Replenish, Restore and Refresh

06 Jan Replenish, Restore and Refresh

Happy New Year! The end of the year always passes by in a whirlwind of activity for our crafty clients and January brings inventory season, that time of year entrepreneurs dread. But the new year is a time for fresh starts and big ideas, and to develop new practices that can help both you and your business. You can only move forward, ready to embrace everything that’s coming if you’re relaxed and refreshed. Just before the holidays we held a session of our Office Hours that featured Heather Barron, owner and founder of Luminous Life. Heather shared some of her stimulus and response exercises designed to help us take a deep breath and reduce our stress levels. Today we revisit this video in an attempt to reset for the New Year!

If you would like to add these steps to your restorative practices, Heather has summarized them here:

Step 1: I close my eyes (if I can), mentally saying, “I am safe to pause and listen.”

Step 2: I take three deep breaths. Breath one I say to myself, “I belong here.” Breath two, I say to myself, “I am ready.” Breath three, I say to myself, “I am not alone.” <This step really helps to calm my reactionary state and shift me back into my “right mind.”>

Step 3: Then I continue to allow my breath to flow naturally and with my eyes still closed, I ask myself, “What am I feeling right now?” I name it: fear, anger, sorrow, shame, guilt, despair, rage, frustration, hopelessness, terror, etc.”

Step 4: I place my hands over my heart and ask a few questions: “What deeper wisdom do you have for me, Heart? What do you have for me to know about what I am feeling right now? Do I need to take action based on what I am feeling? Or do I just need to be still with this feeling, acknowledging it until it passes?”

Step 5: I ask my heart: “What is my next right action, my next right step?” Then I listen.

Step 6: I take 3 more deep breaths and open my eyes.

If you’re interested in more of Heather’s work and listening to her soothing voice, you can find additional videos on her YouTube channel.