Since taking Jess Lively’s, Flow With Intention online class in the fall of 2017, I have been practicing:
Alignment Before Action
This means that I take some time at the beginning of my day to get into alignment with my higher self, before I start doing any of the “shoulds” on my list. Like: going to work, running the errands, doing a task for someone else, etc.
Alignment time means doing whatever it is that I desire to do, in that moment, and fully indulging in it. It could mean yoga on the deck, reading my book, taking notes on a lecture, making cookies, writing in my journal, meditating, walking the dog, making playlists, watching a show, listening to a podcast, creating new outfits in my wardrobe, drinking tea and petting my cat in the sun, taking that gym class, shopping at a consignment store, writing that book, playing the piano, and the list goes on!
Setting my days up like this has changed my life. If I give myself the space to do what my heart desires, then I am less resistant to doing the things that others expect of me, all the ‘shoulds’ and ‘have to’s’ in my life.
Getting into alignment essentially means that you are following the natural urges of your soul. When we do this we feel more at peace within our bodies, we crave less, and experience more contentment in the present moment. It makes the rest of the day flow that much easier. It turns out there is less pushing and pulling and hustling, and more ease, grace and flow.
If you like, you can do this for a period of time, by setting your alarm earlier to fit this into your day. But if you’re not a morning person, you may want to take time before bed, to get into alignment. Essentially what that will do is set up your brain to continue flowing while you are asleep, because the last thoughts we have before sleep continue to loop in our brains for another four hours. Waking up after a night of alignment will automatically put you more in the flow upon rising.
As it turns out, even if we take 5 minutes to do something that lights us up, we can feel the effects of flow throughout our day. You may want to try five minutes before work, and some periods of five minutes throughout the day. Try out the concept and see what works for you.
I’d love to hear how you integrate alignment time into your day and what has been aligning for you. Let me know in the comments below, your actions might spark ideas for others!
