Six Ways Sacred Feminine Wisdom Can Heal Parents’ Stressed-out Lives
Andrea Menard is the author of Seeds from the Sacred Feminine: A 52-Card Wisdom Deck with Handbook. She is an accomplished Métis singer, storyteller, speaker, and the founder of the Sacred Feminine Learning Lodge. Menard contributed the following guest post. You can listen to our interview with her on the Girls That Create podcast.
A Calmer 2024: Why Discovering Your Sacred Feminine Wisdom Can Heal Your Stressed-Out, Burned-Out Life
If the last year taught us anything, it’s that we desperately need a break from busyness and chaos. Our schedules are maxed out, we’re struggling with stress, and we get nowhere near the rest we need. It’s time for a major reset—and that means tapping into your innate feminine energy to find the calm you crave.
Western culture, with its addiction to overactivity, depletes our energy and keeps us divorced from the stillness we need to feel and be our best. This is far from normal and healthy, and yet too many people live this. It’s time for people of all genders to experience wellness and peace by embracing the Sacred Feminine.
Stress and exhaustion are the result of an overabundance of masculine energy that makes us gravitate toward assertive, competitive, and action-driven behavior. To achieve balance, we must also embrace traits that honour our feminine energy, such as stillness, intuition, gentleness, and creativity.
When we acknowledge both our Sacred Feminine and Sacred Masculine natures, we find harmony in hidden places. To start the new year off right, tap into the Sacred Feminine with these simple tips.
1) First, know that it might feel frightening to “press pause.”
Some people stay busy because they feel afraid of confronting thoughts and feelings that might come up when they become still. Further, when you are used to going nonstop, it can be jarring to take a pause. But exploring stillness is a skill you can practice. Take your time and play with what feels good, neutral, or even bad.
2) Practice being still.
The speed of the world is dizzying. The heightened level of stimulation, which is exciting to your Sacred Masculine natures, takes its toll on your nervous system, affecting your moods and your sleep patterns. This is why it is important to set aside time to meditate or simply be quiet for a bit.
Move into a comfortable position and find a gentle space to relax into. Settling your body into stillness is the first step. Now, still your mind. Without judgment, notice your thoughts Then, with loving regard, let them flow onward.
3) Explore your innermost thoughts.
Journaling is an excellent way to pause and figure out what’s really going on in your heart and soul. Try to find time for a writing practice, even if it’s only five minutes a day. Write about whatever is on your mind or respond to a prompt like, “What are my emotions trying to tell me?” or, “What would bring me joy today?”
4) Get your hands dirty (in the garden).
Spending time working with your hands is a great way to get “out of your head” and enjoy the calming energy of the earth. While the weather is still cold, curl up with a stack of seed catalogues and start planning your spring garden. Or, if you want to start a garden right now, plant a small patch of winter vegetables such as cabbage, kale, or carrots. Another winter option is to create an indoor plant wall or windowsill garden.
5) Bring calmness into your home.
Sometimes the chaos in our minds overflows and creates chaos in our homes. We might even hang on to physical things when they are no longer useful to us. This can result in a disorganized and cluttered living space.
You are not meant to hold on to physical objects that no longer serve you. You are a spiritual being who holds infinite power in your hands. Release your hold on the stuff and feel the relief rise in your chest. You are free again. Remember the ways of your Ancestors and pare your life down to the basics. Use only what is necessary. Allow your wealth to flow to someone who needs it more than you.
6) Have a cup of tea. (It’s the antidote to worry.)
Heating water over a sacred fire is soothing and is as old as the love between Father Sky and Mother Earth. Be present to this ancient tradition. Receive the ingredients of warmth, love, and comfort that are hidden inside the sacred plants. There is potential for communion with the Sacred Feminine in one cup of tea. Just become present. Enjoy the feel of your favourite mug in your hands. Honour the dried plant for its flavour and nourishment. Bless the Waters of Life that sustain you. Enjoy it fully.
It may feel like you don’t have time to do these things, but chasing time is one of the symptoms of an out-of-balance lifestyle. If you embrace and nurture your Sacred Feminine energy, 2024 will begin to feel like the new beginning it really is. When you approach each day with a seed of calmness in your heart, you will notice a difference in the way you handle stress, manage priorities, and show up for life each day. It’s a new year, but it’s also a new you.
Andrea Menard
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Top image by Yan Krukau for Pexels.
Second image by Lisa Fotios for Pexels
Third image by Friday Eve Photo
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A Conversation with Andrea Menard on the Girls That Create Podcast
