Prompts to Connect More Deeply To Your Muse
What does it mean to have art that also functions as a visual reminder in your space?
Each of the Muses in this series was created to act as a ‘lighthouse’ in your space — a way to catch your attention and offer a momentary respite from the daily noise of your emotions and external circumstances; an opportunity to reset your perspective, energy or mindset, as you begin, move through, or end your day.
I created the following prompts as a way to deepen your relationship with your Muse/s — to show you ways to build meaningful rituals and reminders for yourself in your space.
Explore the following Embody
+ Reflect prompts, specific to each muse.
Ebb + flow • Beginnings + endings • Cycles of life • Wabi Sabi • Beauty of Imperfection • Impermanence • Exhale • Expression.
EMBODY
Feel the weight of your feet on the ground, and an invisible string pulling you up from the crown of your head. Looking at the top of your WHOLENESS print, focus on the right side of the top of the cycle. Gently inhale without forcing, as your eyes trace the circle, clockwise to the end, for a count of five. Briefly pause at the top and then follow the form counter-clockwise, exhaling gently and slowly, emptying your lungs for a count of five. Repeat this cycle five times, balancing your sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems. Remind yourself of the balance needed between the energies of BEING (inhaling) + DOING (exhaling).
REFLECT
Are there any cycles that are beginning or ending in your life? How can you shift the way you are relating to them?
Finding your centre amidst the chaos of life • Bringing awareness and intention to the moment • Gathering yourself in, and down • Having your own back • Aligning mind, heart and body.
EMBODY
Looking at CENTERED, feel the weight of your feet on the ground, and an invisible golden string pulling you up from your crown. Let yourself sway gently from side to side, feeling the push and pull of all that is happening in the world, in your own life, and even the events of today. Lengthen your spine like the beautiful golden line of Centered. Raise your hands out to either side of you, slowly bringing them in, towards your center — balancing, grounding and strengthening you. Bring this momentary sensation of feeling ‘CENTERED’ into the rest of your day, or into the realm of your dreams.
REFLECT
What is a current situation, circumstance, or person that is ‘pushing and pulling you’, causing you to feel ungrounded, or off-kilter? Journal on three ways you could use your intuition to get back to your center.
Finding a sense of HOME from within • The sensation of holding another and of being held • The comfort of containers • Mothering ourselves.
EMBODY
Looking at HELD, feel the weight of your feet on the ground, and place one hand on your heart, and the other on your upper abdomen. Feel the crown of your head lifting up, elongating your neck and spine. Soften your belly, breathe deeply, and feel the breath as it flows through your body. Instead of looking for a sense of ‘home’, of belonging to come from the outside, imagine it coming from within. So that no matter where you are physically, or whatever your current circumstances are, your sense of home and of belonging, is always within you.
Extend your arms slowly out to the sides, and raise them to form a mirror of the Held symbol. Breathe in the comfort and strength of this symbol and bring this into your day.
REFLECT
Journal about the ways that you currently feel held, in your life? If, by others - then who? If, by yourself - then how? If, by physical locations, objects, rituals or circumstances- then what?
Choosing to see the chaos and messiness of life (and of ourselves), as inherently beautiful • Reclaiming and celebrating our inherent life force — the beautiful mess that is a full authentic life • Enjoying the delicious contrast of calm + chaos.
EMBODY
Find a private space where you can be alone. Lower the lights, and choose a cathartic song. Close your eyes, and respond intuitively to the music. If getting ‘messy’ feels good, do it. Whatever feels tight or restrictive in your body, emotions, or voice, practice LETTING GO.
REFLECT
Reflect on a challenging situation that currently feels overwhelming, and sit with the feeling of its chaos. Know that while it is so difficult, it also means you’re alive, that LIFE is happening. Could there be a vitality, and possibly even a kind of beauty to the reminder and intensity of that? Journal or reflect on what comes up. Perhaps somewhere in this messy situation, and your possible response to it, beauty can be found.
The cyclical nature of life energy • Ebb + Flow • Generating flow from within • Propelling ideas into actions • Releasing stuckness or old perspectives • Allowing grounded movement to arise from stillness.
EMBODY
While looking at your FLOW Muse, imagine a small, focused ball of energy originating at your core, building its power from within. Now imagine the expression of that energy slowly starting to flow in small loops and curves throughout your body. Follow that internal rhythm, feeling that energy move down through your feet, out through your hands and fingers, and up through the crown of your head. Bask in the grounding power of momentum that comes when flow is generated from within.
REFLECT
Journal on a stuck memory or perspective that needs releasing, making room for more flow, ease, and movement in this area, and in your life.
The generating potential of creativity and connection • Interconnection of people, ideas, concepts, community • Support • Networking • Mind-mapping • Abundance • Expansion • Oneness
EMBODY
Looking at INTERCONNECTION, feel both feet on the ground, while elevating the crown of your head. Explore contracting your body inward, by bringing your arms in and hugging yourself tightly, and then expanding outward, opening your arms out to the side and feeling spaciousness in your chest. Play with moving between these two postures. Get curious about the contrast of the singular vs. the collective. — Which energy do you need more of today?
REFLECT
’DOORS OF YES’ EXERCISE: *
Create a list of things “you’ve said YES to” in your life — as far back as you can remember. Reflect on what those YES’s created or led to in your life. *(Source: Firefly Creative Writing)
The Meditative Seat • The seat of consciousness • Simultaneously holding, receiving, AND giving — reaching up and out like an embrace • The holding of space • Listening • Being with •“Withness"
EMBODY
1. Gaze upon your Muse, PRESENCE.
Stand with your feet rooted, crown lifted, elongating your spine. Create a bowl shape with your arms, reaching up and out to the sides. For a few breaths, experience the beautiful embodiment of holding space. Bask in the feeling of spaciousness that comes with this simple, yet profound physical posture. The way it opens you up, holding both strength and compassion.
REFLECT
Sit for three breaths. Set a timer for 5 minutes if you’d like, or just free-write, listing all the thoughts that are taking up space in your mind right now, keeping you from feeling present.
Release the list by tearing or burning the paper to let it go. Notice how that feels.
Give yourself the intention of bringing focused, grounded, presence to however your day unfolds and to all whom you encounter today.
The stories of our lives continually unfolding • The rhythms of lives being lived • Our earned collections of all that we’ve been through, the lines, scars and layers — All the more beautiful for having lived full lives.
EMBODY
Look in the mirror, find an imperfection you usually focus on, and look at it with a sense of curiosity, with loving eyes. Consider the miracle that you are even alive, of all you have gone through, and that you've earned every scar, line, and layer.
REFLECT
What is something about yourself that you once viewed as negative (like a scar, an ‘imperfection’ or even a quality), but now see differently?
Photo Credits: Christina Gapic + Melanie Gordon