February: Time to Embrace The Darkness
“If you desire healing
let yourself fall ill
let yourself fall ill.”Rumi
You may really be feeling the length of the winter at this point- in Ireland, February 1st is considered the first day of spring. With the weather they have been having though, I don’t think anyone could think spring is here yet!
The weather and shorter days and long nights of darkness can certainly affect people negatively, as was discussed in my November post:
https://resoundingpower.com/2014/11/06/winter-dreaming/
As I say there too though, we can also take the opportunity of the darkness to go within- to approach this invitation given to us by nature in a positive way.
This is not always easy, especially when we feel we are living in the flow, embracing our dreams, really trying to live our best lives and a situation, thought or emotion comes up that brings a shock to the system.
Perhaps an emotion about something from your past that you feel you have dealt with, unexpectedly floods your thoughts. Perhaps you have had the experience of over-coming an obstacle in the past and this fear or pattern has suddenly re-appeared. Perhaps a situation has arisen that has awakened fear or dread and you don’t understand why. You may feel like you are re-living a cycle- one that you felt sure you had no intention of re-living!
Everyone I’ve spoken to recently- be they friend, client or randomer on the bus (yes, it happens a lot!)- has been telling me about feeling this kind of emotional tumult.
If you find yourself in this position, try to see this as a huge opportunity for learning rather than a burden.
It will feel like a negative time if you go into the thought ‘I should be feeling ok’ instead of embracing the shadow side and the valuable lesson that will be there.
In a time where the go-to reaction to any pain is dumping chemicals into our bodies and trying to ‘push through’, instead of resting and asking our bodies ‘what’s going on?’ (figuratively or literally depending on your outlook!), it can be tough to go into emotional pain when it arises.
We are taught to put pain aside. We are taught to suppress. To find ways to ‘push through’ the pain. A child cries and we say ‘oh you are ok, aren’t you?!’ with a bright smile, teaching them to ignore the pain and not let out all the tears in the moment. We learn to push aside our instinctive responses and that to acknowledge pain is a weakness.
In my experience, to go into pain and come out the other side is a HUGE strength. To allow every fibre of your being to feel that pain and afterwards, to know that you are ok, will give you a strength beyond that which we are conditioned to believe we have.
Allow yourself to be vulnerable. Allow yourself to feel the whole range of human emotions. Allow yourself to feel your strength- the empowerment of knowing you can feel all that pain, fear, shame, guilt, rejection, sadness…and come out the other side being more you than before is incredible. Allow yourself to let go of all that you have suppressed.
I am not speaking of wildly allowing emotions to control you. I am speaking of mindfully taking a step away from the world to go within- to allow yourself to acknowledge and truly feel old hurts and emotions that were repressed at the time. I am speaking of going into this pain in order to free yourself of it.
Some of these hurts run so deep that there will be scar tissue left behind even after truly dealing with them- and that’s ok. That’s what it is to be human. We are not meant to be ‘flawless’- whatever that even means!
To me, living your best life means embracing all of yourself. Not just the parts that society says is ok to have but truly ALL of yourself.
This doesn’t mean you don’t modify your thoughts or behaviour or strive to be a conscientious, content human. It just means that we need to realise we ARE human. The ‘perfect’ as spoken about by collective consciousness is a ridiculous, programmed, concept. That idea is based on judgment and is subjective- that perfection does not exist and to me sounds SO boring, I am really not sure why we would want it to!
This is a time where we can truly feel how we are united through a great energy and access this energy easier than ever before. We are hugely supported by forces seen and unseen. More people than ever are speaking of this collective illusion and ways they found that helped them to move past that illusion and into contentment.
The more tools and support you have, the easier it will be to be content no matter the emotion running at the time.
Remember to look to others!
Ask for support- reach out to people in your life or online, to authors of articles and books you find helpful, to a healthcare professional if that aligns with what you see as appropriate, to a religious figure if you are so inclined- whoever you think could be of benefit to your journey: ASK FOR HELP!
Set your intention!
State every morning that you want to live your day in contentment. For me, this is not a call to a higher power outside of myself but the one within. If it is a god or gods for you, then put out that prayer.
Embrace the Darkness!
Our shadow sides are coming to the fore to give us the opportunity for hugely positive growth. Allow the thoughts/patterns/memories/feelings to come up: don’t suppress. When appropriate, mindfully, set aside the time to go back into old, unresolved hurts that are looking for attention. Don’t allow yourself to wallow (well, a bit of wallowing every now and then can be good!), do allow yourself to embrace all facets of your humanity.
Without the dark, there is no light…..
The theme for all of us this February is ‘Embrace the Darkness’.
With love and light,
Laura.x
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