integrating big experiences

The past month has been full for me - of travel, family, new connections, and, like I wrote about in my last blog, getting out of my comfort zone.

The morning after getting back from my most recent trip, I woke up and recognized all the signs of coming down.

A little sad

A little tired

A little grumpy

The general blehs

Coming down can also look like:

Big agitation

Deep melancholy

Intense fogginess

Self doubt & despair

Every expansion is followed by contraction, every up by a down - it’s a natural rhythm.

Years of mindful er0t¡c practice has taught me to come down deliberately, so I don’t unconsciously fall into the extremes.

Ultimately, it’s about emptying out after filling up (with people, experiences, energy) so I don’t walk around energetically stuffed. I want to learn from and integrate what I experienced, so I can let go of the mehs and carry forward the yeas!

Here are some ways to do it:

1. Talk about your experiences. Learn to put words to what happened, what you felt, and how it affected you. The more specific the better, especially when it comes to the er0t¡c.

If you can’t talk about it directly with the person you experienced it with, share about it with a friend, mentor or guide.

2. Write about it. What you’re grateful for, resentful about, where you closed down, where you opened up. Get out everything unspoken that’s still on your heart.

If you know how to do a 10th step it’s a great ways to go about this. The Jesuit examen is powerful too.

3. Move. Pay attention to what your body needs. Likely it’s full of undigested energy that needs motion. Take a long walk. Hot yoga is awesome. If nothing else, put yourself in a big salt bath.

4. Recognize you’re coming down. Just this alone is sanity. No you’re not crazy. No, nothing is terribly wrong. You’re coming down and you need to digest & integrate.

For those of you who run from one big experience to the next, this one is especially for you!