And a beautiful gift given to me…
I’ve been thinking a lot about attention lately.
Where I put it, and the effect it has when I put it there.
As a mum,
An employee or business owner,
A householder …. we get called and asked to be these things 100 times a day, and so the attention naturally sticks to these definitions.
We generally get recognised for the Doing that we Do.
The other day a dear friend gave me a beautiful gift. I was complaining of how busy I was and how much energy parenting was asking of me, whinging that my life was too full, too scattered. He reminded me that 5 minutes before I had been describing a lovely peace and space that I had been feeling after a weeks holiday hiking in the bush. He didn’t just point that out to me, he described it with details like “I saw your whole face relax and get shiny, your muscles soften”, and said that “I felt happy hearing you describe how you felt, it was contagious”.
It was like he was taking a stand for the sacred and spacious in me and I so appreciated it. 100 times a day I get recognised for how much I get done (or don’t get done!), for what I “do” in the world. The spacious in me rose up to meet his words, almost blossomed like a flower and I knew myself as relaxed and shiny, soft and at peace, and this lasted as I went about my doing-day.
What I know from giving regular sessions through the week is that it’s profound what happens when we take our attention away from the habitual places of pain or worry and put it on that small quiet whispering of peace or joy or just plain ok-ness. It can unravel whole wildernesses of unchartered peace, well-being and inner joy that aren’t just emotional states, but are also physically tangible experiences in the muscles, organs, bones and skin. When attention is experienced in the body like this it can change our entire experience and create transformation on a deep level. Yes even physical healing of disease and pain. So simple and so profound.
So, a question for you:
Where do you put your attention? Is there a way you could put your attention on the parts of you that deeply satisfy you? You know, not just that you ticked off the things on your list, but that the aspects of the deeper you – Like your ability to enjoy a great meal, meditate in deep silence, dance like crazy or lie in bed and just feeeeel that cosiness?
And how could you give the gift of your your awareness/attention to sacred parts in those around you? How could you help your loved ones “flesh out” their experience of peace, joy and ok-ness with the way you reflect back what you see? (Hint: it may be very small and fleeting to begin with and using details to describe helps it to build)
If you do decide to explore this, I’d love to hear how you go and if you notice changes in your relationships or the way you experience life!!
With warm love to your sacred-ness, 
xx Amanda
Ps: Something lovely to put your attention on 🙂 ….
This is me… hiking on a recent trip to the rainforest in New Zealand… a truly happy me.. glorious nature, a good friend, lots of fresh air, exercise, new foreign friends every day and swims in a cold lake! Yumm!!
Pps: A note on these articles: Do you like what you’re reading? Think you know someone else who might love it too? Send them this link so they can get these articles straight to their inbox by signing up HERE
Welcome home to the moment,
Love this. Absolutely resonating with me right now xo
Awesome, good to hear 🙂 thanks Natalie xx
Beautiful Amanda!
You’re doing some awesome work….great blog in every aspect ~
Much Love, Nitya