Today, during one of our ConsciousU community calls, we did a short envisioning meditation about life in the normal regime, the natural regime1, and a bridge between them, followed by individual sharing and a group conversation. It was a good exercise and a rich exchange which left me with a couple of thoughts and questions that I’m now trying to sort by writing this text.
During the meditation, I saw in my mind the normal regime on the one side and the natural regime on the other side. The normal regime was pretty gray, busy, stressed, and not very much fun. There seemed to be no time and space for pausing and there seemed to be no end to the tasks that needed to get done, always focusing on the next thing to do. The natural regime, in contrast, was much more colorful and slower, with deep breathing, time to be present, and space to truly take in everything around. There was a feeling of peace, joy, and aliveness, as well as a deep sense of gratitude.
Personally, I feel like I’m in the natural regime most of the time. So, when I envisioned the bridge between the two regimes, it almost felt like a threat – an opening that would allow the busyness, stress, and sadness of the normal regime to come into the natural regime.
After hearing from other community members and reflecting on my own thoughts and feelings a bit longer, I started to realize that dividing the world into the normal regime on one side and the natural regime on the other is actually not very helpful. It might just create more separation – and also more tasks and stress – if the goal is to ‘get to the other side’.
Now, that I’ve been sitting with this image and some related questions a bit longer, a different picture has emerged. It’s of the natural regime being the base – the ground and soil for everything. It is always there – supporting, fertile, full of life, and a sort of love and intelligence that surpasses our limited human understanding. But many times, it has become buried. Buried under the things and tasks that we see as ‘the real world’ – those that call for steady busyness, create stress, and a perceived lack of time. So, the bridge to the natural regime might actually be less about ‘getting from here to there’ and more about letting go of the things that are covering it up. These can be actual material things – too much stuff around that hijacks our attention and time – or things we think we have to do: because we’ve been told they are important, because we’ve always been doing them, because everyone else is doing them, or because we can’t imagine what to do instead.
And then, of course, there are all the beliefs and conditioning we have been subject to throughout our life. Many of these need to be tackled and shed in order to become able to truly tune into the flow of the natural regime. This means taking a look at the core of life, becoming truly present in the here and now, facing our deepest fears, uncovering our passions and inner calling – without turning this into another project on our agenda! – and, in my experience more than anything, reconnecting to a deep, basic sense of trust. The trust that life (God, the universe, Source, divine energy, etc.) will truly carry us in its benevolent flow if we only allow it.
This surely sounds like magic, and unfortunately, most of us were taught as children that magic doesn’t exist. But the universe might very well be magical instead of logical at its core, and I think (and hope!) that most of you have already experienced some magical moments in your lives – those moments when everything just seems to align in one’s favor, bringing people, information, and resources to us just as we need them. For example, having been graced with a lightbulb moment of true understanding just as we were about to give up because something seemed too difficult, or receiving messages by intuition and gut feeling (yes, there’s actually intelligence in the gut – science has now caught up to this!) which, if we follow through on them, can lead us to the most amazing encounters and magical moments.
The natural regime – in all its magic – is already here, underneath everything else, patiently waiting and welcoming all those who, consciously or by chance, are making a shift towards it. And it might not have to be an abrupt and complete change from one regime to the other – which actually seems like a rather perfectionist task, likely to set the stage for more overactivity, frustration, and doubt. Instead, we can look out for small moments and pockets where the natural regime already shows itself in our lives, and then slowly build on that. This way, sooner or later, a major shift will occur – one that fits our specific circumstances and individual needs. Because after all, there’s no script or ultimate truth as to how the natural regime shows itself in one’s life. What’s needed, where and how the magic happens – it’s all unique. And at the same time, it’s truly universal.
So, the main thing we need to do is let go, surrender to the flow of Life, and trust that we don’t need to have everything figured out. Let go of expectations, fixed imaginations, self-limiting beliefs, doubt and universal trust issues – and embrace this weird, paradoxical, uplifting, scary, beautiful, messy world with an open heart and deep curiosity.
That being said, ‘let go’ is certainly much easier said than done, as I have also experienced on my own path. For example, over time, I’ve noticed that presence rarely arrives because I decide to be present. It tends to come to me while I’m walking through a beautiful landscape, or feeling the bare ground under my feet, or doing something with my body that gives my thinking mind a rest and allows all my senses to be aware. What seems to matter is whether I stop trying to get somewhere else – when I get to rest in a space where there is no problem to be solved.
The more-than-human world is full of the most tiny movements and almost unimaginable large cycles, and when I pay attention to these, I experience myself shifting in and out different concepts of time and space which is humbling and exciting at the same time. Witnessing children play freely also helps me to enter into this different perception and allows me to resonance with their state of flow. Some of my inner child parts may often feel hurt or scared, but they all continue to carry the gift of innocence and joy, and I love when they start playing within me.
Fears mainly strive in the dark – if met with love and care, instead of trying to keep them hidden, they can turn into something life-affirming. When trust returns, so does intuition. We all have an inner compass, which might speak differently to each of us, and its guidance can be reclaimed and honored – not only to navigate the world but also to truly get to know oneself. The world is a mirror and allows us to learn so much about ourselves – often the most upsetting encounters and situations hold the greatest potential for self-realization and transformation. I can question the patterns of how I’ve been thinking and acting until now, and allow my sense of what matters – to me, in my relations to others, and in the world at large – to quietly rearrange itself.
It’s not about always getting everything ‘right’, but about fully embracing my entire humanness, in all its glory and ridiculousness, with compassion and accountability. I don’t need to know everything (as if I ever could!) but on the contrary, letting uncertainty and question marks guide me, opens the world. And when I pay attention to how I speak – to others as well as myself – something in how I show up begins to change, toward more humility, love, and care.
We are social animals, and community is very important for our well-being. I love to connect to others who carry similar questions to mine and to be part of spaces where we encourage and support each other. At the same time, becoming too exclusive doesn’t do justice to the fact that we are all in this together, and that I can never know who might have the next message or lesson for me. Having a village doesn’t only mean hanging out with one’s favorite people – it also means making life work with those neighbors or relatives who often seem annoying but who, just like me, are part of this large web of life. Most of the lines we draw seem to exist only in our minds, and humor is a very good choice in many circumstances. Because in the end, what do I really know?
- ‘The normal regime’ and ‘the natural regime’ are terms coined by Peter Koenig. The normal regime assumes we must work to make money to survive, often in jobs we don’t love, leading to consumption-driven lifestyles and unsustainability. In contrast, the natural regime proposes that by doing what we love, life supports us, reducing our need for consumption and fostering a regenerative way of living. ↩︎