My spiritual journey has not been a smooth ride. There are times when I feel strong, confident, loving, loved, enriched, peaceful, joyous and in an effortless flow. This is increasingly true. But there are also times (less often these days), when I have felt fear, despair, helplessness and rage.
My ongoing spiritual practices of meditation and mindfulness as well as teaching what I have learned and learning from others helps me manage these states so that not only do I notice when I am in them almost instantly, I am able to move out of them quickly and effortlessly.
By allowing the thoughts, emotions and feelings to express themselves without any kind of censoring or judgment or avoidance or denial or justification, they readily dissolve.
Every once in a while, however, there are certain events that trigger particularly strong reactions of fear and anger. For me, these are associated with my attachment to certain roles I believe I have and the expectations and judgments I have in relation to them.
These very painful experiences have helped me realize and more fully accept that I have no claims over anyone or anything. That, even if I believe with every fibre in my body that I only want the best for the other person, it does not give me any rights or priorities over others who may be involved in their circumstances.
This realization is truly liberating because it arises from an unshakeable truth within me – the all-encompassing God, Love, Life, Truth, Infinite Intelligence, Dao, ‘hidden wholeness’- whose power and knowing are unsurpassable.
Trusting in it, knowing that nothing is possible without it and realizing that everything is possible with it, returns me to a deep state of calm, of confidence, of awakening to the natural and all-powerful goodness of Life.
Deep in my heart, I feel the power of Life
Deep in my heart, I feel the power of Love
And I know that in it, I am whole and complete
Deep in my heart, I feel the power of Love
Having the thought and the desire, ‘I don’t want to suffer’ is not a bad thing at all as long as I don’t deny or avoid any of my experiences and the thoughts and feelings associated with them.
On the contrary, it’s a great starting point, no different to say, not wanting to be hungry or poor or late. It doesn’t mean that I am going to use all my attention and energy to fight my hunger or poverty or lateness or to be on high alert of any sign that I might be veering towards these states.
Rather, in the first instance, it means that I recognize the thoughts, the feelings and the body sensations that are associated with hunger or lack or lateness and my fear of these and allow myself to be at peace with them, not quarrel with them or resist them.
This immediately releases the tension in my body and places my mind and body in a state of peaceful openness and spaciousness, the state of natural flow.
The other thing I do is to use them as prompts to give myself the freedom to think and feel what I prefer to think and feel. This also places me in the state of natural flow causing me to move in the direction of what I desire.
Let’s take the fear of being late as a way of illustrating what I mean.
I’m getting ready to get to work. I got up a little later than usual and am now hurrying. I notice that I am hurrying. I notice that I am feeling anxious.
I pause for a moment to notice how I hate the feeling of being late. I allow myself to breathe deeply and notice the tension in my body draining away.
I sit down and allow myself to feel the fullness of that awful feeling of being late. At the moment, I feel it most in the front of my chest. I allow my attention to rest softly on it. I take a few more deep breaths as I feel the urge to. I don’t force anything.
A reminder floats into my mind – that no rule, no convention, no social obligation, no person is more important or as real as the natural wellness, the peace and the freedom that gives me life, that is life and that this is equally true for everyone. And then the realization that I will be okay no matter what.
Another deep breath and I think about how I would like to feel right now, about what would really help me get myself ready for work.
This thought opens the door to the natural flow of life and I now feel calm, much more confident, more trusting that whatever happens, I will be okay.
This enables me to do everything I need to do to be ready to leave for work that much more efficiently, with greater mindfulness and clarity, knowing without having to think about it, what needs to be done right now and what can be left for later.
Somehow, time seems to expand, giving me enough room to do exactly what I need to do. I leave for work knowing I’m going to be just fine, no longer concerned about unfavourable repercussions should I be late but instead lovingly (and often humorously) acknowledging that lateness doesn’t define me.
There may be different thoughts on other occasions of lateness (or the fear of being late) but this describes the typical movement of thoughts and emotions, of the states of consciousness that I might experience.
Because I have been practicing this kind of mindfulness, I am much quicker at noticing my fears and anxieties and much quicker at allowing the natural flow of life to resume.
Trusting in Love, Life, God, that ‘hidden wholeness’, helps me see that nothing is impossible in it and that all things are only possible because of it
What do I mean by that? Simply that, when left uninterrupted, life, Love, flows naturally and effortlessly in, as and through you. But when we place barriers in its way with our fears, anxieties, beliefs, catastrophizing thoughts and so on, we block its flow in, as and through us.
All of our life experiences can be viewed in this way – an openness and allowing of the natural flow of life, Love or a constriction and resistance to its flow. Try it for yourself right now.
Think of something unpleasant and notice how your body responds. Does it feel more open, relaxed and expansive? Or does it feel tighter, more tense and constricted? Then think of something pleasant and notice how it affects your body.
You and only You have the power to ALLOW Life, Love, Joy, Peace, Goodness, Greatness, God, to flow freely through, as and in You OR to stand in its way and RESIST it.
Only You.
MENTORING
Let Life express itself intoxicatingly, uniquely, powerfully and limitlessly in, as and through you. Don’t settle, whatever your age. Know your true Self. Follow your Bliss. Live the Life that you know you want to! Contact me here.
MINDFULNESS ONLINE
Join me every week to sit in the presence of your true Self and experience the greatness of Life flowing naturally, effortlessly and powerfully in, as and through you!