Good Vibrations

“We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them” is one of Einstein’s more popular quotes. The quote, often referred to when talking about creativity and innovation, calls out the shift required when we desire for something in our life to be different than it is now. It can be a shift in thinking, mindset, attitude, or behavior. Whatever we call it, it requires a different energy, a higher vibration in our consciousness.

It’s hard to change anything when we’re mired in the same vibration that created it in the first place. When we feel low, it’s difficult to feel better without engaging a higher vibration of thought or action. If we suffer from a seasonal disorder, the shift happens when the sun comes out. Light has a higher vibration than grayness.

If I hate my job and spend all of my energy hating my job, my vibration is low in that area. It’s not likely I’ll have the energy to take action and make the necessary change as long as my focus is on hating my job. It takes shifting to a higher vibration of imagining new possibilities for us to take action and create some momentum toward finding a new one.

Twenty plus years ago, before I took the leap into the uncertainty of self-employment, I was in a place of deep dissatisfaction about my work. Knowing I had more to contribute than what was then required of me, I felt a deep yearning to express myself more creatively and grow in new areas. Every day I commuted downtown on BART and rode the escalator up to my office building in a cloud of dread and dis-ease.

The shift came when the pain I was in became greater than my fear of change and the unknown – which is what it often takes for us humans. I began by working on a vision for my life, imagining a new future that I became excited about. The act of imagining can carry a high vibration of possibility and opportunity. The action steps follow from there.

There was a set of stepping stones running through a bed of ivy from the sidewalk where I got off of BART to the entrance  of my building. Each day as I stepped onto those stones (right foot, left foot, right, left), I would repeat an affirmation and imagine myself one step closer to my vision. This kinesthetic experience was very powerful for me as with each step the new future I was walking into became rooted in the soles of my feet.

It took another couple of years, and a stop or two in between, before I landed where I had envisioned. The journey was a lot of fun as I lived in the vibration of an explorer – researching, learning, experimenting, adapting. Set backs came, as they do. I held fast to my vision.

Some mindsets and activities carry a lower vibration and keep us stuck in old thinking and behavior: gossip, negative self-talk, fixation on what’s not working, scarcity, trying to control the outcome, and the desire to know all the answers before I set out. What these have in common is they all stem from fear.

Mindsets and activities that raise our vibration: possibility seeking, imagination, creativity, generosity, learning, growth, and contribution. Love is the common denominator here.

There are many experiences and practices that will raise our vibration. Meditation and mindfulness, listening to music or sounds that touch the heart, laughter and play, movement and dance, aerobic exercise and martial arts, art and creative expression, inspiring connections or interactions with other people, or inspirational reading can all serve to raise our vibrations.

The way we hold our bodies has an affect on our vibration. Angeles Arrien would frequently remind her students to stand in our “long tall bodies with deep roots” – allowing the energy in our bodies to anchor in the earth and flow freely. This raises  our vibration, increases our ability to be present, and we feel more self-assured. Contrast this with the classic sad-sack Eeyore posture and you’ll feel the difference immediately.

Think of the body as a riverbed and the water as the energy/vibration flowing through us. Over time the river may accumulate sticks, leaves, and other matter that can block that flow. Eddies form that can take us out of the flow where we may loop for awhile before finding our way back into the river. Sometimes we get dammed up and outside intervention through bodywork or coaching helps remove the blockage.

What’s the vibration of your life at this time? What patterns are blocking your forward momentum? What’s the dream that’s whispering to you?

The future is calling. How will you meet it?

A couple of spaces left for SF Bay Area Women at the Well – an Emergence Retreat for the New Year. A spacious weekend of self-care to relax, renew and re-imagine your life vision.

Jan 15-17 in the majestic redwoods of Pescadero, CA.

COME TO THE WELL