Shivers & yawns = Growth!

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of Bing images

I was revisiting my childhood a couple of days ago, prompted by a recent post, Mandala Memories.  In that blog, I recalled countless hours spent drawing what I now recognize to be Mandalas - beautiful, intricate wheels of color that seem to exist in many religions around the world.  If you're interested in learning more of the fascinating history of these beautiful creations, you'll find some helpful links on the aforementioned blog post.  The reason for this blog is to focus on the byproduct of creating something pleasing to the human eye, being mindful of my own reactions to this experience and another that I will relate as I go along in the body of this post.

In the midst of my busy day today, I could feel this inner urge to engage my hands, heart and mind in an artistic application.  The childhood past time of drawing Mandalas popped into my mind and I sat down to quickly create one of these designs.  By the time I was finished, my heart and Spirit were both lighter and I could tell I had reached a pivotal moment.  That exercise of paying attention to that unspoken urge to be creative in a different medium than writing was such a joy!  I felt so light and happy inside.

I was taken back to what I call Comfort Memories from childhood, yes, but I was paying very clear attention to how I felt today as I drew, filled in with color, defined with shading and lines.  I sat and reflected on the finished design and was entranced.  This process of creating, to anyone who has an artistic nature, becomes a form of meditation.  The finished mandala itself, although dashed off quickly to satisfy that sudden creative urge, suprised me.  I could see that if I set aside more time and invested more attention and care, I could produce something worthy of being framed or reproduced. It reminded me that I don't give enough voice to this side of my artistic nature.  Beyond these absentminded musings, what truly captured my attention were the resultant chills that I felt while gazing at my finished sketch.

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of flickr.com

As I looked at this intricate wheel of shapes, gradations of color and texture, I found it extremely pleasing to my eye and shivers danced along my arms and legs.  This is key!  Have you ever noticed when you experience a moment of pure inspiration, pure beauty, music, pure love or anything else that is crystalline in purity....you're assailed by chills?  This is your Soul recognizing a Divine moment, I believe.  I suggest that these shivers are the result of our physical bodies being bathed in a higher, more pure energy and it is a blissful experience that can be extended and amplified if we take time to recognize it for what it is.  Quite often, it doesn't even occur to us that we can actually extend that wonderful feeling.

Once that first shard of Light is recognized, the rest is a much easier walk for us.  Focusing on those happy moments invites more of the same energy to be attracted to us, and we begin to pay more attention to those moments that evoke chills.

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of ehow.com

Are you familiar with the concept of speaking and/or writing affirmations?  These are simple statements that are positive in content.  They don't have to be long and involved; indeed, the shorter and more concise, the easier the whole process becomes.  There are endless books on the market that teach what I am talking about, so I will not take time to list endless references.  If you are interested in learning more, the concept of daily affirmations can be typed into any online search engine.  I have incorporated this practice into my life for years, but admit that I'm as guilty as the next person about becoming lazy here and there.  When I do get serious about this process, it is astonishing how powerful a method it can be.  I recently ran across a suggestion from a friend to repeat a positive affirmation aloud ten times, and repeat this process at least twice a day for several days.  Okay, I thought, that's pretty simple. 

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of Bing Images

I began to do this, choosing one simple statement that was easy to remember and that wasn't necessary to write down.  I could recall it with ease and speak it those ten times throughout the day with no trouble.  What I found intriguing was that usually by the fifth utterance, I would feel the need to yawn.  Another key point!  Bear with me, because I have an unusual correlation to offer.  Yawning seems to also be a sign of unusual demand on our mind/spirit.  If you take a moment to reflect, at a simple glance, we yawn when we're tired.  Scientists can't completely explain the reasons for yawning, although I've read many suggestions that it is a primal response triggered by our adrenal system.  Stay with me...I'm weaving this together!

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of http://www.thebrainwizard.com/

Have you ever noticed when you're in the gym, lifting free weights and really challenging your body, you'll get hit with the urge to yawn?  Exercise physiologists, like scientists and medical researchers, haven't figured out the true reason behind this reaction, but suggest it is a primal reflex within the pineal gland to pull in more oxygen as the physical body is subjected to new demands.  It took me a while to correlate these two thoughts, but the fact that I kept yawning right slap in the midst of ten utterances of a single positive affirmation struck me as clear evidence that my spiritual self was being subjected to a new energetic demand.  The pineal gland also governs a great deal of spiritual energy, so I find it plausible that this yawning reflex was telling me I was consciously lifting my own energy field.

