And allowing these nighttime narratives
to empower you in your waking life…

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Dreams are perhaps the greatest of gifts bestowed upon us. Those that we create with purpose by day, and those that reveal themselves to us in the realms of sleep. Most mornings, I sit with the latter while still in bed, contemplating whether that elephant who passed through my pre-alarm mind was a metaphor for an even larger elephant in the room. (Though not quite sure what its wearing a bowtie was all about.) But then, I find myself making breakfast, and the elephant disappears.

If I’m lucky, a relatively mundane task like washing dishes will give my mind enough pause to allow that dream to come on back through to say “please don’t forget about me.” Though other times, a dream commands my attention with such force that it squeezes ahead of the long lines of daily to-do’s to say “I’m here NOW.” And still other times, my dream feels like it’s haunting me, repeatedly, as if to say, “you’re still not getting it.”

Regardless of how your dreams are speaking to you, it might be due time to consider them as an experience worth attending to. Seize the opportunity to take some notes, and practice the following steps to become your own best dream decoder.

And we stress the word imperfect because -- there is no right way to do it. You can write out your dreams in full detail, or just jot down notes about the reveals. Welcome each dream to be processed in its own way. It’s ok if your entry styles differ. Taking notes offers you a foundation on which you can use record any symbols to build out the underlying message.

Support raw dream material with your self-trust. In other words, look within to define what color, animals, objects or places mean to you. Notice how it felt to you. For instance, the color gold can mean many things to many people -- power, wealth, softness, malleability, music, jewelry, architecture, gold rush. So what does it mean to you? How does that apply to the context of your dream?

Nothing regarding dreams and their meanings is finite. Dream imagery and subsequent emotion are mutable and personal. Remember that pulling information from trusted references is great, but it’s best to discern what resonates truest for you.

I wake up some mornings and decide to document my dreams via stream of consciousness, getting what comes to mind immediately out on paper. On other occasions, I choose to sit with my dream with a cup of tea and invite it to reveal on its own terms. When I can’t get to my morning write-out, I shift my practice to bedtime, complete with a face mask or moisturizing treatment, and recruit my dream journal. I often find it allows new dreams to take shape -- or even dreamless, deep-sleep nights -- when I have taken the time to acknowledge them respectfully.

Creating a self-care routine that includes processing your dreams can make the task seem less overwhelming. By giving them purpose and space, you are actually developing new positive synaptic-branching to bypass to-do lines, which in turn gives your dreams a golden ticket to be top of mind and support you with valuable detail.

Gathering your dreams in one place can be very useful once you’re ready to put the pieces together. Your journal is now a source of reference when looking for patterns in your personal process, a glossary of dream definitions that will surely evolve in meaning, just as you are ever-evolving. The uniqueness of self gives you important insight for developing growth and recognizing cyclical patterns.

I don’t know how many times I have said, out loud, “I had a dream once…” As you begin to acknowledge and build a relationship with your dreams, it’s highly likely that you will notice how they are guiding and supporting you, in processing your unconscious and the collective consciousness, both locally and globally.

Dreams have the potential to be truly empowering. Listen to them. Tending them will help you embrace a personal process that allows each dream to bloom for you, like a flower, instead of buzzing around you or by you.