Embracing Holistic Alignment: Physical and Emotional Insights from an Entrepreneur's Sabbatical
I am two very full work weeks back from my sabbatical, and it has continued to be absolutely eye opening to me as an entrepreneur, recovering people pleaser, and Shadow Alchemist. I wanted to share some observations around this, as well as the way I see our holistic human experience: physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual layers.
When we focus on just one aspect of our human experience, for example, over-identifying with our analytical thinking minds and neglecting our physical sensations or intuition, we will find ourselves dissatisfied, listless, anxious, depressed, and potentially burnt out.
All four layers of our human experience are required to make sense of what we’re going through in life.
This is a draft chart I’m working on to help teach these 4-layers of the human experience: physical / body; mental / mind; emotional / feeling; and spiritual or soul level. There is a relationship between these layers and our perception of the conscious and subconscious, as well as the 3D and 5D experience.
Our emotions are the undercurrent for everything, informing us how the body feels, how our beliefs make us feel, and are signals of our subconscious inner workings. So as I explore each of these layers, I’ll explore my feelings or emotions around them, too.
In this blog, I’ll start by just focusing on my physical + emotional layers of being and some of the wisdom that’s come as a result of my sabbatical and my relationship with work. I invite you to consider either your own relationship with work, or observe these questions with regards to your relationships, hobbies, or day to day life.
The Physical Body -
Physical Sensations Actions, & Practices, What We Do
Physical Energy: My Entrepreneurial Reflections
What are we doing? What is ours to do?
How are we acting in the world?
How do we “show up?”
As an entrepreneur, I’m constantly questioning the status quo and dominant society’s take on what work looks like. Today, I see so many friends and loved ones suffering under poor working conditions, low wages and long hours. I witness people struggling to get by, having to cut costs out of life’s basic needs, such as sacrificing nutritious food quality to be able to afford other bills. Meanwhile, shareholders of large companies and those in the top 1% are absolutely thriving right now.
There is enough abundance to go around—enough money, physical resources, and food, but some people hoard it. Why? Why is the economy judged only by how well investors are doing?
Bottom line—as an entrepreneur and small business owner I want better. For me. For my contractors and fellow Living LUNA staff. For my community. I want better for all beings living and working to stay alive on this planet. I don’t think we should have to work and be miserable to survive. I truly believe that each and every one of us should be able to follow our soul-aligned dreams and give back to our community and world in our own unique and innovative ways.
How to Check on the Alignment of Our Actions
If money wasn’t an issue, would you be doing what you’re doing?
Is what you’re doing daily causing stress, ongoing anxiety, resentment, bitterness, fear, shame, or disappointment? If so, why are you doing it?
How does your body feel when you do certain tasks? When you’re around certain people?
If you’re a small business owner like me, you know your business is a potential pathway to your soul-aligned success. There is a drive to see your vision and life be the best they can be—for your dream to get as far as it can go. And, if you’re not a business owner, plenty of companies out there we can work for that have incredible missions and purposes in the world.
But if work feels awful, chances are it’s not in alignment. If we continue to take actions that are out of alignment, this will ripple into our mental attitudes towards ourselves and life and affect our overall energy, emotions, and sense of purpose in life.
If I knew I would be fully resourced and have all the money I could want and need to live with peace, ease, and health, I would do what I’m doing now—writing, helping people navigate shadows and patterns, and teaching workshops and retreats. I would spend time in nature. I would do moon circles. That’s what being an entrepreneur means: pursuing our dream for a better world and creating something from nothing to offer to others. It feels right. That tells me I’m on the right path.
What feels right for you?
Getting to know our bodies and inner physical signals can be challenging in a world that often teaches us to shut down what we feel on every level. It’s normal to feel resistant or confused as you navigate this journey to self-awareness and empowerment!
Meeting Resistance on Our Path
How can you tell when you’re encountering resistance?
Where does your body feel tense?
Resistance can show up in the body in many forms: feelings of anxiety, queasiness, tension, brain fog, you name it. Resistance can be a sign we need to slow down and view things from another angle before proceeding.
When we encounter resistance and feel we can’t follow through on actions, it’s an invitation to see if something is actually for us.
For example, as a startup and very unique brand, Living LUNA will take time to scale and reach the heights I know it will one day obtain. I feel a lot of resistance around how long it will take to scale us up to a global brand improving mental health, community access, and diversity education. But, this resistance informs me that I care.
As with most dreams, mine will take some “elbow grease.” That doesn’t mean it needs to be grueling though. So… What will it take to get where I want to go?
Getting going takes patience, persistence, and perseverance to be a small business owner with no starting capital, donations, or investors. That means I have two choices as I pursue my bigger dreams: 1) work more hours myself if I want more speed, or 2) slow down if I want more ease.
After a year of grinding hard and being totally ingrained in hustle culture and the coaching world, I’ve discovered conclusively that we actually slow down to speed up.
The worst thing we can do is try to rush it. That just leads to more fatigue and burnout, missed lessons, and usually lost resources, too. I’ve noticed that when I push myself hard, I feel more pain and fatigue. My chronic illness flares, and I start to dread putting energy into my business.
Our emotions and felt senses are very much guideposts and beacons of alignment. Paying attention to the physical sensations and associated feelings in our body is essential to catching when we feel stuck, dissatisfied, or other stagnant emotions.
