For those of you who know me, I would like to announce that I actually spent two and a half days in noble silence this weekend at a meditation retreat. Okay, okay, enough laughing! I have the certificate to prove it!
Why you might ask? Well, one of the things that I worry about ( there's an irony) is the anxiety component of Autism. I lose sleep at night over how to offer my son some sanctuary in his life, some relief from the worries of everyday. The diet has been amazing, the melatonin- a blessing, but the base mechanics of Autism make everything that makes so much sense in our life, a mystery to him. How could that not produce fear, and a sense of anxiety.
In my own busy life, I have sought the refuge of meditation to create space for myself. As a business person, partner and mother, I have lived the empty cup syndrome and as I said, found it was not sustainable. This retreat for me was an opportunity to go within, to learn to create space within me, so that there is room for the gifts of intuition and spirit to show up in my life. To access that spring of well being that comes from within each of us. I have talked to both of my kids and tried to explain it. What makes me laugh is the silence is like a magnet for them. The stillness. People are drawn to the stillness. No matter where they are in the house, when I start meditating, POOF there they are!
I bought a bunch of intuition decks, which are cards that you can draw which are meant to draw your attention to your own intuition. There are power animals, universal law cards, and many others. I thought they might help us communicate better. The kids love them. When I pull out the decks everyone wants to pull cards and we talk about what the cards mean in relation to what has happened to them during the day. It has been a really fun way to connect and to get them to talk. Those of you who have teenagers know what I am talking about. Anything that works, right?!
My yougest son asked me about what I did all weekend while I was away, and to the best of my ability I explained what I went to learn and talked about creating a safe place withing myself. A place to recharge my batteries. We talked about how he could do the same. He said he would like that. And so we will start slowly and try together to create sacred space in our lives, a place to retreat when we need relief and healing. A place where we can connect with each other and learn to appreciate the beauty and rightness of who we each are. He said something funny to me tonight. He said "You know Mom, you are turning into some sort of a hippie, but it's kind of good." My oldest just shakes his head and laughs, but he'll still pull a card if they are out....
In love and light from the hippie,
Kathryn
Why you might ask? Well, one of the things that I worry about ( there's an irony) is the anxiety component of Autism. I lose sleep at night over how to offer my son some sanctuary in his life, some relief from the worries of everyday. The diet has been amazing, the melatonin- a blessing, but the base mechanics of Autism make everything that makes so much sense in our life, a mystery to him. How could that not produce fear, and a sense of anxiety.
In my own busy life, I have sought the refuge of meditation to create space for myself. As a business person, partner and mother, I have lived the empty cup syndrome and as I said, found it was not sustainable. This retreat for me was an opportunity to go within, to learn to create space within me, so that there is room for the gifts of intuition and spirit to show up in my life. To access that spring of well being that comes from within each of us. I have talked to both of my kids and tried to explain it. What makes me laugh is the silence is like a magnet for them. The stillness. People are drawn to the stillness. No matter where they are in the house, when I start meditating, POOF there they are!
I bought a bunch of intuition decks, which are cards that you can draw which are meant to draw your attention to your own intuition. There are power animals, universal law cards, and many others. I thought they might help us communicate better. The kids love them. When I pull out the decks everyone wants to pull cards and we talk about what the cards mean in relation to what has happened to them during the day. It has been a really fun way to connect and to get them to talk. Those of you who have teenagers know what I am talking about. Anything that works, right?!
My yougest son asked me about what I did all weekend while I was away, and to the best of my ability I explained what I went to learn and talked about creating a safe place withing myself. A place to recharge my batteries. We talked about how he could do the same. He said he would like that. And so we will start slowly and try together to create sacred space in our lives, a place to retreat when we need relief and healing. A place where we can connect with each other and learn to appreciate the beauty and rightness of who we each are. He said something funny to me tonight. He said "You know Mom, you are turning into some sort of a hippie, but it's kind of good." My oldest just shakes his head and laughs, but he'll still pull a card if they are out....
In love and light from the hippie,
Kathryn
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