EMPOWERED TIMES BLOG — Empowered Times

You Are the Architectural Wonder Behind the Scaffold

The iconic Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris is currently shrouded by metal scaffolding as it undergoes repairs from the fire damage it suffered in 2019. Scaffolding is a temporary, yet complex network of supports which make it possible to construct, erect, create, repair or restore the edifice residing within. As humans, we also require supports as we evolve. We can think of this as social scaffolding (eg external validation, reinforcement, etc). However, the internal structure, the authentic edifice of your inner self is the true architectural wonder and will be what remains. Cultivate deeper understanding of this interactive and interdependent process…

Spring Into Action: Find Your Green Growing Edge

Spring is known as the season of rebirth and awakening which can also be associated with discomfort or “labor pains.” There is a stirring beneath the surface, a rumbling from within, the sense that things are shaking up. There is a distinct shift in the air, an expression of restlessness, a need to stretch and move, a longing for change. Similar to what happens in nature, when we begin to feel grumblings of restlessness, discontent or stuckness, this also indicates regeneration, emergence, and transformation. Whether that means stepping into the unknown, facing our doubts or fears, cultivating the seedlings of our creative aspirations, or nudging ourself out onto that green growing edge, we are called to take action.

Curiosity: The Cure for Criticism

It is often said that we can be our own worst enemy, harshly judging ourselves for our flaws or shortcomings. When we hear whispers of self-doubt, shouts of shame, or nagging insecurity, we are challenged to find ways to attend to that critical voice within. In honor of National Poetry Month (April) and upcoming World Meditation Day (May 20th), we explore five excerpts from both unconventional and traditional wisdom on how to bring more awareness, curiosity, understanding, and compassion toward self.

The Internal Tug-of-War

Have you ever promised yourself something, yet done the complete opposite? We typically have a rational understanding of what we want or what is “good” or “bad” for us, yet simultaneously we may feel pulled to act in ways that contradict our reasoning. When we experience internal conflict, it can be helpful to understand what is driving the disconnect. Are we acting in alignment with our true values or are we measuring ourselves by someone else’s standard or expectations? Do we feel free to make our own choices or are we overcompensating by asserting control in unhealthy or counterproductive ways? Does our innate need for safety and familiarity prevent us from taking the necessary risks toward positive change? Life is full of contrasts. We are able to mediate our internal conflicts through enhancing awareness and understanding of our inner contradictions.

Why Winter is the Right Time for Reflection

The hum of the holiday season is past, and along with it, the social festivities and whirl of excitement and anticipation. Midwinter represents a season of contrasts—cold and cozy, dark and light, death and life. We might find ourselves more susceptible to physical illness, depression, fear, or anxiety during the winter. Yet, this season also offers us an opportunity to reflect, restore our energy and resources, and focus more on what nourishes us. Inside this article are six interesting ways to inspire your winter refections…

Rooted in Self-Trust

We typically associate the concept of trust in relation to other people—how credible, believable or reliable we find someone to be. However, we often struggle to develop that same trust, confidence, and belief in ourselves. We can grow self-trust by deepening the roots of understanding of who we are, strengthening our trunk (or core) by honestly accepting, forgiving and being present for ourselves, and extending branches of ourself that respond to life’s challenges with flexibility and perspective. It is a process. Yet, cultivating this kind of deep inner trust is enduring, irreplaceable, and self-perpetuating.

~~ Expanding Inside Out: Part 2 ~~ Why and How to Open

As we enter into the holidays, we may find ourselves challenged to be around people with whom we disagree. We seem to increasingly judge those who don’t think, believe, or vote like us, and lash out against one another based on vaccination status, political affiliation, and personal priorities. Life is not binary. It’s not as simple as good vs. bad, right vs. wrong, black vs. white, blue vs. red, you vs. me. Life is a continuum of experiences and perspectives. How can we challenge ourselves to imagine what it’s like to see through another person’s eyes? Empathy is the art of figuratively stepping into another person’s shoes, and imagine what it’s like to be them. The ability to imagine an experience outside of our own helps to connect us with compassion. Compassion is the bridge to our shared experiences and our common humanity. In this article, consider four questions to inspire an expanded perspective, an abundant mindset, and curious compassion…

