Tuesday, August 04, 2009
Research indicates that the viewer has an effect on what is being viewed, which is to say, the act of looking at something influences how it "is". Just by looking, not anything above and beyond simple eye contact. This has some interesting aspects when you think about "reality". We all think we know what reality is, and often we find ourselves surprised when things happen we didn't expect to be in a particular reality. Maybe the only thing we really can control is our perception of what is going on, what reality is, and how we respond to that perception. This could be one source for that charming or irritating phrase, depending on where you are when you hear it: "When life gives you lemons, make lemonade".
In practical terms, what does this really mean? The late Mary Burmeister, revered Jin Shin Jyutsu® teacher, said, "Go to the harmony, not the dirty dishes." Any reality, be it a skinned knee, rash, headache, or anything else, operates on a range of energetic frequencies, magnetic and electrical. If we keep our minds clear by remembering to breathe, we can put our energies in synch with the most harmonious frequency in our situation in a given moment, and experience whatever balance is available in that moment. It doesn't mean things won't hurt or be disappointing or exciting; it just means that WE will have taken steps to insure our own balance with what is around us, and stay in tune with the dance of life that is going on all around. This in turn allows for a give and take in the situation, helps prevent constriction (which translates into pain on a physical level), and keeps things dynamic.
Energy medicine is, of course, wonderful for maintaining optimum balance. Flower essences can help clear the debris from our energetic systems, and regular body work such as Jin Shin Jyutsu® keeps the energy flowing in the correct channels in the body. In conjunction with these modalities, keeping one's actual physical and emotional parameters in mind is crucial as well. Don't push farther than you can really go, don't hang back when you could stretch a bit more. Get enough sleep, consider your own personal history and consciously evaluate what you and your body are capable of performing. So often we look outside ourselves not only for rewards but for instruction on how to function. Listening to yourself and acting on that awareness, keeping yourself energetically in balance with energy work, and taking the time to respond to things rather than react, can really help you shape your own reality so that the harmony and the dirty dishes are in synch!
Kelley Rico is a trained herbalist and aromatherapist, and a Certified Flower Essence and Jin Shin Jyutsu® Practitioner.