I am working with a client who has been trying to be the Observer of her experience for a while. She recognized that fear of feeling her emotions was keeping her from feeling them fully and that this was keeping her from being able to move her awareness to the Observer. She could not let go of the feelings until she was fully immersed in them and fear was keeping her from doing this. When she allowed herself to fully embrace the fear as well as the other feelings, she was able to move her awareness to the Observer and let them go. This is the path of non-resistance as described by Michael Singer in chapter 16 of TUS.
Similarly, Adyashanti says:
"So one of the most vital steps to addressing our suffering and moving beyond it is first to summon the courage and willingness to truly experience what we're feeling and to no longer try to edit what we feel." (Falling into Grace, p. 101).
He says to notice when we are experiencing a painful emotion, then notice the thoughts behind the suffering (e.g., my father would get angry and yell...) and the conclusions that we have about our story (e.g., that never should have happened, I didn't get what I needed as a child...). The healing comes from recognizing the story and related emotions without holding onto the conclusions that you have drawn. The experience happened and it felt the way that it felt, however, can you be certain that your conclusions are accurate? Letting go of this will help to free you from the story and the suffering. (See Falling into Grace "How We Maintain Our Suffering" p. 103).
We are meant to authentically experience each moment without clinging to them. Experiences in life affect our psyche and our human personality, but they cannot touch our inner Essence. However, if we do not let these painful experiences move through us they will block the light of our Essence. Whether you choose the path of non-resistance or Adya's technique of experiencing your story without drawing any conclusions, let God help you to dissolve this pain so that you may move into a greater expression of Life and Love.
Sunday, February 26, 2012
Monday, February 20, 2012
Freedom
Just a short blog this week since I am just returning from a weekend in Mammoth. I haven't been skiing in Mammoth for many years and being up there again brought back many memories, mostly happy although some were a little painful and sad. I read part of Michael's very powerful chapter "Pain, the Price of Freedom."
"If life does something that causes a disturbance inside of you, instead of pulling away, let it pass through you like the wind." (TUS, p. 104). Relax your heart and relax your shoulders.
"If you want to be free, you must first accept that there is pain in your heart. You have stored it there. And you've done everything you can think of to keep it there, deep inside, so that you never have to feel it. There is also tremendous joy, beauty, love, and peace within you. But they are on the other side of the pain. On the other side of the pain is ecstasy...freedom...your true greatness...You must be willing to accept pain in order to pass through to the other side. Just accept that it is in there and that you are going to feel it. Accept that if you relax, it will have its moment before your awareness, and then it will pass. It always does." (TUS, p. 105)
I have been viewing pain, fear, sadness as energy that needs to pass through me. This helps to take the sting out of the pain. It does pass. The key is to relax. Take a breath and feel your chest, shoulders, stomach relax.
May you embody the freedom that God intended when s/he decided to manifest as You! The freedom can be found by letting go of the blocks, namely inner pain.
"If life does something that causes a disturbance inside of you, instead of pulling away, let it pass through you like the wind." (TUS, p. 104). Relax your heart and relax your shoulders.
"If you want to be free, you must first accept that there is pain in your heart. You have stored it there. And you've done everything you can think of to keep it there, deep inside, so that you never have to feel it. There is also tremendous joy, beauty, love, and peace within you. But they are on the other side of the pain. On the other side of the pain is ecstasy...freedom...your true greatness...You must be willing to accept pain in order to pass through to the other side. Just accept that it is in there and that you are going to feel it. Accept that if you relax, it will have its moment before your awareness, and then it will pass. It always does." (TUS, p. 105)
I have been viewing pain, fear, sadness as energy that needs to pass through me. This helps to take the sting out of the pain. It does pass. The key is to relax. Take a breath and feel your chest, shoulders, stomach relax.
May you embody the freedom that God intended when s/he decided to manifest as You! The freedom can be found by letting go of the blocks, namely inner pain.
Monday, February 13, 2012
not knowing
"In order to see through the mind and the deeply ingrained sense of separation that continues to generate so much confusion and suffering in our lives, we must take a chance; we must leave what we know and enter that mysterious reality of the unknown...It is by allowing ourselves to not know that we can become truly sensitive, open, and available." (Falling into Grace, p. 88)
Here Adyashanti is talking about surrendering to "the fact that we can't know the nature of reality with our minds." (Falling into Grace, p. 88-89)
We try to make sense of life and to make our lives go the way that we think they should go, in order to feel safe and secure. Yet we cannot control life and our efforts to do so cause us to restrict ourselves - we cling to certain experiences and resist others. Our energy centers (including the heart) are blocked. We are living in the confines of that dark house sitting in the middle of a beautiful field of light as Michael Singer talked about in chapter 12. And so we suffer.
