Soul-Fed Mama: Make Room For Yes
“And I say to my heart: Rave on.” - Mary Oliver
In the noisy crush of daily life, filled with car pool schedules, missing shoes, homework struggles, not enough money in the budget and you can’t remember the last time you had a long conversation with your best friend, it can be really hard to hear that small quiet voice that reminds you want you really yearn for.That voice is your compass, your intuition, your truth. It is incredibly powerful, but you have to be able to hear it. [Tweet "When you make room to listen, you heart will guide you on a sure path."]When I have enough room for quiet in my life, that voice can lead me toward the things that bring me peace, joy, and growth. That voice whispers out my impossibly brave dreams. That voice thrums a sure, “Yes,” when I am on the right path.But when my life is too full, I can’t hear it. And without it, I am quickly lose my way. I spend more time comparing my life to what I think others are doing and worrying about what they think about me. I start saying yes to things I don’t really want to do.Learning to say no is the best first step to making room in your life to hear that yes. But you also need to get quiet enough to tune in. Here are a few ways to get that kind of quiet:BreatheBreathing deeply is a great way to calm your nervous system, which in turn calms your mind. Start with three deep breaths. Breathe in through your nose, until you feel your ribs rise up away from your belly. Blow out through your mouth, gently, and exhale until your stomach presses back to your spine. Release any thoughts that swirl back and just focus on the sound and sensation of your breath.With a little practice, you will find that in that quiet will come a kind of clarity. You may see an image or think unexpectedly of a line of a song or some poetry. See what your heart offers you.Seek BeautyBeauty is everywhere when you look for it. You can find it in a certain slant of light, in the way your daughter’s hair falls across her shoulders, in the color of a leaf fallen on your path. But it is so easy to go through the habits of life without noticing any of that.Noticing beauty opens you up. It opens your eyes, to see more of it, and it opens your heart to feel gratitude for it. That gratitude is a path to your inner quiet.Make it a practice to pause in your day and notice the beauty around you. Slow down and plug in to it.Get Into Your BodyWe all have moments where we feel the chant of “too much, too much, too much” marching around our heads. Too many obligations, too many decisions to be made, too much input, and never ever enough time.You can break that refrain by getting out of your head and into your body. You can do that by simply breathing, or by stepping outside to feel the breeze and notice the clouds. You can practice yoga, or have a dance party. You can go for a run, or practice a porch meditation. Check in with your senses - what can you hear? See? Feel? Smell?Use each of these three practices to connect with your sixth sense - your intuition or inner knowing. Learning how to make the quiet space to connect with yourself will you to find your own bold, “Yes.”Listen to your inner voice in this moment. What do you know for sure right now?