This makes sense to me.  It might not to anyone else, and that's okay.  I've said many times before that the world would be a very boring place if we were all cookie cutter images of one another, with no new thoughts to be shared.  Feeling happy is of primary importance every single day of our respective lives.  We each deserve happiness, and it is up to us as individuals to pursue actions that will manifest that happiness.  What I recognized by the simple act of sketching a mandala, and speaking affirmations aloud, was that I was smiling as a result!  My Spirit was responding to these loving acts I was giving myself and I felt a tangible lightness affecting my physical body and my emotional state of being.  It was moments of bright happiness that I could feel washing over me.

Photo courtesy
of Bing Images

Recognizing the hints from God/Universe that we're on the right path is so important!  Don't discount those moments when shivers hit you.  Don't ignore those moments when yawning punctuates a thought of clarity.  Don't overlook simple joyfulness - embrace it greedily and with both hands!  I was reminded by these two experiences that I should relearn the process of being good to myself, exclusively.  The unspoken message I was feeling was along the lines of finally paying as much attention to myself as I dole out without hesitation to others.  It was, in essence, a very clear mirror that was held up to my face.  It was a gentle reminder to embrace and claim personal happiness.  And the result was that I was hit with shivers.  I paid attention!!! 

Yesterday, a dear friend sent me a song that he has sent before to lift my spirits.  I was assailed, this time, not just with shivers, but with tears.  It was such a sweet, thoughtful gesture from a very manly man, made more precious for the fact that he extended himself in what we both now call 'an awkward tender moment'.  In so doing, he also made me laugh out loud.  Each time I watched the video attached to the song, shivers continue to hit....the lyrics of the song were so apropo to what I've been going through. And the message inherent in the song was that I am loved and cared for.

Tonight, before tapping out this blog article, I ran through a couple of my spoken affirmations, counting to ten with each string of them uttered....and smiling as each time I reached the fifth repetition, the urge to yawn would become irresistible.  Shivers, yawns, the lyrics of a song, and true friendship all culminate to show me that I'm doing okay.  All is well; friendships and family ties are solid in my life, showering me with blessings.  As I write these words, more shivers dance along my arms and legs.

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http://www.fcgov.com/

It is now that I close with the simple equation that:

  Shivers + Yawns = Growth!

 It is a simple, yet complex equation that I doubt mathematical minds such as Pythagoras and Archimedes would spend precious time and ink to quantify.  It is my own peculiar equation and it makes complete spiritual sense to me.  A Dawnesian equation that lets me know that life is good; positive energy is flowing and the Light is blazing brightly.  As you go forward in your day, pay attention to those shivers and yawns...and remember...they could very well be a small, quiet voice telling you that you, also, are doing okay....and you're growing!

Touch thought, touch Soul

I've talked about this in various blog posts before - I am not a daily blogger.  I know that many are and find a satisfying sense of order and discipline in the practice of writing daily blog posts.  I am not focusing on which is right or wrong, as I feel it is an individual choice from writer to writer.  My personal choice is to write when I am inspired to do so.  That can mean writing daily, but more often my blog articles are published less frequently than most. 

Because I choose to wait for inspiration to spark my writing, I honestly never know what the next blog article will be.  For me, that's part of the enjoyment of being a writer.  I usually have a variety of topics flitting around the edges of my consciousness, and I wait patiently for them to either sharpen and grab my attention or I continue to let them circulate on the periphery of my mind.

My last blog post, Cosmic Symphony, was my own ruminations on how we connect via social media in a very elemental, curiously intimate manner.  I am pleased to be able to say that that blog article was very well received.  The most recent Comment posted was written by a lovely lady named Judy J., whom I have never met face to face.  I have no idea how she was led to discover Healing Morning blog, but find me she did. 

She has been dealing with quite a challenging set of circumstances in her personal life in a manner that not many of us can imagine.  She is located in California and authors the blog Caregiver to Hubby, describing day to day life as the caretaker to a brain injured family member.  I urge all of you to visit her blog and follow her writing.  I am just now working through her archives and am still learning about her journey.   Somehow, she found my blog and it gave her a moment of peace and solace. 

