The healing power of writing
The 4th of July got me thinking about the power of declarations. It's easy to forget that on Independence Day in the U.S. we aren't celebrating the country's actual independence from Britain; we're commemorating the Declaration of Independence, the collective decision to reject the status quo and define a new reality.
Of course the document is rife with glaring hypocrisies, and the men involved were morally questionable at best. Still, we can recognize its transformational power -- by naming the desired future, the document starts calling it into being.
If you're trying to make some changes in your life, writing out your demands and desires is a powerful first step. I like how the philosopher Epictetus put it: "First say to yourself what you would be; and then do what you have to do."
Is there something you would like to declare independence from? Habits, behavioral patterns, entanglements, or limiting circumstances? Do you have a vision of"what you would be" without all that?
On one of these long summer days, consider setting aside a few minutes, get settled, centered, and present, and see what follows: "I solemnly publish and declare..." Once you have words on paper, vague ideas and sentiments can start to gain clarity and create resolve. Then you can do what you have to do to make it happen. And maybe even start celebrating as if it's done!
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Hand to Heart
The process of writing by hand can in itself be therapeutic. Energetically, the hands are extensions of the heart chakra; in a meditative state or a stream-of-consciousness exercise, writing can reveal feelings, desires, demands, and truths that may or may not be self-evident.
+ Writing first thing in the morning is a great way to help clear mental and emotional clutter
+ If you tend to self-censor, try setting a timer and just aim to write freely until it stops
+ Experiment with writing with your non-dominant hand
+ Write a letter that's too honest to send just to get things off your chest, literally
