Category: Truths

Using The Breath To Transform Difficult Emotions

In a previous post we talked about how to love every situation, even the bad ones. In this post I’ll dig into one important step we can take when our immediate, strong reaction is to turn away and ignore these tough situations.

For the times when we want to straight run away and ignore certain emotions such as anger, hurt, sadness, jealousy, etc., we need to deploy one thing – our breath.

Using our breath to “digest” these emotions will help us from turning away, to turning IN.

It’s said in indigenous Peruvian shamanic/spiritual culture that elders would guide people to push the emotion down to the stomach and breath through it in order to digest and work through tough emotions.

I discovered this Peruvian practice after implementing this breath work for myself and wasn’t surprised at all to find out! Especially with deeply similar practices from other traditions such as those from Yoga, Buddhism, and even the Whim Hoff method of breath work!

Clearly there’s a reason why breath is such a powerful tool to bringing us back to our essence. Our true “self” amidst the harshest of emotions.

The next time you find yourself wanting to turn away take a moment, wherever you are, to BREATHE.

Breathe as heavy, fast, and as loudly as you need to and focus on turning inward. Really look at what you are digesting and allow the breath to do the work. Be with every breath as you discover and unfold the workings of the emotion.

Toward the end of the session (anywhere from 5-15 minutes) you’ll discover that you allowed the emotion to pass, or at least lessen a significant degree, and likely have uncovered a new finding about yourself. Whether that’s more mindfulness, awareness of true self, a deeper capacity to forgive, more love, etc., there will be an empowering shift within you.

So here’s to the first thing we ever did as humans – breathe, and to give thanks toward this life giving practice of breath work.

In wellness,

Susan

Photo by Eli DeFaria on Unsplash

How To Love Every Situation (Even The Bad Ones)

There’s irony in tough situations. Why?

Well for one, when we are in some of the hardest times of our lives the easiest thing we most often choose to do is ignore, delay, bury, or distract ourselves from the very thing that causes us pain and suffering!

You’re probably wondering, “You’re mistaken because none of this feels easy!”, and you’re right. From the outside it’s tough. We muster up every ounce of our energy to get through the day and push through until one day we feel a bit better and can move onto something else… until it comes up again.

But what if I told you that the harder thing to do would be the fastest way to feeling better?

Not that feeling better should be the goal, nor should getting anywhere faster be the right way, but these are some of the benefits of going harder and faster. Let me tell you why…

When we ignore the situation we’re in, we are burying a part of ourselves that doesn’t want to face the music so to speak. There’s fear of the unknown, fear of more hurt, and our minds are so powerful it convinces us there’s no need to go there.

That’s where TRANSFORMATION comes into play.

When we learn to go in and face the demons we are telling a deeper part of ourselves that we are ready. We are ready to learn, dig deep, love every part of ourselves, and transform the situation and ultimately, ourselves.

We are pushed to our transformative edge so that we can actually get to where we want to be. The old adage is true, no pain, no gain. Sometimes we need to step through and into the unknown (perceived pain and fear) in order to come out the other end. Otherwise, we are metaphorically always on the other side of where we ultimately want to be!

Can you remember a time in your life where you faced the situation and/or your demons and came out completely different? Revived even?

Every time I do the work to face inward I come back again and again to a wider more expansive heart. The true self, and therefore realize the truth in each situation.

Every situation only brings you closer to YOUR TRUTH, and that’s how we come to love every situation – yes, even the “bad” ones. When we meet our transformative edge we are always growing to become the person we always wanted to be.

In wellness,

Susan

Photo by Alphacolor 13 on Unsplash

Impeccability

“Impeccability is living with integrity from the still point inside us that is Authentic Being. It means being in charge in the swirl of events. It is manifesting Authentic Being through our personal ego, our impermanent self, without care for achievement, recognition, or gain.”

~Claude Poncelet, PhD

In wellness,

Susan

Photo by elora manzo on Unsplash

The Seer

“The Seer holds a mirror so that you can see your true self, the soul who only knows Love.”

