Prompts for Recentering | letters from Dena
- Dena Bradford
- Mar 1
- 3 min read
Updated: Mar 2
How Do You Know When You've Tipped from "Fine" to marginally "Not Quite Fine"? Is it time for an exercise in recentering?
Do you push on thinking that things "will settle down soon" only to find 3 months have gone by and you have some epiphany that you have lost yourself in a stream of chaotic energy for far too long?
As I sit and type today, I realize I haven't meditated, gone to the gym or taken a razor to my legs in weeks. Is it the spring day that has me suddenly feeling a shift? It has been winter.
Maybe I have been in hibernation.
Maybe I have become ungrounded. Knocked off center by the world around me.
The news is chaotic. We've got Dysentery, Mumps, Measles and Tuberculosis in the news. Hospitals are full. Layoffs are coming. Social media is showing me things that I would have quickly dismissed months ago, but now I wonder -- am I misunderstanding everything that I thought I knew? I feel less secure, and with that a little less balanced.
PROMPTS FOR RECENTERING & RECLAIMG BALANCE
Unplug.
Turn off all non-essential devices. Define a practical period of time that you can be out of "the know". No news, no conflict, no opinions, nothing to interfere with your central nervous system.
Get Grounded:
Break a sweat. Increase your Heart Rate. Feel Your Feet on The Ground.
Settle in with a bath, use your breath, sit by a fire. Read a book. Listen to Music.
Do something to nurture yourself so you can properly reflect.
Then. When you are Ready:
Question & Document.
"Wild horses can symbolize freedom, transformation, and the balance of rebellious and docile instincts. They can also represent the shadow self, or hidden feelings that can be both destructive and empowering."
Find an image of an animal that reflects who you are in there here and now. It can be any kind of animal...
We see animals as archetypes of our subconscious.
What aspects of the animal that you have identified can you harness within yourself for strength right now?
What messages about yourself and your situation can this animal teach you?
"Hope is the thing with feathers
That perches in the soul.
And sings the time without the wounds
And never stops-at all." - Emily Dickinson
What is one word, quote, song, poem, or work of art that describes the you of this moment?
Is this a reflection of the real you?
What can this selection teach you?
Easy Salted Chocolate Bars
Ingredients:
1/2 cup whole almonds (or other nut)
10 ounces bittersweet chocolate (60-70% cacao), chips or finely-chopped
1 tablespoon pure 100% vegetable shortening
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
A pinch of coarse flake sea salt
Line a 9-by-13-inch rimmed sheet pan with parchment paper.
Spread half of the almonds, evenly spaced, across the pan. Set aside.
Melt the chocolate with the shortening, if using, in either a double-boiler over gently simmering water, or in a heat-proof glass bowl in the microwave.
If using a microwave, heat in bursts of 30 seconds on medium power, stirring well and scraping down the sides of the bowl with a spatula after each increment.
Once the chocolate is completely melted and smooth, stir in the vanilla extract.
Slowly pour into the sheet pan over the almonds, and use a spatula to spread into an even, smooth layer.
Top with the remaining almonds, and gently press into the melted chocolate.
Sprinkle with sea salt.
Refrigerate for 20-25 minutes to set, then let sit at room temperature for about an hour to completely set.
Once completely set and hardened, lift the bark out of the pan using the parchment paper, and use a large knife to cut the bark into pieces.
Store at room temperature in an airtight container for up to two weeks.
What is one thing you can physically make that connects you with nature and brings you joy?
Will you make it?
"Holding on is believing that there's only a past; letting go is knowing that there's a future." - Daphne Rose Kingma
What is one thing you can leave behind?
What is the first step you will take in order prune what needs to fall away?
"Planting seeds for the future" is a metaphor that represents hope & the idea that small actions today can lead to big changes tomorrow.
What is one seed that you can plant in March that can lead to positive changes in your future?
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