Balancing act
This weekend we drew diagrams to show where we give as shiatsu practitioners and what we receive to support us. For most of the students there was a lot of giving and a real need to more support and for me this imbalance is why I am finding life Exciting and stagnant.
But it was interesting to write out what we all felt what was taking energy away from us and compare that to where we take energy and support from. I must admit that even today I can think of more support mechanisms that I could have put on my diagram to make it less lop sided.
Most students drew themselves with arrows coming out of them labelled with the giving aspects of their lives and arrows pointing in to show support. I choose to draw scales with boxes on each side showing what I was giving and receiving. The box sizes represented the “weight” of the drain or support as I felt it. Some items might be seen as a support and a drain. For example giving shiatsu can be tiring and time consuming but if we learn to practise with the right spirit and within ourselves it is a support too.
Once the diagram was completed we wrote three simple sentences to describe simple steps that could redress the balance. Those drains on our time and resources can be all consuming but it only takes a simple exercise like this to see where we can address the balance. My steps were:
- Remember to take more time for myself
- Practise a little more tai chi or qi gong
- Trust my family to support me
I just had to see what I had backing me up to know that I had the resources needed to move forward. It was just a matter of being a little more selfish and using them for myself.
Tony Brown @ November 27, 2007