In wellness,

Susan

Photo by Nine Köpfer on Unsplash

Friday Focus – 12/22/17 {Thoughts As Creation & Being Guided}

It’s about that time…. I can just feel the energy in the air as people are busily getting ready for Christmas. The last minute gift shopping, picking up dessert for Eve’s dinner, and so much laughter everywhere!

This week’s Friday Focus is going to be a bit random, but oh so important. There are two ideas that stood out for me over the course of this past week and I’ll dive right into them:

  1. Your thoughts as creation. According to the first Law of Thermodynamics, the energy of our Universe can neither be created or destroyed, but can manipulate its form (i.e., water to ice, fire as heat, etc.). So how does this relate to our thoughts? If even our thoughts are considered as energy then we have a direct correlation to patterns and behaviors (manipulated energy form) that have culminated in the past few years to lead us to where we are today. Pretty powerful isn’t it? Our thoughts have brought us to exactly where we are today! Whether that is good or bad is beyond the point, the point is we have the power of today to direct our thoughts toward a future we want. So tell me, what is it that you want?
  2. Being guided. Have you ever felt a nudge, an inquiry even, about a particular “thing” but never followed through on it until a later time only to realize it was exactly what you needed? Whether it was to apply to that company, pick up that book, call that acupuncturist, etc.? I call that guidance. Whether it’s from outside influences, your subconscious, your higher self, God, you name it… your guidance system is showing you the way at all times, and how wonderfully comforting is that? Now if only we can get quiet enough to hear the call… 🙂

Pretty epic am I right? Now to flip the switch – what recurring themes or ideas stood out for you this week? I’ve found that since starting Friday Focus it’s been a wonderful way to recap big themes and close out the week. I’d love to hear if there’s been anything on your mind in particular!

With that said, have a wonderful, long, joyous weekend leading up to Christmas. May you be filled with immense joy, peace, and love no matter who you are with and where you are in the world.

In cheer,

Susan

Photo by Robert Lukeman on Unsplash

How Your Focus Can Change Everything

We all have heard the phrase, what you focus on expands. But really, have you noticed the true effects of this phenomenon?

For example, you eat dinner alone because your partner has a work event. It wasn’t as fun or even satiating, and as you begin washing the dishes all you can think about is, “Well I ate dinner but it wasn’t that good, in fact, it didn’t even feel like a real dinner!”, and as you continue to wash the dishes you find yourself in a not so positive state. Funny thing is, if you keep focusing on that all you’ll end up doing is munching on one snack after another thinking it will satisfy you but oftentimes than not it never does!

Instead, what if you focused on thoughts that elevate you? “I have all this free time maybe I’ll take a bubble bath and light some candles” or “I think I’ll make some hot cocoa and finally pick up that book I’ve been meaning to read!”.

Notice the difference?

All of a sudden the food was just energy your body needed and you can now focus on what makes you feel good!

It’s all about focus.

Here’s another example. Let’s say you’re in the dating scene and It’s been one mismatch after another. Instead of focusing on that, what if you focused on the fact that one day this adventure will lead to a significant life partner (and a couple of funny stories to tell too!)

So remember, what you focus on is what you’re going to get. After all, there must have been a reason you stumbled upon this website and made it to the end of this post am I right?

Focus on the transformation; focus on the good just a little bit more and watch the magic unfold.

“By taking just a few extra seconds to stay with a positive experience—even the comfort in a single breath—you’ll help turn a passing mental state into lasting neural structure.”

~Rick Hanson

In wellness,

Susan

Photo by Nine Köpfer on Unsplash

Loving The Contrast

When we’re in the muck… you know, the parts of our lives where we want to ignore, numb, or just wish time would speed up so we can get to the happy bits, is a place I’ve learned to honor and cherish (cherish seems to be a theme this week!).

You see, I call this part of our lives Contrast.

