At the center of your being you have the answer; you know who you are and you know what you want. -Lao Tzu
Throughout periods of my life I have been surrounded by chaos of one kind or another. Sometimes the chaos was a result of trying to keep up with the unrealistic pace of contemporary life, sometimes it was the result of being in proximity to other people’s drama, and sometimes it was the result of my own drama.
My ability to successfully weather the moments of turbulence in life has always been closely tied to my commitment to a centering practice. If I don’t consistently make time to check-in with myself, I am easily tossed about by circumstances outside of my control.
You Are Here
Most of us are familiar with the cardinal directions of north, south, east, and west. However, in many non-European navigational systems there exists a fifth cardinal direction, that of center. Center can be defined as the place one currently inhabits in relationship to where they are going. Without this orientation, one will always be lost.
This navigational concept can also be applied to our own lives. Without a knowing of ourselves, our center, we will also find ourselves meandering through life without a clear sense of direction. Identifying our personal center provides an internal GPS system for navigating through life with a sense of purpose.
The Journey
Finding center is all about creating space for stillness. We create this space by engaging in practices that quiet the mind enough to allow the superfluous details of outer life to fall away. When the mind is still, our essence, the purest aspect of our nature is allowed to emerge. This essence is the place within each of us where our personal truth, our passions, beliefs, hopes, and dreams reside.
Meditation has been my primary centering practice for over twenty years. It has freed me from chronically looking outside of myself for answers to what is best for me. Meditation has deepen my understanding of myself, what makes me tick, and what ultimately makes me happy.
Additionally, meditation strengthens my connection to something much greater than myself. It is this bond that has provided me unspeakable peace during the most uncertain of moments. Today, I can trust how life unfolds because I feel resonance with my Source.
May Your Roots Run Deep
Metaphorically, I see our lives being much like that of a tree:
When we are centered, we are firmly anchored in a knowing of ourselves.
Although our branches may be shaken by the winds of uncertainty, we are not uprooted.
Our roots sink deep into the primordial ground of our being for the sustenance and inspiration needed to meet our calling.
From this place of inner strength we reach for the heavens in attainment of our innate potential.
Do you have a centering practice? What is it that you do to feel still and connected to your inner world? What does your life look like when you are consistent with that practice and when you are not?
“Woman’s Work” As Spiritual Practice