How do we balance our bodies, our minds and our spirits? You know those wheels that help us delineate the 'slice' of time we spend on various activities such as work, social, kids and partners etc. Well perhaps we could divide the pie into body, mind and spirit segments and track the portions we spend on the three.
Many of us try to exercise more nowadays because we know that's an important part of living long, healthy lives. We feed our minds by reading, dialoguing and with various multi-media presentations. But how much time do we spend on things that feed our spirit?
Spirituality means different things to different people. Spiritual expression can take many form, from formal and religious to informal and secular - to individual or group activities. . When I took my counseling program at City University in 1998, many of our instructors were Narrative Therapists. They spoke often of meaning, asking, "What gives your life meaning?"
In the broader definition of spirituality that I prefer, anything that gives us meaning, in the positive sense of the word, is spiritual. To some women this might mean walking in the woods, gardening, special time with our child or partner. For others meditation, mountain climbing or retraining for a career of service meets spiritual needs.
In his wonderfully inclusive book Beyond Religion: 10 Paths to the Sacred,David Elkins describes the many choices we have in our search for spirituality. His definition of spirituality is a broad concept. He includes nature, the body (including sexuality and movement), relationships, art, nature and more.
In the past two years I have been invigorating and awakening my body, mind and spirit by participating in movement classes several times a week...a combination of dance and energy awareness. The spiraling of the dance can't help but rejuvenate as it clears old energies out of our bodies.
I invite you to choose whatever type of spirituality resonates with you, whatever that may be. Check in with your internal knowing and you will get the answers. And honour those answers as much as possible. It is your right to celebrate spirituality in a way that honours you body, mind and soul.
Copyright Ellen Besso 2007
Through her 'Odyssey of Change' coaching program, Ellen Besso offers Midlife Women the opportunity to navigate the midlife maze and find joy & fullness in their lives.
Personal action plans include strengthening the body-mind connection; releasing beliefs that limit growth; & specific actions to move you forward into your ideal life.
Ellen is uniquely qualified to be your guide because she has personally journeyed through perimenopause and into an inspired life as a menopausal crone! Her professional credentials include certification as a Martha Beck Coach and an M.A. in Counseling from City University.
To find out more about Ellen's work and read articles written by her contact:
http://www.ellenbesso.com or http://www.ellenbesso.com/midlifemazeinfo@ellenbesso.com - 800 961 1364 - N.Am. or 604 886 1916 - Gibsons, B
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