Revitalize your mental drainage system with these tips to think clearly and have a productive day.

A friend was at my home recently helping me with a house project and he noticed one of my plants. He said, “this type of plant loves to be soaked with water, but you have to drain it,” as he picked it up and showed me the solid bottom trapping the water.  “If you don’t let it drain, the roots will rot from too much water.” The plant was in a container with holes sitting inside another container without holes and insufficient room to drain, so, I pulled it out, soaked it, and placed it on a plate to let it drain.

My friend was right. Two of the shoots rotted a few weeks ago so I had to pull them out and throw them away.

This same natural principle can be applied to understanding the mind and our energy systems. Many of us thrive on new ideas, being with others, life experiences, e-mail, Internet, social networks, etc.  We are constantly watering ourselves. Although many minerals and gems can be found in this watering process, it can be hard to see them at times when there is so much at once.

I physically experienced this a few weeks ago as I repelled down the middle of a waterfall in Costa Rica. The water splashed in my face so much that I could barely see. I had to close my eyes for a second to get my focus, feel my feet on the rock and pull the rope so I could inch down away from the heavy flow portion of the waterfall. A sigh of relief and rush of joy ran through me as I moved away from it but could still see it and appreciate its beauty from a short distance.

Sometimes we get so inundated with information, activities, and opportunities, it makes us feel pressure in the upper part of our body since we receive much of the information with our heads (eyes/ears/nose) and begin to synthesize it in our minds. The resulting pressure of anxiety or a feeling of being overwhelmed results when the “water” gets trapped without a built in drain mechanism to allow for free flow.  All of the sudden, we have a whole list of “to-do’s, I must’s and I have to’s” and feel stuck in the now wondering how we will get them all done.  

Underlying this pressure is often the thought, “I don’t have enough time.” How many times a day or week are you saying this to yourself deep down or to others? It doesn’t feel good when you think that there’s not enough time, does it?

Our society thrives on the underlying illusion that there is not enough time, perhaps because we feel pressure to do it then or to do it all, but when you close your eyes and inch the rope down a little, away from the raging part of the waterfall, can you look out at the beautiful view and see the bigger picture that there truly is enough time? Breathe in this truth, and exhale the scarcity view because time is not really the problem.

When you take a moment to soak in the bigger picture, remember there are many of these moments…one right after the other. Just because you are aware of a number of great ideas and opportunities doesn’t mean that you have to do all of them in the moment that you learn of them or ever.  Write them down and take five minutes to relax so you can determine a priority list that feels good and not pressured. Pay close attention to how you feel as you consider each one and commit to the ones that feel good in the time that feels right.

Then, intently focus and be in the moment as you do them--one at a time. Move those feet down the rock and inch down the rope, one step at a time. Be open to the possibilities and opportunities along the way, creating a balance between focusing on what you have and know and allowing new information and thoughts to enter.

Our cells hold thoughts, so we feel bad when we think negative thoughts that conflict with our true selves (that know that all is well), and we feel good when we are in alignment with our truth. This is also why we can exercise or stretch (and a number of other physical activities) to clear our minds…to drain the excess “water” in order to cultivate a strong root system.

Since it’s not always convenient to exercise when we need it most (perhaps sitting in front of our computers), here are three tips to get your drainage system working efficiently:

1)    Since we can change our systems and how we feel by changing our thoughts, take time to deeply inhale in the truth that says “there is enough time” and exhale out any thought that time is scarce. Continue for one minute or more.

2)    Since we can change our thoughts by clearing our systems, try clearing your belt flow (we often hold emotions and old negative beliefs in our solar plexus, or the area above your belly button), which causes a blockage in the drainage system, resulting in anxiety or pressure up top; hence, the thoughts/energy can’t move down:

a.     Put one hand on your solar plexus (above the belly button), one hand over that hand, so your arms wrap around your mid-section rib area.  Bring your elbows into your sides, hold tightly and then hold your breath for as long as you can before getting dizzy. Release your breath and the hold.  Repeat three more times.

                                               i.     You should feel a little energy in your feet, which signals that the “water” is draining.

                                              ii.     You should also feel lighter in the chest area.

                                             iii.     Notice that you can think much clearer.

b.    Do this as many times as you feel the need--every day--to create a habit of processing life as it relates to your ideas, opportunities, commitments, situations, conflicts, etc. It helps you to LET GO.

c.     This can also help relieve headaches and muscle spasms and improve memory, as it sends oxygen to the cells of the body.

3)    Clean out your e-mail inbox: sort the e-mails you need to keep in folders and delete anything you no longer need.  Only save pending items that you plan to address in your inbox or special folder. This will give you focus and is one step that will help you see that there is indeed enough time. This process is very clearing on many levels. If you can’t do it in one sitting, set aside a little time each day and notice the relief that comes.

Want to learn more?

Hypnosis works effectively to help you replace old clogging illusions that no longer serve you with positive thoughts. Hypnosis is not as mystical as some people might think. In fact, you are already doing it on your own for most of your day. Any time you tap into your creative mind, you are in a state of hypnosis—likened to being in the zone or day-dreaming.

Hypnotherapy merely helps you to tap into your creative brain around a topic or goal, replacing illusions with more positive, productive thoughts, which become a creative reality. It is important to engage in this type of process in order to move forward and create a better and lasting root system that is healthy and supportive.

To book a session, call (202) 709-6013 or email laura@bridgenosis.com.