Creating a Glimmer Practice
By Natasha Marchand, Counsellor, Coach, and Yoga Teacher
This month at Oma, we've been talking about embracing the little things: all those tiny things or moments that don't seem like much in comparison to the bigger things, but are nonetheless important and valid for creating the most out of your life.
Earlier this week I hosted a workshop and the topic of glimmers came up. I forgot how much I love this topic and how important a practice this is for me. Glimmers were coined by Deb Dana in her book The Polyvagal Theory in Therapy, and are things that stop us in our tracks and bring a feeling of joy, awe, or connectedness. They can be something really simple or they can bring us a deep sense of awe or amazement.
An example of this might be noticing the feeling of the sun on your face. Or, for me, a bright red cardinal that has been visiting me in the tree outside my office window!
Noticing glimmers is a really beautiful tool for regulating the nervous system. Our human brain has a tendency to scan our environment for threats. Looking for glimmers gives us a chance to tap into moments of wonder and meaning, and gives us a break from the hard.
Create a glimmer practice:
This is a noticing practice. So many of us spend our days in a bit of auto-pilot. When parts of our lives become routine, we can often stop being fully present in the little moments that bring us that sense of awe.
So, our goal then isn't to completely change our days to search for glimmers, but to find them in the lives we are living right now. That is where the awe can often be found.
If you would like to start this noticing practice, first know that there is no right way to do this. You might want to start by being more present during some of your more routine tasks, such as your walk to school or work. You may even want to have a journal to write down any glimmers you see. All that is really needed is the decision to want to find them. It's amazing how they may just show up!
If you happen to notice any glimmers this week, feel free to share them!
About our guest blogger
Natasha Marchand is a dual certified Trauma and Narcissism-Informed Coach that believes each person is whole and has within them exactly what they need to change their life, even if they don’t know how to access it yet.
She has been working in the wellness field for over 20 years, starting as a Fitness Instructor and moving into a love of all things Yoga, including the teachings of Yoga Philosophy. As an advocate for women’s rights and reproductive health, she also taught yoga for fertility, pregnancy and was a teacher trainer for doulas across North America and around the world..
www.natashamarchand.com
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