I used to compare myself to the Energizer Bunny… I kept going and going and going, but what the commercial doesn’t show is that eventually the battery does run out, as did mine. Ease, for a very long time, was not something that was a part of my vocabulary, I figured I was put on this earth to do work and have important experiences. There would be time for ease when I was “old.”
I constantly had a full calendar.
I worked a full-time job at a chiropractic office.
I ran my own massage practice on the side.
I was involved in community organizations.
I was always the go-to person for family and friends, and I took it upon myself to help them, whether they needed or wanted it or not.
“No,” was not a word that I knew how to say, and I lived a very codependent lifestyle.
And then the day came when my battery, literally, wore out. I was at our local Subway ordering a sub after my workout following a 10-hour work day. As I was letting the person behind the counter know what toppings I would like on my sub, I felt a sensation of extreme heat wash over me. The next thing I knew, I was laying on the floor surrounded by staff of the store and some of the other patrons.
After that evening, my body went into full rebellion mode. I was constantly washed out, dealt with daily intense headaches, I had no zest for life, and after months of doctor’s visits, it was determined that I was just mentally, physically and emotionally burnt out. My body had had enough and was screaming for ease! I knew then, changes needed to be made.
I took a deep look at the things that were active in my life and determined whether they were “filling my cup” or depleting me. The things and people that depleted me, I slowly let go of.
Step-by-step, I walked away from many of my commitments in community organizations. I stated that I would no longer be available for the planning aspect of things, but would be happy to be a helper when needed. I began letting people in my life know that I needed to receive as much as I give. Some of those people walked out of my life and others stepped up. The scariest step of all was making the decision to leave the stability of my full-time job. I began to transition my part-time massage practice to full-time, and later I began my journey into coaching.
I now see ease as my friend. It is my friend because I have found that despite sometimes being difficult to find, it is a matter of setting my boundaries and following my values, rather than continually trying to prove myself or keep up with others. Complete and total ease allows the “heaviness” of life to disappear, it helps me feel lighter, and it forces me to have complete trust in my higher power, rather than trying to control the narrative.
In some ways, I think that hitting this bottom, literally on the floor of a Subway sandwich shop, was one of the best things for me. It taught me to take time out for myself on a regular basis and helped me to begin my yearly ME-cations (a solo trip to somewhere relaxing). It allowed me to work through things that led me to be an over people-pleaser and it brought me to the world of BodyMind Coaching
Being a recovering Energizer Bunny, I do still have times when I allow dis-ease to control me. Sometimes life will throw you that unexpected curve ball, but I now have the skills I need to recognize it and put myself back on track. Learning those skills was not an overnight process and I find that I am learning new things everyday, but I HAVE learned to recognize when my body is beginning to tell me when I need to slow down.
For me, when I look back, I recognize how my body was trying to tell me I needed more ease and realized, had I shifted my awareness to my body, my battery may not have gotten so low.
I distinctly remember more than one occasion when a commitment that I had made had been canceled and opened up my calendar, I literally felt a weight lifting off of my shoulders.
I remember nights of no sleep because my mind was constantly making “to do” lists and wondering where I was going to find time to do everything that I have committed to.
I remember the constant tension between my shoulder blades that never went away.
I remember having no excitement or room for spontaneity in my life and having every moment of my life being dictated by my calendar.
I remember the non-stop headaches that came from unknowingly clenching my jaw from stress.
Do you find yourself with any of these symptoms? Do you find yourself wishing you just had 5 minutes to yourself?
Learning to listen to these signals that your body is sending you is the most important piece in finding ease in your life. Are you listening to the cues your body is sending you?
Click here for an audio “Yoga Nidra Self Compassion”:
JAIMEE MASHULA
Jaimee has always held an interest in the BodyMind Connection after beginning yoga classes as an adolescent. The idea that your body can speak to you AND that you can learn to listen to it has been a life-changing realization. She began her career in holistic health by graduating Massage Therapy School in 2009 and later received her Yoga Teacher Certification. After years of working for others, in 2018, she began her own practice, Bodhi Massage & Wellness, where her vision is to help her clients in body, mind and spirit.
Jaimee works with clients who are overly stressed, feeling overwhelmed, lost and stuck, and assists them in finding the person they are underneath all of the outside chaos by teaching them to truly listen to the cues their bodies give them. By focusing on values, her clients truly learn who they are and determine whether they are living their life off a checklist or whether they are truly living their own unique life to the fullest.
Jaimee lives in North Central Pennsylvania with her 2 furbabies, Oscar and Rocco. In her spare time, she loves spending time in nature, hiking and kayaking.
www.bodhimassageandwellness.com
FB: Bodhi.Massage.and.Wellness
IG: @bodhimassagenwellness
