art: Jes Polanshek
The matryoshka in me has been tuning in to the season of renewal and transformation as we approach the golden glow between summer and autumn.
I’ve been fierce about taking time off FB and insta and less online inter web, while cleansing myself of social media saturation. The first couple days my Etheric body/habit body, experienced a sense of withdrawal in relation to pattern/addiction/habit of content creation and checking social media updates, responses and comments to personal posts as well as the habit to scroll scroll scroll and read others posts.
After two weeks sans social media, I have lost the sense of connectivity that had been compulsively habitually strong- to go online, and have recalled a sense of freedom of the old days, the days before social media. I feel renewal cushioning the spaces in between habits. Far more space. To read a book, to compose music, to play piano, to be, to breathe, to listen to a water fountain or see a hot pink sunset sky without the incessant connection to technology that had simply started becoming a second skin habit.
I’m still fasting from social media, but perhaps instead of ‘fasting’ it is better to say, I am ‘slowing’. I’m tuning into turning towards my natural light and dark, my natural rhythm. I still have a sense of a phantom social media limb and find myself unconsciously clicking the Facebook or Instagram button on my phone. I have the discipline to close it as soon as I opened it.
Tuning into my natural rhythm
I find myself drawn to far more contemplation inside of the landscape of destiny and passion, lustre and self expression. Song, music and community longing fills the empty space where technology once stood. Potlucks and song circles, time well spent with my almost teen daughter, creating and laughing, more slow cooking and more relaxation.
It’s been a couple years since I took a proper social media fast. I encourage you to try if you haven’t for awhile. At least two weeks, possibly more. As a thought experiment or soul experiment.
What do you notice about yourself as the habit of social media falls away? What happens to your natural rhythm? What happens to your mind or body, feelings or soul? What do you remember or long for as the addiction or habit wanes?
What resistance do you have to trying?
How does the disciplined practice of removing social media for a temporary timeframe strengthen other aspects of your will, life force or soul?
We need the fierce reminder: we are not machines. Yes, the machine is valuable and…we need healthy doses of space from it. Often. Monthly. Yearly. Daily. Not just during the times we are asleep.
The soul has so much to say, to share, to communicate. Perhaps we are not even aware of the subtle or not so subtle way we enslave it when we are hyper active online.
It’s a different kind of adventure to disconnect from on form of connectivity and follow the path of living breathing heart led connectivity.
Image: David Silva
Venture into the unknown! Unplug.
Swim against the stream.
Fly against the current.
Tune in to the song of the soul.