As we step into the month of March, approaching Aries season, and the Spring Equinox, this truly is the perfect time to refresh, renew, and begin again.
Often times we see reptiles and animals shedding their old skin or fur. We humans may get a dramatic haircut after a breakup, or feel the urge to move locations to start fresh, creating a new version of ourselves. But what if I told you that it didn’t have to be that dramatic? Change doesn’t have to be so bold. It can be subtle. Slow, and intentional. We can create change just by shifting our thought patterns, belief systems, and our daily habits. I’ll be covering how we can create subtle shifts within four important categories of our lives — mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual.
Let’s begin with emotional since it’s been the heaviest out of the four for a lot of my loved ones lately. Themes of grief, forgiveness, heartbreak, and anxiety are stronger than ever. A technique I’d like to share to help us regulate our emotions is called EFT Tapping. EFT stands for Emotional Freedom Techniques. If you’ve ever received acupuncture, it’s a similar practice of stimulating the meridian lines, however, instead of needles, we use our fingers to tap on the points. Common points are the side of our hand, top of the head, arches of the eyebrow, sides of our eyes, under the eyes, under the nose, the chin, the collarbone, underneath the ribs, front of the wrist, and back of the wrist. You’re probably wondering okay…..how can tapping these points help my emotions? Part of the practice is to affirm and repeat statements while tapping on these points. During the tapping, we actually focus on the negative at first so that we can verbally confront what’s been causing pain on the inside. It’s absolutely profound connecting our voice to our meridian points of release. It’s definitely worth a Google search to see how it’s done and take yourself through a few rounds. I would recommend tapping with Gala Darling or Brad Yates on YouTube. This practice is truly a representation of what you give is what you get from your healing journey. The first step to subtle change is trying something different, and even out of your comfort zone.
Next, I’ll touch on our spiritual arena of life. There are many different approaches but the most grounded and consistent resource of all spiritual teachings is the Earth. The spiritual connection to Earth really can help you take a look at the reciprocal relationship we have with our planet. We are a part of nature. We go through different seasons and our bodies are ever-changing. We are water. We are fire. We are wind. We are Earth. I recommend taking some time to journal about how connected you feel to the Earth. What aspects of your being feel magnetic to certain parts of nature? What element inspires you the most? What type of weather do you thrive in? What weather elements challenge you? All of this intel can help you customize your approach to your life, once you find alignment with the Earth. The Earth is so grateful you are a part of a bigger mission with Wolven in fighting fast fashion and making sustainability sexy. This practice of relating to our planet on a deeper level might be new energetically, but the subtle intentions you create with our Earth will surely come back to you one way or another.
Speaking of connectedness, the physical relationship we have with our bodies is very profound. It is our sacred vessel. The physical aspects of our lives are so much more than our external appearance, however. It comes down to the way we speak to ourselves internally, how we take care of ourselves, and what we do to feel authentic. Positive self-talk, prioritizing self-care habits, and discovering how we want to present ourselves can be overwhelming in many ways. With the physical, my best advice when seeking change is to make one change at a time. If you’re wanting to improve your physical health, start with walking every day if that’s available to you and cook at home more often. If you’re wanting to improve the way you see your body, choose styles of clothing that help you feel comfortable and embodied. If you’re seeking to nourish your body, schedule dates with yourself inside your calendar. The ‘self-dates’ can include whatever fills your cup. You have so much power and control over your physical body, however, it really does begin with your mental health.
I saved the mental aspect of our life for last since rewiring your brain to have new thought patterns can be intimidating at first. I shared in my last Wolven article Love your brain, love yourself some tactical practices that help you cultivate more love and nourishment for yourself. Some examples would be brain dumping, stimulating your senses, and inner child play. But what do we do when we want to bring in a new state of mind? Shed the skin of the past thoughts that are bogging you down? My answer would be forgiveness. Forgiveness for yourself for having negative thoughts. Forgiveness toward those who may contribute to these challenges. Forgiveness to your brain, body, all of it. A beautiful traditional Hawaiian prayer comes to mind for me. It’s called ho'oponopono and it goes like this: “I'm sorry, Please forgive me, Thank you, I love you.” Rather than trying to dramatically ‘fix’ thoughts that may be pestering you, give yourself a gentle mental hug. With all of these potential shifts, it’s important to have a support council and community there for you to lean on. The Wolfpack has your back.
To wrap up the theme of this article influenced by new beginnings and reclaiming who you are, I’ll leave you with the permission slip to tap into your power. Everything about you is so powerful. You are truly a miracle on this Earth. You have so much greatness. All it takes is believing in your own magic. Trusting in your ability to recover after falling. Trusting in your birthright to be seen and appreciated. Trust in yourself to make all of your desires come to life.
One slow, intentional shift at a time.
About the Author:
Alyssa Alvarez is a Metro-Detroit native Whole Life Healing coach and yoga teacher. Through her studies of neuroscience, nutrition, yoga, mindfulness, and intuition, she’s led emerging entrepreneurs and teenage women to new heights in their capacity to show up for themselves. Her podcast, Aura Awakening Radio, shares the stories of conscious creatives pursuing their passions and the leaps they took to embody their highest potential. Alyssa also hosts local workshops on Body Neutrality, the seven chakras, and EFT Tapping. You can visit her website at www.auraawakening.com or Instagram @awakening.alyssa.