As a writer, I cannot express how important it is to hear that I have touched another person in this manner with my work.  I have been told that on an in person basis, I exude a calming, peaceful energy.  This is one of the reasons that I chose the name of Healing Morning for my blog.  We each have a specific energy, a writing style and personality that projects itself through our writing.  This is our voice.  When I am writing, I honestly am not focusing on making sure that my voice comes through; I just write.  The only way that I know that I am succeeding in my goal is when people leave comments and their thoughts.  Judy J. gave me such a moment with her words the other day.

It is no secret that creative people harbor some degree of insecurity about their talent.  I am no different in that regard.  Although I am extremely confident in my writing ability and am also very centered in the message and concepts that I work to convey, I will not claim that I am always confident that every reader will completely "get" what I am communicating. 

I learned many years ago that this is actually not an issue to wrestle with.  Writing is the goal, plain and simple.  It matters not that each person reading a given article interprets the overall theme exactly as I mean it to be understood.  Indeed, I recognize that there may be many moments that someone comes away with a completely different, diametrically opposite perception of my words.  For me, what matters more is if they were touched in a positive way.  And apparently I am achieving that singular goal.

I am still growing as a writer and will continue that growth until my last breath.  That is the beauty of life, continually growing, changing, learning.  The moments that cast a blanket of deep satisfaction are those that let us know we've made a difference; that we've touched the very Soul of another person out there who may be struggling.  To me, that is the moment where everything stops, hushed and profoundly, brilliantly resonating...and you are given a mirror of sorts.  A noble nod from God/Universe that yes, you are in Divinely vibrating unity with your purpose. 

It is a curious thing to know that you can and do make a difference with the basic need to express yourself with words on paper or computer screen.  In a spiritual manner, you have touched thought, touched Soul with another.  It is a musical exchange, don't you think?  Harmonies melding as one reads the written thoughts of another and that first one is lifted up, heart gladdened or lightened in some small fashion.

In a world where feeling disenfranchised and isolated is encroaching at an alarming rate, it is no small wonder that we find unexpected consolation and moments of community via the internet.  Judy J. may be surprised to learn that her comment on my Cosmic Symphony blog post lifted me up equally.  We all need that encouragement as we fight the daily fight on this Earth School, navigating our way through the morass of experiences. 

On days where I might hesitate to post an article that I feel pushes boundaries or that might confuse readers as I delve into esoteric or complex concepts, I will remember Judy J's comment and click the Publish Post button with confidence.  No, every post will not be a polarizing moment for every reader.  And no, not everyone will automatically fall in love with my work.  But some people will find me out there in the constantly changing, busy, frenetic world and discover a calm oasis where they find respite.  That is my goal for my writing - to touch, to inspire, to soothe, to challenge to view the world in a different manner....and most certainly, to tease the occasional moment of laughter out of you.  This is, perhaps, Part II of Cosmic Symphony, as it discusses those ethereal, yet indelible threads of energy that weave together when we connect through writing.

I believe that when you read my writing, my thoughts and energy are woven into the words and they leave a permanent mark on your heart.  Whether you embrace my thoughts or reject them out of hand, you will still be changed by reading the words here.  I find that to be such a powerful thought that it is what draws me back, irresistibly, to my virtual pen via the computer keyboard, to tap away and fill the screen with my thoughts.  I bare my very soul in the process and am more vulnerable than many would think as a result. 

When you look into a faceted diamond and it sparkles, that is occurring because light is finding its way into the center of the gemstone and is bouncing around, hitting the facets and refracting brilliant light outward.  That is what makes a diamond beautiful, and it is also what makes each person beautiful.  I am opening my inner self up through the process of writing - opening a virtual doorway for light to pour in.  I believe that my life experiences and emotions are the facets where that light refracts, bounces around and shoots back out into the world in a bright, sometimes chaotic, other times peaceful, calm and sure display.  Judy J.'s eyes just happened to be sharp and clear when she read my blog and she caught that light.  She found logic and order in my words in a manner that spoke to her and gave her pleasure.  My very heart sighs at that thought!

Judy J., thank you for your comment on my blog page.  I hope you read this and know that you, also, make a beautiful mark in the world with your Spirit and your writing.  Well met, my newfound friend, well met!