While hiking the other morning I was thinking about inhaling. Inhaling is awesome! But, it really is nothing without the exhaling. Exhaling completes the process. Without the exhale, the inhale is kind of pointless.
Flow is a word that has been at the forefront of my mind for the last few months. I have become pretty good at noticing when I am not in a good state of Flow. It is when I'm not moving all the way through dealing with something. I feel stuck. It doesn't feel relaxing or calm. I feel a bit pent up. I just keep chewing on whatever the problem is. Those tense feelings help me become aware that something is going on mentally, emotionally or spiritually that needs some dealing with... some attention. There is some roadblock that is inhibiting me from processing my issue and moving the rest of the way through...to move into a solution ...the exhale.
The exhale brings the relief and the release... It's where the letting go happens... It's when the trash gets taken out.
The problem that I'm dealing with, or the situation that needs a solution is not really what causes an issue with Flow. Sitting down, staying in, soaking in and rolling around in that space is where the problem is. That is an incompleted process. If we don't become aware, and move all the way through that process we become stuck and cannot come out the other side into peace. It's like breathing in and holding our breath. The breath in is important, but the relief and release comes when we complete that process and and we can exhale. We must couple our problem, situation, pain, anger, etc. with truth and trust. For some people that trust may be put in "the process" or in the "universe". For me, it is trusting whatever promise that God has given in his word that pertains to what I am going through. When my issue joins hands with truth and trust I can release the tension and exhale.
In Genesis it says that God breathed life into Adam. Human life came through the exhale. Breathing was a part of our creation and is a fundamental factor in sustaining life in us. It is a FLOW cycle. It is essential that we cycle completely through awareness, assessing what our responsibility in the matter is, taking appropriate action, releasing control and trusting.
Breathe in - Assimilate what gives life - Filter out what is waste - Release and exhale.
FLOW