Physical Sensations: Emotional Guideposts
How do your feelings show up in your body?
What signs and signals is your body giving you right now?
During my sabbatical, I gently worked with and observed my chronic neck and shoulder tension. I noticed that my right shoulder in particular is consistently pulling up toward my ear. I experience a band of gripping pain down the sides of my neck and into my upper and mid back.
When I sit with these physical sensations, I first feel frustrated. I don’t like being in pain. I feel sad, upset, and even a little judgemental (those are the thoughts and beliefs starting to get pulled in). The sadness hits like an ache in the chest. The upset pinches behind my eyes. When the judgment starts to peek in, I feel a stabbing in my upper right eyebrow area.
Then, there is the fear. The fear is what really pulls my shoulders up—makes me brace against the unknown. Fear of judgment. Fear of poverty. Fear of the stories inside my head. This fear tingles in my eyebrows, clutches at my solar plexus, and makes me a little nauseous.
Because I deepened my awareness of the relationship between my emotional signals and my body, I’m now able to catch these sensations and breathe to soften them. Otherwise, I can intervene with things like grounding practices, my Shakti “pokey” mat, or a nice hot shower. It is an ongoing process of creating safety in my body!
Observing My Actions with Curiosity
What do you do on a daily basis?
How do you show up in work or relationships?
Do you do things intentionally or go through the motions?
As a CEO, the face of my brand, a healer, and an author, in the first two weeks back from my sabbatical, I’ve tracked:
All the work tasks I’ve been doing on a daily basis while trying to limit it to around 5 hours of work a day
How long those tasks take to complete (I love using my colorful hourglasses to track)
Which tasks I often put on the backburner (meaning I should see about delegating them in the future when I can hire someone to take on the role)
What I really didn’t enjoy doing for my business and writing
What fills my energy tank vs. depletes it
As a result of my observations, I’ve been deliberate about removing things from my schedule that I genuinely didn’t have the energy for. When I feel overly stressed, I take a deep breath and center myself before deciding whether or not to continue. I pay attention to my moods and energy levels because I know feeling aligned with the task yields the best results, and there really is no deadline on a lifelong dream.
I’ve also noticed what tools make my tasks easier vs. more complicated and have started to change how I do things. I go for tools that feel fun, inspiring, and easeful. I chose to use what lifts me up (take the Finch app for example, which helps me track daily self care and makes me smile); Canva which inspires me with the ability to mood board, make graphics, and presentations; and TidyCal which makes scheduling appointments a breeze and I never have to pay for it again.
All in all, some pretty fantastic observations!
The Next Layer
By tuning into our bodies, honoring our emotions, and aligning our actions with our true desires, we can create a life that feels authentically ours.
But let's be real—this journey isn't always easy. Those limiting beliefs, people-pleasing tendencies, and societal pressures can be stubborn companions on our path. That's why I'm passionate about guiding others through this transformative process.
If you're feeling called to dive deeper into your own journey of alignment, to break free from those patterns that no longer serve you, and to truly embody your authentic self, I invite you to explore my SOUL SUGAR program. This one-on-one transformational guidance package is designed to help you uncover your truth, embrace your unique magic, and create a life that feels as sweet as your soul knows it can be.
Together, we'll apply my signature S.E.A.S.O.N.S framework to address your Stories, Energy, Aligned Actions, Season of Life, Ownership, Needs, and Self-Care. We'll work on reconnecting with your body's wisdom, honoring your emotions, and taking inspired action towards your dreams.
Are you ready to taste the sweetness of living in alignment with your true self? To shed those limiting patterns and step into your full power? If so, I'd love to be your guide on this journey. Let's co-create a life that feels deliciously authentic to you.
Remember, you deserve to live a life that feels good in your body, heart, and soul.
In the next blog, I’ll talk about the thinking layer of the processing I’ve been doing, and offer some questions for you to consider for yourself. See you back here soon!
With love and endless possibilities,
Safrianna Lughna
The Queer-Spirit Guide
You’re invited to check out my guided meditations on Insight Timer, or check out our mental health and wellness related freebies on LivingLUNAs resource page.
By the way, I can't wait to attend this class which will speak to so many of the themes I’ve explored here and how to liberate ourselves from overworking.
Coco Madari will be presenting on this topic, mainly for progressive neurodivergent business owners making between $20k-$200k/month who want to:
Reduce their workload by AT LEAST 30%
Not unintentionally create a culture that makes A+ team players run away screaming
Stop feeling so isolated, lonely, and burnt out
Create more aligned revenue
In the workshop, she will teach you how to release 30 pounds of extra weight that internalized colonization brings without forcing yourself into a box or implementing a bunch of new systems so you can actually innovate and stir shit up in your industry. And it will be loads of systems-of-oppression-smashing fun. You can grab a spot here.
This month, I’m participating in the Ultimate Blog Challenge and share wisdom gleaned from my sabbatical, butterfly medicine, and more. Feel free to follow along if you want to learn more about my story! #UltimateBlogChallenge https://www.ultimateblogchallenge.com/
Want to chat with me directly? Join the LivingLUNAs Discord: https://discord.gg/5UkGZb9kYp