~~ Expanding Inside Out: Part 1 ~~ When We're Closed

As different as our modern life may be in comparison to the primitive threats to survival our ancient ancestors faced, we still encounter a plethora of real and perceived attacks—natural disasters, social and economic injustices, political rivalries, bullying in schools and social media, viruses run amok, and perhaps above all, vastly conflicting views on how to address those threats. When we feel threatened, we contract—physically, emotionally, and mentally. In this defensive position, we tend to operate from a place of fear, judgment toward others (or ourselves), and a need to protect or preserve what we have. What causes us to feel closed, cautious, and uncertain?

Falling Inward ~ 5 Ways to Harness Autumn Healing

For many years I dreaded the changing of the seasons from summer to fall. Days felt desperately short, nights were dark and threatening, and trees shed any sign of life leaving behind their tree skeletons. This began, for me, with a life crisis that took place during the autumn months several decades ago. For years afterward, I had a painful association the moment I felt the sharp shift in the air and the changing colors of leaves before they would drop from their branches. Whether we love or loathe the fall, this transitional season offers us an opportunity to heal from our past life experiences. Here are five key autumn themes to support our natural healing process…

Breathing in a Better Life

“Just take a deep breath." It’s the most commonly distributed advice when we are stressed or anxious, angry or uncertain, unable to concentrate, or unable to sleep. It seems too simple and too mundane to actually work. Yet the art of mindful breathing boasts many physical, psychological, and cognitive benefits. In Chinese medicine, the lungs are associated with the season of autumn which makes this the perfect time to create your own breath practice. Take a look at my video for a guided practice as we explore seven different breathwork strategies and how they help to calm, restore and enhance our overall sense of wellness.

How to Survive Competition & Rejection

Most of us have experienced rejection in countless ways over our lifespan. The feeling of being rejected activates our brain in much the same way as physical pain. We subconsciously experience rejection as a direct threat to our survival and wellbeing. We begin to believe that if we are not good, successful, attractive, rich, or powerful enough, we will be rejected. This way of thinking keeps us stuck in a trap where we desperately fear rejection, feel forced to compete or prove ourselves by compensating for what we perceive as shortcomings, and ultimately contributes to a society that is rooted in deception and disconnection. Alternatively, we can consciously choose to cultivate skills which allow us to be true to who we are, provide a sense of freedom, and help us to advance both individually and collectively. Our more evolved survival strategies must incorporate collaboration, creativity, compromise, compassion, and connection.

The Olympics of Relationships

Navigating relationships should be its own Olympic sport! It requires endurance, practice, perseverance and commitment, not to mention to ability to skillfully overcome hurdles. We bring our own values, beliefs, aspirations and expectations, and we speak our own respective “love languages.” Finding ways to interconnect and interact with one another is not always smooth, easy or straight forward. Exploring five basic categories of romantic partnerships (independence, mutuality, interdependence, dependence, and co-dependence), we are reminded that relationship dynamics fluctuate. Sometimes we need more closeness. Sometimes we need more space. Experiment and discover what feels right for you in your relationship... it's an ever-evolving process.

Psychological Mirages: Perfection. Balance. Control.

Being from the southwest, where long roads stretch across the O’Keefe-esque landscape, I learned early on about the phenomenon of mirages. Off in the distance, it appears. A big puddle of water, right in the middle of the road. But as you drive closer, it vanishes. How much of our lives are spent in search of illusions and perceptions of ideals that are elusive and unattainable? Perfection, balance, and control are psychological mirages. In our striving for perfection, our longing for balance, and our grasping for control, we paradoxically lose it. What is it we are we truly seeking and how might we discover more of ourselves through the process?

Filter Focused ~ Are We Smudging Ourselves Out?

