Without having even met you, my spirit can already sense that you’re too busy. Am I right? (I also sense that you’re smiling at that last comment… well, at least smirking.) Why are we in such a hurry? Mother Nature isn’t. Look at the trees, for example. They don’t rush to reach their full growth. Yet we always seem to be racing against the clock. Ironically, I even found myself rushing through traffic the other day, trying desperately to get to my meditation group on time so I could be still and quiet my mind. How crazy is that? I was in a hurry to slow down! And I’m supposed to be an expert on stress management? (Oh, the irony. Sigh.)
You need only read the news to learn of the suffering all around the globe. Or simply look at people’s faces in public — you can empathically sense their emotional tension. There’s such a great need out there to find and hold onto tranquility. So what can you, personally, do to manifest a state of tranquility in your life, not only for your benefit, but also to improve the emotional temperature of those around you?
Okay, let’s start at the beginning. The first step is mindfulness. We need to become aware of what causes us to feel stressed and what triggers our anger. After all, we can’t expect to manifest tranquility if we’re upset. Here are just some of the major stressors in our lives:
- Family conflict.
- Work disagreements.
- Relationship issues.
- Money troubles.
- Environmental concerns involving climate change/global “weirding,” pollution, high crime, problems with neighbors, and so on.
- Geopolitical strife like war, overpopulation, starvation, etc.
- Health problems such as illness, chronic pain, and chemical dependency, to name a few.
The following helpful suggestions are from Wisdom from the Woods and can be used to decrease stress and increase tranquility:
- Living a healthy lifestyleincluding moderate exercise, proper nutrition, good hydration, and adequate sleep.
- Meditating and letting goof disturbing thoughts instead of clinging to them.
- Guided imagerysuch as picturing the relaxing, puffy, white clouds slowly passing overhead.
- Diaphragmatic breathing
Slow, deep breathing is one of the most effective ways to reduce tension and invite peacefulness into your heart. I feel the beneficial effects of diaphragmatic breathing starting with the first breath, and it only gets better from there.
When you’re feeling stressed, try taking four to six deep breaths. Inhale slowly through your mouth as if you’re sipping air through a straw. Hold your breath for four seconds. Then exhale slowly through your nose. Why through the nose? Because it slows down your exhalation. Soon you’ll discover that whenever you need it, tranquility is only a breath away.
Here’s the thing: everyone on the entire planet needs to stay connected to the Great Earth Mother. If you’re physically able, get yourself into the forest for a hike. This will give you exercise and a mental health break.
Nothing is more rejuvenating and grounding than a stroll through the woods, in any season. You don’t need to draw a Magickal circle around you and conjure up woodland fairy spirits to manifest tranquility. Simply sit on a log or boulder in the woods, and the Earth Goddess will do the manifesting for you.
The manifestations of tranquility are all around you — and already within you, too, because we are part of Mother Nature, not separate from Her.
What if you’re not physically able to go into the woods? (Okay, fair question.) I assume that somewhere in your home, you have windows. If you can’t go to the forest, go to your window. Look up at the sky. Is the Sun God greeting you with rays of sunshine? Or perhaps it’s a cloudy day, bringing the land much-needed moisture in the form of rain or snow? Can you see the trees, squirrels, birds, summer’s green grass, winter’s swirling snow drifts? Even if it’s freezing outside, can you appreciate Mother Nature’s beauty in the lacy frost around the edges of your windows? These are all manifestations of tranquility. Claim it!
Look to the loving care of Grandmother Moon. Basking in the moonlight always increases my tranquility. Whether you’re outside or looking out a window, stand in the moonlight. Let Grandmother Moon stream her moon beams on your face. Let her moonlight wash your soul clean of all the tension, bitterness, resentment, and negative energy. Just stand there and breathe. Breathe in love from the Universe. Let that love manifest tranquility in your body, mind, and soul. Then, breathe out any last remaining stress you may still have.
What’s that you say? You want a handy exercise to help you manage stress? Try this:
Pick up a dried leaf from the ground and hold it gently between your palms. Close your eyes and focus on transmitting all your stress, anger, bitterness, hurt, and resentment into that leaf. No matter what situation frustrated you or who hurt you, release your tension into that leaf, and let it go!
I suppose you can see this as a pagan type of forgiveness (in a way). If you think about it, forgiveness is essential for achieving peace — because how can you have calm in your heart when you hold onto resentful thoughts in your mind?
After you’ve emotionally placed all your negative energy into that dry leaf, step outside, scoop a small patch of ground away with your fingers, and bury the leaf. Say out loud, “As the leaf rots, so, too, does my stress and bitterness.” Then, with each passing day, be mindful that the leaf is slowly decaying. After about a week or two, you’ll feel in your spirit that the leaf is gone and so is your tension.
One more quick one. Try this practical meditation exercise to help you manifest tranquility:
Imagine that you are a tree. The stormy winds may cause your branches to sway, but your trunk is sturdy. Imagine sinking your roots into the ground. This visualization will not only keep you centered, but it will also help you manifest tranquility by grounding your uncontrolled energies.
Let me leave you with this final thought:
Some say the grass is greener on the other side of the fence. And it’s tempting to think that you can be more tranquil there. But, instead of jumping the fence, why not just water your own grass? Self-care leads to manifesting tranquility. Take care of yourself, and your tranquility will grow like the grass!
———————————-
About the author: Mark Langenfeld is the author of Wisdom from the Woods: A Year of Gentle Guidance from Mother Nature, published by Llewellyn Worldwide and releasing January 8th. He holds a doctorate in clinical psychology from Alliant International University in Fresno, CA, and teaches psychology at Northwood Technical College in Superior, WI. Dr. Langenfeld practices a hybrid blend of Paganism and Buddhism.
The post Manifesting Tranquility appeared first on Retailing Insight Magazine.
