Change, Change, Change. How many therapists does it take to change a light bulb? The bulb has got to want to change. Da da! And so it is with life changes, we have got to want to change, or have we? I hope you will enjoy my musings on the nature of Change and the relevance this has to the work that I do at Snowdonia Retreat.
Some Changes happen instantly, some slowly.
Some Changes go unnoticed.
Some Changes we have little or no choice about
Some changes just won’t manifest when we want them to
Some changes are imperceptible yet can turn out to be major shifts and our lives simply can’t be the same again
The one constant, is that there will always be change
The Universe is in a constant state of chaos or change according to scientists. Our bodies are in constant renewal and change. The alignment of the planets, our emotions, and our lives are constantly changing and re-adjusting. Why then does living with Change, bring so many people so much distress?
The mind seems to struggle with all this change, as it tries to make meaning out of what is happening. Somewhere we must have a blueprint of how things were, or ‘should’ be, and we want to get back to that. Once the British coastline had been charted and a map produced, we believe that is where it should stay and we get upset when it moves, sometimes taking houses with it. In truth the coastline is constantly eroding and depositing and changing, it is dynamic. With our own lives our minds keep looking for some old pattern that we recognise. How often do we check out to see if this is the best blueprint to use? We may need to re-chart our life stories and we may need help.
You probably know someone who lives in the past. All of their memories and expectations of life are based on what has gone before, that was somehow better, and nothing matches up. Do you also know somebody who carries their past hurts around with them, having made up a big story that prevents them from being fully in their current lives? In the Tibetan Book of Living and Dying by Sogyal Rinpoche he writes ‘Since impermanence to us spells anguish, we grasp onto things desperately, even though all things change. We are terrified of letting go, terrified, in fact, of living at all… And this is the tragedy and the irony of our struggle to hold on: not only is it impossible, but it brings us the very pain we are seeking to avoid’
None of us is immune, it is simply part of the human condition. Our minds, rarely stop chattering and telling us stories. When does your mind stop to draw breath? When we meditate or connect with Source, through music or nature- perhaps by seeing a sunrise or the full moon in a starry sky. Then, we get a glimpse of inner peace, wonder or excitement. The continuity that just is. To be healthy we need to connect with that part that is within all of us and to learn to live with the challenges and changes that life throws up. We simply set our goals and then let them go.
Does your light bulb want to change? When do you find the time to let go, to reflect and re-assess if the patterns you are committing to are the ones that best suit you now? How do you set new goals? Do you actively make time alone and do you seek the best assistance and companions for your journey?
My recent life experiences have been deep and powerful and have brought me to a place of strength and preparedness for the role I now have. In short, I have been through some major changes and shifts and have withdrawn, let go and refocused my life. Reiki has provided the continuity: I self-treat daily and for me it is a spiritual practise that has guided me to where I needed to be. I am now ready for the new life I now have.
Snowdonia Retreat has been offering accommodation and a few treatments during this period of preparation and now it is being truly launched into its role as a supportive spiritual place where people can do just what they need to move and adjust to changes in themselves, in their lives and to the planet.
Our Higher selves guide us to the places we need to go for our learning and healing at any point in time. The trick is to be open to whatever the learning is and that requires time alone and help. So by providing a safe place for people to come and reflect on what, if any, changes they wish to make in their lives, I know those people that need to find my Retreat will do so. You may be one of those people, or you may be the person to pass on a suggestion, perhaps to someone who is going through major changes in circumstances or who feels stuck. Even those of us who live in this beautiful part of the world need to take time to experience and breathe in nature anew and a retreat or residential course right here on our doorsteps may be just what you need to take you forward.
The tutors I have invited to work with me are all inspiring people whose workshops I have enjoyed and gained from. They are working around the same theme of assisting people through changes whether the focus is, creativity /personal growth with Judy Barber in the Perfect Mix, Spiritual Meditation with Rajan Samra, or the Sweat Lodge run by Viv Candlish, or through Reiki Healing with Liz Lyden.
May I wish you all well on your healing journey and I look forward to connecting with you in 2006.