We have been told by enough sources in our lifetime that at certain points in our life’s adventure, we may have a ‘life review’…
Typically towards the end.
💟Well, a few weeks ago at the Pet Shop Boys Show in Royal Opera House, something similar happened to me.
I had a ‘timeline review’. Meaning: With each timeless Pet Shop Boys song, I went to different moments in my late childhood and early youth.
🎹 As many of the GenX will remember, Pet Shop Boys were like none other and were big for 80s youth. I have always loved them and never stopped listening to them.
But being a part of this show turned out to be a fascinating as well as a very helpful experience.
Two nights prior to the show, I had unexpected, sad news, which left me restless and confused. I would normally spend longer time in my daily ‘grounding’ practices. But my days were non-stop so that was out of the question.
🎶 Then on the very evening of the show, the moment I entered the venue, excitement combined with gratitude took over. And of course when Pet Shop boys arrived on stage, I felt embraced by joy as if a pair of trusted friends I looked up to had appeared.
🎵With each song from the likes of “You Are Always on My Mind” to “It’s A Sin”, I travelled back in time and space, to the exact moment I was watching the very music video of that song for the first time. And reconnected with ‘the person I was’ at that point in my life.
💟 I saw myself as a child at the early adolescence phase, being quieter and smiling less, but always being content. That little girl was very observant and carefully watched the world around her. She was calmly fearless, naturally confident, grounded and knew exactly what she wanted (and what she did not). She never missed a new Pet Shop Boys music video. I realised I really missed her.
🎙 And just like that I started feeling incredibly grounded, centred and serene, knowing another version of me in another time never went through ‘prolonged restlessness or confusion’.
Why? Because she was always present, always in her body. Always living the moment.
A deep shift happened from the ‘restless’ to ‘embodied’. And big time!
👏🏼 I can assure you that I was not the only one in the audience going through a timeline review. The diverse crowd, mostly between the ages of 40 to 80, were dancing and getting quite emotional at the same time...
In fact, I was so stunned by noticing the depth and nature of my emotions that at some point during the show, I stopped moving. I completely froze in order to be one with the serenity that arrived. The depth of it all was truly amazing.
🎹 The astonishingly high quality music composed by groundbreaking artists like Pet Shop Boys accompany us during our life's journey, through the good and the bad. Through the heartaches, challenges and celebrations of our wins in life.
I am not sure if either the artists or we realise the extent to how special, important and precious these works of art are. Whether it is music, sculpture, literature or another form of creative craft, their soulful, timeless art gets to keep each version of us company along the way.
💟It was such a visually and audibly beautiful, fun and deep experience, I was feeling the expansiveness of the show many days after.
Artists of this calibre and grace are rare.
I was thankful to Pet Shop Boys for re-introducing me to the ‘little Öz’. She helped me immensely by reminding me about embodiment.
I had to remember that the resources I needed were ‘inside of me- inside my system’. I only had to tune in and use them.
☯ Here’s a simple embodiment exercise I created, as a result of this experience. It is simple yet profound. You can use it whenever you feel restless, jittery or unsure, and shift from ‘restless’ to ‘grounded’ within minutes. Even during a super busy day.
Give it a go!🙂
Think of a musician or a band that you have loved all your life.
Remember a selection of their songs that elevate you, make you feel present and joyful.
Now remember who you were when you first heard those songs at different points in your life: Where were you, what were you doing, what were your key characteristics then?
Now choose the best moment in your timeline associated with the song of your choice by the artist. Play the song if you can but if not, just close your eyes and go to that exact moment.
See yourself then - whatever age you were, and wherever you are.
Just ‘be’ at that time and place. At this point you might have a smile on your face 🙂
Take a deep breath. Remember at least 5 characteristics you loved about yourself when listening to your song of choice for the first time.
Connect to how that version of yourself felt on the inside. Present, fulfilled, joyful? And see how they looked to the others on the outside? Confident, content, self-assured?
Embody and fully feel all those characteristics you admire about you.
Choose any of the key characteristics you would like to reactivate in you, today.
Travel back to ‘now’ from the ‘past’ with those key characteristics embodied and felt by you, as you are today- and open your eyes.
☯ And whenever you feel restless, a bit lost and confused, go back to that past self associated with your chosen song above, remember the song, remember yourself then and download who you would like to be and how you would like to feel once again.
Do this in as many situations possible and as many times as you like. You will see a change in how you shift from restless to self-assured.
🧘♀️ The short meditation version of this exercise will be freely available soon on my website.
Much love 💜
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