In the Freedom and Flow of Life
Do you know how wonderful it feels to be in the freedom and flow of life? To be at peace and harmony within yourself and in your world? Three days ago, I returned from facilitating a weekend retreat—“Dancing with the Divine: How to Live in the Freedom and Flow of Life”—at the Mariawald Retreat Center in Reading, Pennsylvania, about an hour’s drive from my home in New Cumberland. For the entire weekend, the twelve of us allowed ourselves to be in the divine flow—that natural flow of life that is available to us if we take time to notice and align with it.
How easy it is to feel in the freedom and flow of life when we’re in a peaceful, serene atmosphere surrounded by like-minded people whose collective intention is to relax and be renewed in body, mind, and spirit! Add to that, perfect spring weather with sunshine, low humidity, and a gentle breeze; spacious private rooms overlooking a pond graced by a fountain or a grove of stately trees; nature trails or walking paths to explore; and three meals a day provided for us. And feel in the freedom and flow of life we did as we relaxed, shared ideas, laughed and played together, spent time in meditation, took quiet walks, or read a favorite book as we sat on a bench overlooking the grounds—whatever felt good and brought us a sense of peace and harmony.
Too soon it was time to leave the peace and serenity of Mariawald. We wondered if and how we could continue to live in the freedom and flow back home in our everyday lives. I assured the retreatants that it was indeed possible, albeit sometimes challenging, to continue to live in the freedom and flow of life.
I have to admit that not long after my return home—still feeling like I was floating on the clouds—my resolve to continue in that flow was tested. After hearing the three children in the townhouse adjacent to mine continuously running up and down the stairs (sounding more like a herd of elephants than three young children); spending several hours on the phone trying to correct a problem with my Tracfone (which still isn’t corrected) and generally feeling overwhelmed by all the items on my to-do list which remained undone, I wondered what happened to the beautiful flow I felt during my time at Mariawald. So, I know personally how
easy it is to let outside distractions keep us from feeling in the flow of life, and I also know that when we feel overwhelmed, annoyed, or distracted, there are ways to bring ourselves back into that feeling of freedom and flow.
So how can we do that?
We can take time to pause (right in the middle of the confusion, overwhelm, annoyance, or as soon as possible), close our eyes, take a few deep breaths, and accept what is. It’s okay to feel annoyed, confused, overwhelmed (whatever we’re feeling at the moment). Telling ourselves we shouldn’t be feeling whatever we’re feeling only creates more tension or anxiety.
We can ask our inner spirit questions such as: “What am I feeling right now? What do I need?”
We can listen for the answer, which may be to simply sit and focus on our breath for a few minutes, take a walk, play relaxing music, put the to-do list aside for awhile, or call a friend.
As much as possible, we can follow the guidance we receive even though we think we are too busy. We can notice how we feel after following the guidance. (We’ll most likely find that after taking a few minutes to relax and center ourselves, we’ll accomplish much more as we move forward through our day.)
The more we practice these steps, the easier it will be to bring ourselves back into the freedom and flow of life.
For more suggestions to help you live in the freedom and flow of life, check out my book—Dancing with the Divine: Six Dance Lessons to Free Your Inner Spirit and Live an Extraordinary Life available here.