My journey to find Movement, Mindfulness & Meaning

Mar 5

Over the past 18 months, I've embarked on conscious discovery, deeper into myself, delving deeper within, making space to peel back and inspect with interest the layers that create me. It's taking a while to peel them back and whilst I'm not quite all the way through them, I feel as though, just like going through old photos, what I have managed to digest and reflect on so far, has been great to refresh the mind, and further restore the lost meaning of me and what it means to be Hollie.

August 2016, My partner and I decided to celebrate our relationship via the LOVEFEST (what we called our wedding party). In the lead up to this process, I was reflecting upon the approaching milestone of getting hitched, I found myself starting to be more mindful. Mindful of the people around me, their choices, their life approach. I was more Mindful of my choices. Mindful of my feelings towards the choices I was making and how these were defining me. I was mindful of where my life was going and what I was doing.

With the approaching party to celebrate our union and reflecting on how me as an individual may change moving forward (and perhaps, in a moment of madness and with a sense of "it's now or never"), I decided to go on a solo trip to one of my favourite places on earth, Nepal, to get moving in the mountains. They were calling me back. I just knew that I needed a shake up, something needed to change in my life, to clear away some stagnation. The last time I was in the mountains I came back with clarity and started my own business.

Movement, Mountains and time for Me. That's what I needed.

So, I got moving. I reignited my rhythm (and bought a new pair of hiking boots) and started to get back to nature, back to me and my mind. I went to Nepal hiking to Everest Base camp, moving my body (and mind) through terrain both physically and emotionally I've never been to before.

I felt refreshed, recharged and renewed. Ready for life again, but things felt different. I knew I was different. I felt redesigned. From the hiking, mountain gazing, yak dodging, being present in the wide open spaces, bounded by mountain landscapes which remind you of your insignificant size, it was in this space of step after step of walking meditation that an inner shift began to occur...

How was I?

How was I really, you know.. that deep sense of inner knowing. Was I ok? What did I want from life? That little voice in your head who really knows how your are going, but because I'm busy filling my life with stuff, it becomes drowned out as there is no space left for the sound to reverberate back on itself to really resonate and be heard.

Like a coo-eee echoing up a gorge, there was a overwhelming sense of fatigue and disconnection that I felt.

Things had got busy. Work, business, bookkeeping, planning, clients, wedding planning, clients, errands here, errands there, more work, more planning, more bookkeeping. Too busy, really. No time for me. No time for really hearing and being with me and my mind and my thoughts.

I'd fallen out of sync, or rhythm with myself. I was motionless. Stuck on the hamster wheel of "I'll get there once I finish with this" or "When I get a spare moment here I'll...".

Sound familiar??

I'd reflected on my habits and routines and how these were playing out in my life. I wasn't making any choices. There was no more movement in my life. Physically and Emotionally. I was just stuck doing things because. Because..... it's what I'd always done.

I'd lost touch with my why. Why do I do what I do, with who? How do I want to do it? What kind of movement in my life do I want to create. A present one, or one that just passes by?.

Throughout my journey to get moving and shake things up, I realised that I needed to make time to be mindful. To listen. I needed to be moved. I needed to get moving.

Yoga has always been in my life. When I was a child I used to go with my grandmother. When I was experiencing stress and difficulty in past relationships, I would come in and out of Yoga classes for periods of time. It always aided me. But I'd just stopped.

So I jumped in, headfirst and got back into yoga, adding movement, mindfulness back to my life. In Occupational Therapy, we always come back to meaningful occupation as a way to improve health and wellbeing. Doing something you enjoy, gives you purpose, a sense of self, a place in the world. Meaning.

Through this movement of my mindset, creating space to become aware and mind-full, I returned to back to me and my meaning. What moves me.

Everyone has the ability to do something great in this world and leave their impression and expression on this world.

Helping others to find what that is and to share it - well, that's why I love being an OT and now incorporating yoga as a vehicle to move, be mindful and restore meaning.

Why??? Well, It's what really lights me up.

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So, your turn now. What moves you?

No. really, What really moves YOU?

How do you get your inner core glowing??

Why??

I'd love to hear your WHY, wanna share?

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If you'd like to get together and discuss how you can stoke your inner embers to reignite or rediscover your why - - drop me a line -