"In order to find the end of struggle, we have to find a state of consciousness that's totally natural, that doesn't fight against our inner or outer environment...What are you when you don't define yourself? What becomes of the past, of the present, or of the future when you don't go into your mind to think about it?" (Falling into Grace, p. 90)
As I ponder these questions I connect with a spirit-filled essence, a lightness of being. Adyashanti suggests not settling for a brief experience of this, but to "Dive fully into this openness and avail yourself of the intimacy found there, in not knowing." (Falling into Grace, p. 90)
Here Adyashanti is talking about surrendering to "the fact that we can't know the nature of reality with our minds." (Falling into Grace, p. 88-89)
We try to make sense of life and to make our lives go the way that we think they should go, in order to feel safe and secure. Yet we cannot control life and our efforts to do so cause us to restrict ourselves - we cling to certain experiences and resist others. Our energy centers (including the heart) are blocked. We are living in the confines of that dark house sitting in the middle of a beautiful field of light as Michael Singer talked about in chapter 12. And so we suffer.
"In order to find the end of struggle, we have to find a state of consciousness that's totally natural, that doesn't fight against our inner or outer environment...What are you when you don't define yourself? What becomes of the past, of the present, or of the future when you don't go into your mind to think about it?" (Falling into Grace, p. 90)
As I ponder these questions I connect with a spirit-filled essence, a lightness of being. Adyashanti suggests not settling for a brief experience of this, but to "Dive fully into this openness and avail yourself of the intimacy found there, in not knowing." (Falling into Grace, p. 90)
Saturday, February 4, 2012
dealing with our story
I really like what Adyashanti has said about being aware of our stories yet holding them lightly. Recognizing that we are going to tell our story yet knowing that there is a higher reality.
After last weeks post and choosing to hold my thoughts and story lightly, I encountered some situations that required me to confront "my story". I recognized certain areas of my life where I was operating out of fear and that this was not helpful to me nor to others. I also recognized this fear as stemming from an old wound. Michael Singer would say that this was a Samskara, which is "a cycle of stored past energy patterns in a state of relative equilibrium." (T.U.S., p. 54). He says that "It is your resistance to experiencing these patterns that causes the energy to keep cycling around itself." (TUS, p. 54). Samskaras block our hearts from being open.
Life has been showing me where I'm blocked. It is only by becoming more intimate with what is happening in the moment that I have been able to clearly see this blockage. Even though it has been painful, recognizing where I have been blocked has been a gift. Now that I see these areas more clearly, I can choose to surrender the fear (witness and release it), deal with my life in a more effective manner, and make room for a Higher Reality.
It has been quite a balancing act trying to look at and deal with these patterns while still recognizing that they only "approximate reality, at best." My focus has been to stay present in each moment and deal with what is right in front of me, allow the fear and other limiting beliefs to move through me (by moving my awareness to the Observer) and trust God to unfold my life according to God's plan. Thank You God and So It Is!
Sunday, January 29, 2012
a revolutionary idea
Adyashanti talks about the notion that all of our thoughts are not true.
What if we began to relate to each other from this place where we know that our thoughts aren't ultimately true, but we're still going to use them?... But wouldn't it be revolutionary if, even as we we're telling each other stories, we knew that they were only approximations of what's true, at best...Can you imagine how much more lightly you'd hold your mind... What would happen if you suddenly realized that happiness, peace, love, and freedom weren't going to come from your mind?" (Falling into Grace, p. 85)
On page 85 he says that the things that we value most (happiness, love, peace, creativity) can be referenced by thoughts, but they are feelings and ideas that transcend the words and thoughts. He asks:
"What does it feel like to have your heart open? What does it feel like to let your boundaries down? What does it feel like to be intimate with this very moment?...When you feel this love, you've entered the heart of reality -and this is the space from which you can live when you let go of the belief that all our thoughts, all our ideas, are true." (Falling into Grace, p. 85-86).
Adya says says that we are addicted to our thoughts. Michael Singer talks about how we have built an entire false identity based on thoughts that we cling to... the neurotic roommate's thoughts, that is.
