AMOR FATI Part 2: From Coping to Thriving Healing Tools
In Part 1 of this blog (CLICK HERE) I spoke about some of my struggles with comparison-itis and escaping my reality. Whether or not you have had these same struggles, many of us in the overly-heady Western world could all benefit from soothing our nervous systems, getting out of her heads and grounding into our body.
So, if you’re interested in feeling whole in your body and existence, here are 7 of my favourite “From COPING TO THRIVING healing tools”:
1. Reading “ATOMIC HABITS” By James Clear.
An incredibly profound and practical book that can help you make time your ally and help you to build trust and confidence in yourself and your ability to feel fulfilled by how you spend your time and therefore your life. Empowering yourself with every little step you take to do something good for yourself.
2. BREATHWORK
“Breathe with Sandy” is my favourite breathwork channel on YouTube. This is a great tool to help you calm your nervous system and GET OUT OF YOUR HEAD. And it’s a great way to process anger and grief. Also, if you can’t sit still and don’t like the idea of meditation - you’d be surprised at how fun and active some breathwork can feel like. For me it feels like dancing and getting a lot of movement out in my system. If you want something active try this 16 minute practice in this video: Life Force Energy - Vitalize your Body, Mind & Spirit
There’s breathwork with different purposes ie. Morning invigoration, reset in the afternoon, doing a DMT breathwork journey to really tap into Source energy, doing Zen breathwork for sleep and relaxation. There’s an abundance of different techniques to try on Sandy’s channel. Life can be expensive BUT BREATH WILL ALWAYS BE FREE, and learning how to utilize it is a great way to help you feel both calm and full of life.
3. ECSTATIC DANCE
There’s a sober ecstatic dance night on Friday’s in Fitzroy that is a great introduction to this - Ecstatic Dance Melbourne. You can also find playlists on Spotify or YouTube and do it around your house - CLICK HERE for one of my favourite playlists.
The aim is to let your body move however it wants to, not trying to look presentable, but rather tapping into a wild uninhibited movement where you can stomp, shake, and wiggle out the tension inside your body. This is also a great way to move out anger and grief. This is really helpful for someone like me who is constantly curating and controlling myself and my movement taking into account my environment or perceptions. This is a chance to let loose and not give a flying BEEP!
4. YOGA
This is pretty obvious and known to be a helpful tool to move and center yourself. I enjoy doing “Yoga with Bird” on YouTube for gentle and restorative 10-15 minute videos that bring more calm CLICK HERE. There’s plenty of Yoga teachers on YouTube for you to explore and find the one that really resonates with you.
5. GRATITUDE PRACTICE
The best way to welcome more blessings in your life is to notice and appreciate all the blessings you already have. I really have to remind myself sometimes just how far I’ve come, and how a few years ago I would have killed for some of the things I have now with ease. But to be frank if I am in a bit of a depressive spiral, this is hard to access without doing some movement work like breathwork, ecstatic dance or yoga first.
Examples of gratitude practices that would keep you consistent are writing in a gratitude journal for a few minutes before bed each night. And writing it down is also great to lift your mood the next time you’re feeling low. You can open your gratitude journal and be reminded of the things that might make you smile. If you’re not prepared to commit to a physical journal, you could also just commit to saying 3 things your grateful for to yourself, every time you brush your teeth each morning and night.
6. CONNECTION & COMMUNITY
This is huge. The loneliness epidemic is a real thing. Loneliness is very much linked to addiction and escapism. As someone who moved around a lot growing up and in adulthood, feeling a strong sense of community hasn’t exactly come easily to me. It can take time to build a community “from scratch” in a sense, not only because it just logistically takes time to meet people and create bonds, but also if you’re like me – it can take work to start deconstructing your defensive mechanism that actually perpetuate your isolation. So it’s important to do inner work with perhaps a therapist or a shaman, but also it’s important to put yourself out there and not just on your phone screen. The best way to do this is attend events and gatherings with hobbies or activities that you are interested in or curious about - yoga groups, running groups, women’s circles, travel groups, pottery, dance classes, whatever floats your boat! Follow your path of joy and find people that enjoy the same things essentially. Also this might sound random - but working in hospitality is a great way to build community - as I’ve met soooo many people that way in Melbourne from coworkers to customers.
7. AFFIRMATIONS
I love working with affirmations to help reprogram my limiting beliefs. Maybe you could think it’s silly that saying an uplifting and empowering phrase to yourself 1 time, can’t help that much. But having these empowering messages repeatedly poured into your consciousness really helps you expand your self-esteem and feelings of worthiness. It gives you the language to rewrite limiting beliefs you may have picked up through different challenges in your childhood and life. Louise Hay has so many amazing Affirmation series on Youtube or Spotify ie. 101 Power Thoughts - these are great to play as you move about your day doing errands.
Affirmations to help embody “Amor Fati” and to overcome comparison-itis and escapism:
My reality is better than my fantasies, because I embrace, nurture, and accept each moment exactly as it is, with loving presence and awareness.
I receive the miracle of this moment.
I welcome the magic of life and uncertainty.
I let go of excessive escapism and I offer it love for serving me until now, and helping me cope.
I move from coping to thriving!
I trust the process of my life.
Everything I experience serves me.
My life is abundant in its own unique way.
Affirmations to help procrastination by Louise Hay:
I am willing to release the need to be unworthy.
I am worthy of the very best in life,
And I now lovingly allow myself to accept it.
As I spend a few days doing this affirmation over and over
My outer affect pattern of procrastination
Will automatically begin to fade
As I internally create a pattern of self-worth, then I no longer need to delay my own good.
What works for me, might not work for you. But if anyone could benefit and bring more balance to their life with any of these suggestions, I’d be glad to have shared it.
Here’s to all of us tapping into our #DivineProwess more each day.
Love,
Hana Rosé
The Soulful Siren