Written by Tina Ali.

Following the natural rhythm of life can aid you in finding your flow…

I learned a while back that busy was not something to be glorified but a choice we made as individuals as to how we wanted to spend our existence here on earth.

Choice is a funny one. Often when you feel overwhelmed, worn down or put the needs of every man and his dog above taking some time out for yourself, it comes from a feeling of not having a choice.

The world doesn’t seem to stop because your body is calling out for a hot salt bath, some nature time or bodywork.

And yet being the ingenious women that we are, we manage to make choices everyday: to clean the house, look after our children, go to work, make the meals, bake a dessert for so-and-so’s gathering, train for a charity marathon, stay up late working on that project, go to the gym/yoga (or more often than not, not go to the gym/yoga).

And guess what… if we actually get a spare minute where all we’re required to do is sit down and breathe, and it’s not part of our daily meditation routine, we find a task that we’ve been putting off that really needs our urgent attention.

Most of us don’t actually know how to really stop.

I should be the poster child for stop. Last year I quit my respectable Local Government 9-5, moved to the country and started my own business.

I took a couple of months off to get my health back in order (a result of not stopping sooner), took an entry level part-time job, went to Hawaii for a month, got married. And did most of that with bad hair and unkempt eyebrows.

And when I look back on the year that had been, which was supposed to be a time of designated rest, I was still as exhausted as ever. Was it because I still felt guilty if I had a messy house?

Was it because not working a typical 9-5 made me feel as though I needed to be doing x, y and z to justify what I did all day? Was it because anything that looked like stopping was considered lazy?

Maybe it was all of the above, but my heart tells me it’s because I’m still learning to live in flow. Rarely as humans are we ever in flow, rather we’re in routine or, even worse, survival mode.

Flow is following the natural cycles of your body, of nature and the cosmos. Flow is the antithesis of today’s patriarchal society where if you’re not productive you’re dead weight. Well, the joke’s on you, industrial age, because nature had it right all along.

When people follow their natural cycles, creativity and productivity flourish and miracles happen.

But flow isn’t always as flow-ee as it sounds. Guilt and expectations can have you questioning yourself at every turn.

And as much as we’ve been programmed since birth to do the exact opposite of following nature’s cycles, if you take up the challenge—for even a day—and follow the innate wisdom of your body, you’ll see how inherent flow actually is.

Here are four ways to find your flow:

1. Slow your breath. Deep breathing is one of the most effective (and easiest) ways to reduce stress and relieve adrenal fatigue. When we take shallow breaths (breathing from the chest up without using the diaphragm) we tell our bodies that we’re in danger. Fear is the opposite of flow.

2. Notice the beauty in everything around you… from the smallest flower to the way your beloved looks when they wake up in the morning. This puts you in the energy of gratitude and it’s a total game changer. When we are in gratitude it allows us to flow through the things in our lives that don’t necessarily feel in alignment.

3. Practice kindness. The Beetles had it right when they said all you need is love. Being kind to others stems from your ability to be kind to yourself. When you are kind to yourself it’s easier to make decisions in your life that are more in flow.

4. Relax your body, especially your jaw. Move. Feel your body. Ground. Check in with what your body is saying to you. If you’re about to turn right and your body says left, go left and see where left takes you—I promise you it’ll be right in the end.

Bonus:

In this GVK episode, Kristin Ace offers us a couple of hilarious and descriptive stories illustrating and illuminating situations that taught her about going with the flow—both literally AND figuratively. Wonderfully entertaining as well as extremely insightful with some useful tips for how to go with the flow of life.

LISTEN:

Listen to the latest Green Divas Radio Show—and other green and healthy living podcasts—daily on GDGDRadio.com (or get the GDGD Radio app)!
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~Asst. Ed. Green Diva Christine | Images via Shutterstock