It’s the last week in January. Not sure about you but I feel like it’s gone quite fast!
For the folks doing the Best Life Dry January Challenge this is a short week but an impactful week as we tie up what you have experienced during this month’s challenge.
For the others just reading out of interest this post is about integration.
First, congratulations to the Best Lifers! To really get all that you can from this challenge I would recommend some reflection to really integrated the experience and enjoy the benefits.
Why?
It’s easier to benefit from an experience if we integrate it into our lived experience.
How do we do that?
Through small creative tasks, it takes the experience to the next level and allows us to harvest gold! Creative tasks allow us to move the energy within us and bring it into the physical. Taking your somatic (meaning body) experience, that was non-verbal and giving it an avenue to verbal through creativity. Hope that makes some sense, let it ruminate a bit and give it a try.
Small creative tasks to harvest the gold:
Colour: If January was a colour to you, what would it be? (You can have more than one).
Grab a couple of coloured pens or pencils and just start to putting colour to paper. Use shapes, shading and lines to explore January in colour for you. If you like you can grab a couple magazines and collage what January felt like to you. The idea is to create a physical representation of January’s experience.
Movement: If January was a movement, what would it be? (this is definitely for the adventurists). Pop your iphone camera and film your free movement of what January felt like to you. No judgement, we are not posting this, just soften your eyes and start to move.
Words: Depending on which method of “extraction” you chose. Have a look at your picture or movie and write between 5 -1 0 words that come to mind. Now lets take those words and write an Elfchen (a German poem) or a Haiku… which ever tickles your fancy. Here’s how to:
An "Elfchen" is similar to a Haiku in that it has a set form, however it is unique in that it has 11 words, the lines having 1-2-3-4-1 words, respectively.
It always has this form (replace each number with a word):
one
one two
one two three
one two three four
one
Replace each number with a word, use at least three of your January words. The rest you can choose. Example:
My word bank: wisdom, routine, softness, expansion, time, vibrant, round, awareness, presence, flow
My Elfchen:
Softness
Round touch
Let it flow.
Follow the expansion movement.
Wisdom
Poetry might not be your thing; it wasn’t mine to be honest but I get so much joy out of making these short little poems now. All you need to do is create a word bank! Give it a try, it’s super rewarding!
Back-up Plan.
Journal or free write, take your gratitude’s, your positive affirmations or any other words you might have after this month and use them as journal or free writing prompts. This last week of January is a week to reflect on all that you have experienced and learned. I prefer to use the term feedforward instead of feedback. The idea is you focus on what worked, the positives. By nature, the negatives and what didn’t work naturally fall away. Most often when we give feedback is what didn’t work and so we are focusing on what we should not be doing. Surely it makes sense to focus on what you should do rather than should not do? Seems more productive to me!
So, in your closing of January, remember to focus on what worked for you. You could even write a letter to your inner child, telling him/her how much gratitude you have for them, their strength and resilience guides you towards the light. Today you are a day stronger. Share your intentions with your inner child and write about how you will connect with them moving forward using all the ways you have learned over the month. Leave what didn’t work and take with you the methods that did. Use the path of least resistance, follow the joy.
To wrap up.
I hope I have given you an eclectic mix of creative ways to reflect and revive on your January Journey. With gratitude Destiny Sophia
Blog post written for the sobriety community within Best Life - Sobriety through connection and featured in the Mindfulness and Meditation Group within the App. Download the app here: https://app.yourbest-life.com/
Find Best Life on facebook for more info.