Journal Challenge - Day 1 - Setting an intention

 *List at least three things that make you feel grounded. How do you want those things to carry you today? How do they make you feel more connected to yourself and others?

Feeling grounded often means feeling calm, secure, and present in the moment. It’s about being centered and connected to yourself and your surroundings, despite external stress or chaos.

I think my main three things would be: music, meditation and dance. Even though I do none of those regularly. Hopefully this challenge gives me the push I need to stay consistent and actually keep concentrated one thing and finish it. 

Music has always been something that is close to my heart, that always makes me happy or in the right mood. Or brings back great memories that I associate with good events. It's never really just one song or one genre. It depends how I feel and if I want to intensify the feeling or change it. Certain music will lift me up or calm me down. 

I have done different meditations and especially during yoga teachers course, when we meditated for 3 weeks every morning, I could feel the benefits of the time I spend with my own thoughts, without listening to anything or thinking about anything in particular. 

Dance has been part of my life, and during the time in Latvia, when going out and dancing was a big part of my life, I really enjoyed it. Salsa dancing was about community, club dancing is about letting yourself go. There is still part of me that is cautious of what others would think when they see me dance, but lately I have that feeling less and less. 

Today has been an interesting Tuesday, some work meetings didn't really go as planned. But I would feel weird if I put my headphones in to listen to music or take 10 minutes to meditate in the meeting room. So still in back of my head I feel like I would be judged for taking time for myself, during working hours. Sure, I could combine the meditation and music, because lot of times the music I would want to listen to at work would be background, like Moby or Jon Hopkins.

Dance definitely makes me connected to others. Whether it is salsa so you actually are feeling each other, the moves are closer and more intimate. In the club or festival, it's more about the overall vibe, togetherness in enjoying the same music, same atmosphere. So, that makes me feel connected to the world.

When do I feel more connected to myself? Probably during meditation.