What is it that makes our society so filter-focused? Photo filter apps like Instagram, Facetune, and Perfect Me are designed to blur, lighten, soften and obscure our imperfections. We learn very quickly how to morph and modify ourselves to appear acceptable. The ways we filter ourselves go beyond the blemishes, wrinkles and extra pounds. We also find ways to blur our beliefs and values, smudge out our fears and insecurities, and obscure the truth of who we are. Filters may soften or dim our imperfections, flaws and faults, and we can utilize them with discernment. However, we must also remember the importance of high-resolution focus and clarity to guide us toward our deepest sense of authenticity.

Feeling Lost? How to Find Our Way

Years ago, before GPS was automatically connected to our everyday, handheld devices, I found myself (more than once!) lost in a foreign city, wandering aimlessly. What happens when we feel lost in our lives, doubt in ourselves, or stuck in a holding pattern? Most of us will encounter unexpected life surprises: health issues, job changes, pregnancies, family demands, etc. Life does not come with GPS, or a roadmap, or simple, easy-to-read directions. We have to navigate our way through trial and error. Here are four effective strategies to find our way when we are lost and make valuable self-discoveries in the process…

Quarantine Adventures: Reinventing Ourselves Post-Pandemic

With COVID and the resulting quarantine, this past year has been a foreign experience— a metaphorical journey to an uncharted territory and unknown world. Everything came to a sudden halt in ways most people have never seen before. We were thrust into isolation, navigating uncertainty and juggling new roles and responsibilities. Now, as more people become vaccinated and we slowly approach the possibility of life post-pandemic, there are sentiments of ambivalence about resuming “normal” life again. Consider these five questions to reflect on your experience and redefine your priorities as you resume life after quarantine.

The Power of a Broken Heart

It may seem unusual to write an article about heartbreak in honor of Valentine’s Day, but somehow it feels fitting considering the experience of the last year. The impact of chronic stress, self-neglect (poor diet, sedentary lifestyle), and lack of social connection (supportive relationships) all contribute to poor cardiovascular health. As much as we may be susceptible to heartbreak or heart disease, we are also full of potential for heart fortifying and heart healing. We can support the heart, not only through improved lifestyle choices, but also in recognizing and honoring the profound power it holds. Discover three simple ways to connect to the heart and why it’s important…

The Paradox of Acceptance

Acceptance is a critical step toward any change we hope to manifest. How can we accept things as they are when we want them to be different? Are we meant to accept powerlessness, inadequacy, limitations, defeat, injustices? If we accept the way things are, does that mean we have given up, surrendered, forfeited? Are we saying “okay” to the extra 20-pounds, the stagnant marriage, the monotonous job, the nagging anxiety, the pervasive injustices in our world? If we accept things as they are, how do we expect anything to change? Acceptance invites us to approach instead of avoiding. It urges us to acknowledge rather than denying. In the counterintuitive paradox of acceptance we open up to positive change and potential for healing.

2020: The Year of the Breath

Lately, the breath has gotten a lot of press. 2020 seems to be the year of the breath, or perhaps more accurately, lack thereof. COVID-19, the global pandemic has affected millions of people across the world who have contracted the virus and struggled for breath. People have lost their lives, their loved ones, their livelihoods. In the midst of the virus crisis, we heard the haunting words, “I can’t breathe,” uttered by George Floyd as he was suffocated and publicly murdered under the knee of a white police officer. Our sense of physical and psychological safety has been severely compromised on a number of levels. The often overlooked luxury of breath has become the symbol of health, freedom, justice, and aliveness. As DJ D-Nice regularly reminded us this year, “Let it breathe.”

Cultivating WellnessErin MasonDecember 18, 2020adversity, current events, covid, freedom, health, breathe, breath, healing, justice, perspective, equity, racism, resilience, repair

Intestinal Fortitude ~ Tapping Into Our Inner Strength

What does it mean to have “intestinal fortitude?” Neuroscientists and psychologists are recognizing the importance of gut health due to the connection between our physiology and our psychology, i.e. the gut-brain connection. From a physiological perspective it’s clear why we would want a healthy and robust gut, but how does this translate in psychological terms? When we feel strong at our core, we are in turn more connected, embodied, and fortified from the inside out. We may identify strengths such as grit, perseverance, empowerment, courage, etc. Once we access these qualities, we realize that they are generated and held, not outside of ourselves, but within our own skin, our mind and psyche.

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