
We all should take time to recognize when the committee is on pause. Recognize it so we can repeat it in times of need. Like having an insurance plan, something I learned through my Lightyear coach training (www.lightyear.co) when I feel my energy, my thoughts and way of being slip below the line of choice and I'm reactive. For me, besides getting outside for a walk, I have certain songs on a playlist where I can’t resist tapping a toe to or even dancing when I play them. Yoga, also, can put the committee on pause however not every time. A long-held warrior pose can bring up memories of the past. That's when to remember the breath… make your breath louder than your thoughts. Breath can pause the committee.When the committee is on pause the innate wisdom of the body can be heard.
Recognize times when your committee is on pause. Think of those moments now. Perhaps write them down. Then breath into the sensation of your body. It’s when we stop the whirling thoughts (the committee) that we truly listen to the innate wisdom of our bodies. And like what Hafiz, the Persian poet from the 1300’s said, “And for no reason I start skipping like a child. And for no reason I turn into a leaf that is carried so high I kiss the sun’s mouth and dissolve. And for no reason a thousand birds choose my head for a conference table, start passing their cups of wine and their wild songbooks all around. And for EVERY REASON in existence I begin to eternally, to eternally laugh and love! When I turn into a leaf and start dancing, I run to kiss our beautiful Friend and I dissolve in the Truth That I AM."
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