A Conscious Shift from Stagnation to Flow

Exactly 2 months ago, I left the city for the coast, guided by an insistent inner voice. Without knowing what I was traveling for, how long I would be away for, nor the particulars of where I would stay or what I would be doing, I listened.

Over the year prior, I had gradually slipped into stagnation. When the COVID pandemic first sent us all back home to deal with ourselves, with shadows we had denied from our past, and to grow in wisdom, I did very well. I sat with myself, examined inherited traumas from my ancestors that I was exhibiting, and worked to heal them. I developed a morning rhythm including 4 hours of yoga, breathing, meditation and grounding. I got creative, holding meditation courses and starting a youtube backpacking series.

But after some months, I left Nairobi out of desperation to escape the stifling clouds of fear sitting over a city already erratically buzzing with stress and addiction to rush and being busy. This in addition to the introduction of 5G technology (I believe) was affecting my ability to breathe. Further, being a social butterfly, and a Libra typically confused by the two sides of the pandemic legitimacy debate, I had to head to nature to ground myself, and be with plants more than people.

I changed home 5 times during this period – from my family home, to a Luo family’s AirBnB by the river and acacias in Rongai, to a dear friend’s place back in the city, to an acquaintance’s house in cold, green Tigoni, to their extension which was not livable, and soon after to my current home not too far from there which is just perfect. A cosy little guesthouse with a balcony surrounded by trees and walking distance from river, forest, dams and hills of tea farms. There are dogs, cats, goats, and security provided by my landlady who lives on the same property and loves natural herbal medicines. Finally found peace right?

Not really – I got into an unhealthy pattern of overwork. My daily mindful practice went askew, and I was not keeping fit, nor eating properly. Though I had everything I wanted, the pressure of being an independent creative, independent healer, and entrepreneur set upon me with full force and bit with a mouth full of sharp canines. By slipping into disrespect for my physical body and mind, my energetic body fell into disarray. I developed a routine on all levels (physical, mental, emotional, energetic) of sacrificing my joy, peace and nourishment for things I “had” to do. And so I was on an energetic hamster wheel, churning away and going nowhere; recreating the same reality for the foreseeable future.

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My guides and intuition had to step in.

“I’m going to the coast in a month,” I declared one day. “How? Where?” asked my good friend. “I have no idea, but I am going,” I replied.

Lo and behold! One month later, I was at the coast. The universe conspired (and continues to conspire) to ensure that I not only had a safe, comfortable place to stay, but was (am) surrounded by fellow healers, lightworkers and conscious community. Amazing spiritual comrades, teachers and students have appeared including traditional drummers, sound healers, herbalists, creatives, activists, shamans, meditators, etc – and that’s just in human form. The natural teachers have been endless from the Baobabs and Mugumo; to the ocean, beach and caves; to the butterflies, golden beetle and fireflies.

Hopping off the Hamster Wheel

My inner shift did not happen immediately though. When I arrived at my couchsurfing host’s house in Bamburi, Mombasa, I had carried my hamster wheel with me. I worked from morning through night organising a small event that was way more stressful than it should have been. During the online meditation, chanting and journaling sessions, it came to me that I had to take more drastic measures. I decided to go offline for 11 days.

I originally planned to spend the entire time in retreat on Funzi Island, in isolation and meditation. However on Day 3, I met an artist and his family who were traveling north to Kilifi and invited me along. So I left my phone and computer in the south coast (Diani) and joined them.

The lessons came in all kinds of unexpected forms. Though I was on the move and interacting with people, the fact that I was offline meant that I was fully present at all times. Each morning, I played flute, did some yoga asanas and meditated. Each evening I read The Island by Alduous Huxley before sleeping. I volunteered in a community school to share mindfulness with the kids – and they taught me some things too. By the second night I was receiving psychic dreams, connecting with a fellow meditator on a particular day and time (we confirmed this later), and receiving a channeled message for a fellow healer who unexpectedly turned up physically the next day to receive their message.

Allowing Flow

By the time I decided to end the offline retreat, I was done with my previous lifestyle. No way am I going back to overworking unnecessarily and living in a state of pressure and stress. On the contrary, when I spend the morning in communion with nature and the universe, take the time to cook and eat mindfully, ensure daily physical movement, and prioritise time out to relax and enjoy, I am actually more productive, efficient and creative than when I slog.

I am currently developing proposals for six projects, preparing 2 retreats, a talkshow and festival, supervising an intern, collaborating on development of a new wellness space, holding group and individual sound healings, recording my bowls, and writing for my blog, books, and other publications.

Yet I don’t feel it at all. In fact, I feel like I am on holiday. Enjoying every moment and appreciating the beauty in the nature, animals and people around me. I have crossed the ferry between the north and south coast 7 times so far, camped in the Shimba hills national reserve, hiked to and bathed in the Sheldrick Falls, camped on the beach at Tiwi, watched turtles, swum in isolated spots of ‘private’ beaches, slept in a primaeval cave, ridden out to ocean dancing on a boat roof as the moon rose and ridden back lying down and watching the stars, meditated under a lone baobab on the Kilifi creek, backpacked across the Takaungu creek and nearly had my belongings washed away as the tide came in, drummed with a traditional drum teacher until the ancestors sent us rain just short of 2 hours in, held a gratitude ceremony for the ancestors and angels, met guardian spirits, and had communication from my soul sister who now resides in another realm.

The synchronicity has been mind-blowing with daily unbelievable occurrences and messages. Those around me are rising up in spiritual prowess, developing telepathy, psychic abilities, time travel, clairvoyant dreams, connections with the plants and more. Manifestation is in superabundance, with simple requests being fulfilled by the universe in hours or days (by most people that I meet). Things I wished for 3 years ago too have been appearing with no effort as surprise gifts from the universe as a reward for listening to intuition and putting effort into stepping up in awareness.

My Message for You

These times are when we must choose whether to stay in the old paradigm or create new realities. There are huge shifts and energetic gateways constantly opening. Don’t miss this opportunity. Tune in. Make that effort, you will not regret it.

Lessons from this story

• Listen to that still, small voice of intuition when it speaks to you
• If you are not in flow, if you are “too anything,”, it is time for a change
• Taking the first step, however small, is crucial – that energetic frequency you send out will be matched by a burgeoning manifestation of events in alignment with it. You don’t need to wait for when you’re “ready” to take a big step. Just start small and everything else will follow with little to no effort on your side!
• Changing location does not automatically mean a change in energy
• Surround yourself with people of the energy you aspire towards
• Allow for plans to change, don’t be stuck and rigid on what you had planned
• You don’t have to be physically still and in meditation to be aware and in flow with the universe
• It’s not that hard to change your vibration and develop new habits – but you must be serious about it and make significant changes
• Do what makes you feel happy, peaceful and in harmony with the universe – it will only amplify
• Live in a state of gratitude
• Be careful what you say – it will come true

In case you’re interested, here’s my coastal reading list:

• Becoming Supernatural – Joe DiSpenza
• The Cosmos – Voyage through the Universe
• The Island – Alduous Huxley
• Introduction to Telepathy – W.E. Butler
• The Portable Jung – Joseph Campbell
• How Meditation Heals – Eric Harrison
• How to Befriend your Shadow – John Monbourquette
• The Engineer of Human Souls – Josef Skvorecky