Why have I come to love Contrast so much? Oh, let me explain the ways… 🙂

Contrast is when we feel something other than at our center, our true, deepest self. When we feel any form of emotion that is other than Love, say, fear, anxiety, anger, depression, etc., this is an opportunity for Transformation.

I’m not saying we just skip all the work and tell ourselves, “I’m now in a place of Love and everything is ok!, no, far from it. But, when we can become aware of the Contrast and truly thank it, we can now do the work to understand where transformation is needed.

It’s much harder to ignore, push away, numb, or be in denial of what we are truly feeling deep down in our state of Contrast. Wait harder? YES. No one tells us that the fastest and easiest way to rise above Contrast is to go through it!

When we come to terms and are willing to do the work, we are entering into a state of deep transformation. We are saying Yes to the deeper part of ourselves that wants to be seen and loved.

Can you name a time when a situation or emotion presented itself over and over again, yet you just pushed it away hoping it wouldn’t come back?

I wish someone had told me in my teens and 20s; unfrotunately, the situation and/or emotion always came back, and now, I thank the Contrast for allowing myself to open up to deep and radical transformation so that I can do the work now.

And on that note, how much better does that feel energetically?! Rather than pushing it away, doesn’t stepping into it provide a much higher vibrational state? A curiosity even?

While there is the nuances of timing, readiness, and willingness that may need consideration, the next time you find yourself in Contrast try looking at it with curiosity… you never know what deep truth is waiting for you.

In wellness,

Susan

Photo by Caleb George on Unsplash

Dreamwork: The Recurring Dream

Unbeknownst to me I’ve been having a recurring dream on and off in a span of a couple of weeks. So how do I know this? Well, somehow in my meditative state this morning I became aware of this recurring dream… and it’s meaning.

First, let me tell you about this dream. Like almost ALL dreams this one is particularly odd 😉 I seem to be running, whether on a treadmill or out on the natural pavement, but every time my left foot hits the hard surface of the ground I notice that the heel edge of the shoe is crinkled from having stepped on it so many times and I am struggling to make sure that with each step I am trying to jam my foot back into the shoe so that it is secure and doesn’t fall off! As you can see, this gets QUITE frustrating…

There’s no conclusion to the dream, just the constant anxiety and pressure to ensure the shoe doesn’t fall off!

Well, guess what? As soon as I became aware of the dream I realized it’s meaning!

It’s all about LETTING GO.

How many times do we try to make something work on our own, OR believe this one way is the only way?

To me, this dream symbolized a few simple, yet deep truths.

  1. I’m reminded that the struggle comes in trying to do it all ourselves. Oftentimes we feel alone in our endeavors and/or our thoughts. We begin to believe we truly are alone and that no one could truly “get” us and our thoughts furthering ourselves from seeking friendship and true understanding of the human experience.
  2. Furthermore, I’m reminded that when we try to control every aspect of the situation in order to get to an expected outcome, this keeps us in a state of suffering and panic. Why? Because there is no way we can control anything outside of us. This includes events, and yes, other human beings.
  3. Lastly, I’m reminded that when we try so hard to achieve the thing we think we want, the desire keeps us in a state of suffering. Will we get it? No one knows. Are we enjoying the journey? Certainly not!

It’s funny, I hadn’t even realized I was having this dream and yet, when I became aware of the dream I instantly became aware of it’s true message. And what a relief!

We all go through moments where we need the reminder, the pep talk, the simple loving touch to remind us of WHO WE REALLY ARE AT OUR ESSENCE. After all, what truly matters in this thing we call life?

I cherish and honor these simple remembrances of what it truly means to be alive, and to awaken me from my shift in perspective so that at the end of the day, I can truly live from a heart of divine love and presence.

May we all cherish the reminders.

In wellness,

Susan

Photo by Seth Macey on Unsplash

Oneness

“It’s always about Oneness or Separation”

~Kristin Hanggi

When you open your closed heart, that’s when life begins.

Photo by Ricardo