I just finished reading a wise and brilliant article by one of the most preeminent peace makers of our time, Thich Nhat Hanh. The link to the full article is below. There is something about just reading his words that calms inner fire and settles the mind. I know whenever we read anything, each person takes away something different, something that speaks most to whatever concern, issue or question is on their mind. For me, the take away from this article is the incredibly important necessity of being capable of thinking before speaking, and of contemplating before taking action. In addition, the need to choose actions that are fueled by selfless compassion and the wish to be of benefit to others are vital for inner and outer peace. I hope your day gives you time and space to read this article. May 2017 be blessed with kind and gentle opportunities to discover the peace within. Click the picture to go to the full article, "Listening Deeply for Peace" at LionsRoar website. (Photo by Brenkee.)
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This past week has been a time of great frustration and turmoil for millions of people. Emotions, both positive and negative, are a reality of the human experience and we cannot deny what we feel. It is never productive to say “I shouldn’t be angry.” Or even to say “It’s okay, what are ya gonna do?” when our truth inside is as far from okay as it can be. Denying what we feel is only going to feed it. What we resist, persists. Finding healthy, productive and non-harmful ways to express those emotions is what is key. When emotions are particularly volatile it can be difficult to not fly off the handle, even when the discussion is with someone we love and trust. Energetically speaking, the front solar plexus (the energy center right over the stomach area) gets triggered when we are expressing emotions (especially negative ones) and our “buttons” get pushed. Have you ever felt yourself getting more and more uncomfortable during a conversation with a friend where you are in disagreement about a particularly important issue for you? Ever notice your stomach starting to get queasy or your throat beginning to tighten up? The more uncomfortable you get physically, the easier it becomes to just unleash words in an angry or aggressive tone. The environment created by this past election cycle in the United States of America is a volatile one indeed. People are un-friending friends on Facebook if they voted for “the other side;” even friends who voted the same but disagree with certain viewpoints or how those should be expressed are disconnecting from each other. That’s one way to diffuse negative emotion, but it does prevent conversation and dialogue from occurring. Tolerance is so important and this cannot be developed if we will not talk to each other. Even friends who agree right now are finding themselves in situations where the best that can be agreed on is to disagree. Difficult times. And, the best opportunity to practice the spiritual teachings. But what to do when your solar plexus is so triggered that all you want to do is lash out at the other person? First, stop talking. Find the strength within yourself to just stop talking. Second, breathe. Take a big, deep breath. Breathe in, hold for a moment, breathe out, and hold for a moment before you breathe in again. Do this as many times as you need to until you feel your stomach start to settle down. Next, walk away if necessary, with the agreement to come back to the discussion when you both have calmed down. Or, if you do not need to walk away because you are willing to continue the conversation as an open dialogue, cut the energetic cord between you and the other person. Just take your hand and swipe it in front of you over your stomach area like it is a knife and say silently to yourself, “cut.” Do this three or four times. Next, move your hand over your abdominal area about 2-3 inches above your physical body like you are sweeping away the energy in that area. Just sweep it down to the earth. Continue breathing. This will release that pent up emotion so that you can continue your discussion. In Pranic Healing this technique is called sweeping or cleansing. It is a highly effective way to cool yourself down when you find yourself feeling emotional upset. The subtle energy body is a powerful system of the human anatomy. This is the place where all humans are interconnected, like it or not, because we all are a part of the energy body of our planet earth. The energies swirling around the planet, and in the USA right now, effect every single one of us. It is useful and important for everyone to become aware of how we are affected by these energies, and even more important to learn how to work with them so that we can continue to talk to each other through these distressing times. Learn more about Pranic Healing under the Energy Tab. This morning finds me wishing to take a day completely off; to listen to the birds squawking, the chimes ringing lightly in the breeze, and to the sound of the breath going in and out of my body. The rain is gently falling, so what better thing to do on a wet