Sometimes there are moments in our lives when we feel stuck and unsure of what to do next. Oftentimes feel paralyzed by fear and get overwhelmed by the details of the situation that we are in. Where do we go from here? How do we get unstuck and create movement? The answer might sound unbecoming or dull, and it might be the answer that you do not want to hear. The truth is that you already know, there is something within you that has a keen awareness of what to do next. There is a way to find your next best step by paying attention to what’s happening in your mind and allowing your body to guide you.
Where do we go from here? How do we get unstuck and create movement? The answer might sound unbecoming or dull, and it might be the answer that you do not want to hear.
Hawaiians defined wisdom as knowing first in your ‘na’au’ or your gut and aligning that with your intellect (mental knowing and clarity). The na’au or gut is also what Hawaiians know as the heart. The place where we instinctively know, absent of anything or anyone else telling us so.
Hawaiians defined wisdom as knowing first in your ‘na’au’ or your gut and aligning that with your intellect (mental knowing and clarity). The na’au or gut is also what Hawaiians know as the heart. The place where we instinctively know, absent of anything or anyone else telling us so.
Our knowing is often even more clear when we are in the presence of sacred land and water spaces that we create or were created in our likeness. In an excerpt I wrote on Indigenous resiliency, I affirm the land and female archetypes as sources of wisdom that generously offer the answers that we might seek.
I wrote, “Indigenous people will always affirm the land and the female as powerful beings that create space for a multi-sensory life experience. The land and body teach us that there is more than just the mind alone to give us information. ” (Laronal, K., 2020) Indigenous resilience teaches us that the body, in alignment with the spirit of people (a community) and place (virtual or physical) are sources of information available that are beyond our mental capacities to hold information. Meyer (2001) cites, Kanahele, who identifies the “na’auao”, the enlightened stomach”, “ It’s a cosmic center point. It has to do with your ancestors coming together with you. It has to do with your spiritual being coming together, it has to do with our physical being.” (p. 144, referencing Pua Kanahele, 15 January 1997).
Kanahele’s “cosmic center point” identifies the gut as an internal compass containing all ancestral and present-day memories within our physical, mental, and heart-centered realms. Our bodies are sources of information that support our left-brained functions to assess, sequence, and strategize by using our right-brained center for creativity, innovation, and emotion.
By fully engaging with senses of taste, touch, smell, hearing, and sight we experience a flow or what is often referred to in sports as, “being in the zone”.
By fully engaging with senses of taste, touch, smell, hearing, and sight we experience a flow or what is often referred to in sports as, “being in the zone”. The concept of “na’au” (gut) and “ao” (enlighten/light) is associated with coming into the light of day, regaining consciousness from a dark place (Ulukau.org, Accessed 12/4/2020). By trusting the gut, our “other” right-brain, we have access to insights and those “aha!” moments that lead to greater clarity in whatever it is we are seeking the answers to.
Here are some ways that will help you find the answers you are looking for:
Be Outside.
1) Go for a walk. Find a place outside that you can sit and reflect. Land and ocean have an amazing grounding effect – feeling a bit skeptical, give it a go, and see how you feel.
Meditate for a few minutes.
2) Meditate. By focusing on present moments, we are able to remove extraneous thoughts, ideas, or perceptions. You can start with just a few minutes of mindfulness. Give it a try here, you can Follow me on Insight Timer.
Talk to Someone.
3) Talk to someone you trust or that can offer an outsider’s perspective. It’s best to make sure that you talk to someone you know and trust to provide the right insight. As a Life Coach, I am trained to provide you with the right questions to help you come to the best decision for you. Book a Free Amp Up your power 1-Hour Session with me to discover the possibilities.
Citations
Meyer (2001). The Contemporary Pacific, Volume 13, Number 1, Spring 2001, pp. 124-148 https://courses.helsinki.fi/sites/default/files/course-material/4486777/2)%20Meyer%20Hawai%20episte.pdf