Eye of the Storm

My dear,

In the midst of hate, I found there was, within me, an invincible love.

In the midst of tears, I found there was, within me, an invincible smile.

In the midst of chaos, I found there was, within me, an invincible calm.

I realized, through it all, that…In the midst of winter, I found there was, within me, an invincible summer.

And that makes me happy. For it says that no matter how hard the world pushes against me, within me, there’s something stronger – something better, pushing right back.

Truly yours
– Albert Camus

That invincible part of us, the core that does not collapse even when the structures we have built our lives and our sense of safety around fall apart, that part of us is always available, but we have to nourish our connection to it. Where attention goes, energy flows. The fast pace of events in the world today draws our attention outwards repeatedly throughout the day. We have to use our conscious intention to bring our energy back inside our body, strengthening our ability to calm and re-center ourselves in the midst of outside chaos so we can become like the eye of the storm.

When we have spent too much time focusing on the outside world, watching the news, scrolling social media, ruminating on past failures or slights, worrying about the future, we say that we feel “drained”. This is a perfect description because our energy is being drained out of our body, flowing outward to what we are focusing on that does not exist here and now inside of us. When we re-center, literally putting our attention and focus back on the center of the body, we redirect the energy flow inside. You can do this very simply by just closing your eyes and visualizing a big ball of white or golden light in the center of your chest and just breathing in and out with our attention there on the center. This is a simple and effective reset.

Your center is your balance point. It’s that place that you know you need to get back to when you feel off balance. Like walking in the door to your home after a long day and a hectic commute. Sometimes we find that we have put too much reliance on outside structures for this sense of comfort. Without realizing it we may have adopted a belief that “I’m only okay if my marriage is working”. “I’m only okay if I have this amount of money”. “ I’m only okay if the government looks like this”. When one of those outside structures crumbles, we are left reeling. Only then are we forced to find our power center within and define a new way of being “okay”.

Maya Angelou said, “The ache for home lives in all of us, the safe place we can go as we are and not be questioned”. One of the best things we can do for ourselves is create that home within, that place of invincible calm, and nourish it daily so that we rely less and less on the outside world for our sense of security. How do we nourish this center? How do we fuel ourselves up rather than letting our energy drain away? It is actually pretty simple: do something daily that lights you up inside. Whether it is drawing, writing, dancing, singing, cooking, gardening, sewing, etc., being creative in a way that makes you feel joyful activates the 2nd, 3rd and 4th energy centers, also known as chakras, inside the center of the body. These energy centers are related to our creative force, our personal power, and our feeling of love and connectedness, respectively. When you create with joy just for yourself, you are fueling up your energy reserves. Another way to look at this simply is practicing good self-care, filling your own cup with what nourishes your soul, and in times like these, it is not optional.

So, try the breathing and visualization exercise for an easy reset any time. And think about cultivating your joy by adding a creative activity that is just for you. When you place too much attention on the world outside, all of your energy is flowing away from you. When you center and bring your attention back inside, you generate energy that will be there for you when you need it most.