and cloudy Sunday in Oregon? The year so far has brought challenges with it in regards to loved ones; one receiving treatment for advanced stage cancer; others dealing with the aftermath of a severe car accident; my Jewel continuing to age as gracefully as a 15 year old Siberian Husky can. My involvement as a friend and support person is a piece of cake compared to the frightening, intense and extremely painful (on all levels) trials they have to go through. But today, I do find myself ... well, let’s call it “weary.” Yesterday I had a visit with my dear friend who, along with another friend, was in a terrible car accident at the beginning of February. His body is broken and battered. It is now, that all the surgeries are behind him, the infections gone, the trach out, that he begins his “recovery.” I have been visiting him throughout the past month and a half; yesterday’s visit was the hardest because now he is very aware of his situation. He knows he cannot walk. He knows his waste goes directly from his intestines to a bag. He knows his brain isn’t working properly. And he knows this situation is full of pain (not only physical, but emotional, mental and spiritual). He knows there is a very long road ahead, and from where he is right now, the path looks impassable. He does not know if he ever will walk again. He does not know if he’ll ever be able to take care of himself again. He does not know if the pain will ever go away. He does not know anything about what is going to happen next. Of course, we never do. Before this began, he was starting a new job and finishing his degree. Did he have any idea what would happen next? When this happened, we didn’t know if he was going to live or die. One day, it looked like that was it; the next, things were looking okay; the next, whisked back to emergency; the next he’s on the upside again. Did we have any idea what would happen next? Not for instant. And now ... we say to him “you’ll heal”, “the pain will lessen”, “your mind will clear up”, “you’ll be able to weight bear again”, “the bag will come out in time” ... but we don’t really know what will happen next, do we? I understand that this is precisely the place that Faith resides. It is only through faith that the human being has the courage and fortitude to pass through these times. Faith in what, we ask? The scriptures, our teachers, and the masters tell us (translated here into my own words): we must have faith in the universal force that creates all life; faith in that abiding love within which gives rise to a peaceful feeling when we are able to maintain our focus and attention on it. Faith that no matter what happens, everything has a purpose in this life which is ultimately for the highest and best good of all. It’s all part of an evolutionary process of the energy of love becoming conscious. I remember when I was in the midst of the most traumatic event of my life dealing with my mother’s death process. A friend, a very spiritual person, said to me “you will be okay again.” I wanted to throw something at her. I would never be “okay” again. The pain of that experience, the intense suffering my beloved mother, and as a result the whole family, had to endure was beyond anything I had ever imagined, let alone experienced. It opened my eyes not only to an individual’s suffering, but to the suffering of thousands and thousands of people going through the same experience. It was on all levels: physical, emotional, mental, and (especially for me) spiritual. NOTHING was EVER going to be OKAY again; and how dare anyone say that to me? Three years later, while I wouldn’t say I’m “okay”, I know and appreciate that my life, my heart and my soul have been forever changed by that experience. The pollyanna attitudes I had about life are gone. My naivete about how happy and playful an experience life is, is gone. My appreciation of the “joy of life” is completely altered. For me now, joy is found in peace. I can only really experience joy if I feel at peace. My spiritual work for the past few years has been a search for inner peace; for the ability to have strong enough faith that whatever is happening is ultimately for the highest and best of every being, and even for the highest and best good of the universal life force itself. The trials and tribulations of my loved ones are my training ground. To be able to maintain inner peace during times of greatest suffering is the mark of a master. The only way to become a master is practice, practice, and more practice. Life will always provide the opportunities to practice. In my friend’s hospital room, I have to practice. I have to find that peace within me in order to help him find that within himself especially at this time when all he can see is the darkness of the tunnel. I do not yet find this easy; hence a day of feeling weary. Today I will recharge and remind myself that all I can do is hold his hand, and walk through the tunnel with him, so that together we will see what happens next. ~ Blessings for your day! Linda |
occasional contemplations and arising thoughts on being human
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