I’m in the incredibly fortunate position of having decided, back in November of last year, to walk every day – and to live in a village with beautiful countryside accessible from my doorstep. Armed with my trusty iPhone, I’ve been taking photographs every day of my walks – and am now delighted to have a library of pictures which (with no deliberate plan) are providing me with an archive of seasonal change.
And this is very timely as I’m acutely aware, in my own life and the lives of friends, clients and patients, that things are always in transition. And let’s face it, transition and change can be tough on us. We don’t always want to be going in the direction that is to some degree inevitable – like growing older, getting grey hair (OK, chemicals can change that, but we still know it’s happening!), becoming the elders in a family, seeing children grow up and move away, relationships evolving in unforeseen directions. The one certainty in life is change.
I’ve found that my daily walking has provided an unmatched opportunity to have some time out, for conscious and unconscious mental processing – and sometimes hurdles or blocks in my way that have felt insurmountable have been transformed by that combination of physical movement and free-flowing thought. And I also know that, in my work and in my own life, the most powerful support through times of transition is to have a session of Zero Balancing. Now, for people who use Zero Balancing as one of their life-support tools, that statement would make complete sense – but it’s hard to explain to someone who has never tried it why it should be experienced as such. How can an apparently subtle form of body work, in which you stay fully clothed (except for shoes), and in which you receive touch that is firm, yet gentle – with respectful and focused attention, and few words – help with anything other than short-term relaxation?
Well, here’s where my thinking about my walking and its role in helping navigate through life transitions may help. With my walking, I take time out of my normal day, and it’s inevitably a time in which I pay attention to how I feel in my body – am I energetic, tired, achy, rigid, flexible, heavy, light? In that process, I also become aware of how I am in myself, mentally and emotionally – am I cheerful, grumpy, sad, inspired, lost, despairing, stuck, elated? As I walk, if I have discomfort does it ease, or increase? As I walk, does my mental state improve? (Almost invariably, by the way …) Does a thorny issue that was preoccupying me at the start of my walk feel less thorny after I’ve moved my body, aerated my lungs, paid attention to my surroundings, and paid attention to myself? And, assuming I’ve felt beneficial affects of my walking (to-date, always – even with a sore foot, or an unexpected hailstorm, or a life-issue that’s there for the long haul) – does that beneficial affect stop as soon as I’ve come to a halt? – NO! – or does it continue to course through the very core of me for hours, days, weeks, and months? – YES!
I’m not prone to using too many capital letters and exclamation marks in my writing, as they can be so annoying – but that has been my experience – and the parallels between this experience and the experience of regular Zero Balancing sessions are striking.
So, wherever you are currently in your life, whatever inner and outer challenges you’re facing at the moment, having some sessions of Zero Balancing (and possibly some seasonal acupuncture too) can make a tremendous difference to how you navigate through life’s turbulence. I know this because I’ve experienced it for myself, and I can’t tell you how many times Zero Balancing clients have said to me how surprised they’ve been at how well they are managing to get through a tough time.
So, whatever may be stirring up your life at the moment – children leaving school, parents getting old or dying, career going belly-up, old friendships or relationships hitting the rocks …
Why not book a Zero Balancing session now? Call me on 07970 295177.
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