Why not be revolutionary and accept that our thoughts "approximate reality, at best?"
Please join me in choosing to be intimate with this moment exactly as it is, letting go of attachment to thoughts, and being open to the heart of reality.
What if we began to relate to each other from this place where we know that our thoughts aren't ultimately true, but we're still going to use them?... But wouldn't it be revolutionary if, even as we we're telling each other stories, we knew that they were only approximations of what's true, at best...Can you imagine how much more lightly you'd hold your mind... What would happen if you suddenly realized that happiness, peace, love, and freedom weren't going to come from your mind?" (Falling into Grace, p. 85)
On page 85 he says that the things that we value most (happiness, love, peace, creativity) can be referenced by thoughts, but they are feelings and ideas that transcend the words and thoughts. He asks:
"What does it feel like to have your heart open? What does it feel like to let your boundaries down? What does it feel like to be intimate with this very moment?...When you feel this love, you've entered the heart of reality -and this is the space from which you can live when you let go of the belief that all our thoughts, all our ideas, are true." (Falling into Grace, p. 85-86).
Adya says says that we are addicted to our thoughts. Michael Singer talks about how we have built an entire false identity based on thoughts that we cling to... the neurotic roommate's thoughts, that is.
Why not be revolutionary and accept that our thoughts "approximate reality, at best?"
Please join me in choosing to be intimate with this moment exactly as it is, letting go of attachment to thoughts, and being open to the heart of reality.
Saturday, January 21, 2012
looking into this moment
"The real search isn't a search into tomorrow, or to anywhere other than now. It's starting to look in to the very nature of this moment... look clearly into your own experience. Stop chasing freedom or happiness...Stand in your own two shoes, and examine closely: What's happening right here and right now?...Even in this moment there may be some suffering, some unhappiness, but even if there is, is it possible to no longer push against it, to try to get rid of it, to try to get somewhere else?" (Falling into Grace, p. 78).
Adyashanti suggests that we "reverse the whole process of looking for satisfaction on the outside, and look at precisely the place where you are standing. See if what you are looking for isn't already present in your experience." (Falling into Grace, p. 79).
If God and I are One than perhaps I already am the Peace, and the Love and the Joy that I am seeking. If my awareness is focused on getting somewhere else I will not recognize that I already am who and what I want to be...One with God.
Oh, my friend, all that you see of me is just a shell,
and the rest belongs to love.
Rumi ♥
Adyashanti suggests that we "reverse the whole process of looking for satisfaction on the outside, and look at precisely the place where you are standing. See if what you are looking for isn't already present in your experience." (Falling into Grace, p. 79).
If God and I are One than perhaps I already am the Peace, and the Love and the Joy that I am seeking. If my awareness is focused on getting somewhere else I will not recognize that I already am who and what I want to be...One with God.
Oh, my friend, all that you see of me is just a shell,
and the rest belongs to love.
Rumi ♥
Saturday, January 14, 2012
acceptance
With regard to my New Years intentions, I've been noticing many of the ways in which I struggle with my life...not accepting an uncomfortable feeling and trying to change my situation so the feeling will go away is a big one for me.
Adyashanti says that struggle is necessary in order to stay in the egoic state. "The reason that we struggle to stay in the egoic state is because it allows us to live our lives as if we are in control and separate from the world around us." (Falling into Grace, p. 74). This is the false solidity that Michael Singer talks about. Adya says that the struggle is often "within ourselves- where one part is pitted against another. Its the struggle of trying to be who we wish we were...as long as we're struggling, it's very hard for consciousness to shift out of the egoic state, into something more natural, expansive, and whole." (Falling into Grace, p. 74-75).
In order to really let go of control I recognize that I need to accept my life exactly as it is showing up right now, and not be so focused on making changes nor trying to plan for the future. Even though I am a very goal-directed person (including the goal of working towards awakening to a higher sense of Self), I am beginning to recognize that I need to accept not change. If my focus is primarily on changing myself and my life then I will be struggling with what is showing up now.
"The way we narrow down consciousness is through struggling, through striving. What we all aspire to, and what is in fact natural to us, is openness, peace, love, and well-being...They arise in us when we become conscious of our spiritual nature, of our non-separate, non-somebody nature. Then love flows quite naturally." (Falling into Grace, p. 75)
As I accept what is happening in my life, my consciousness will change. It is not my life that needs changing, it is my consciousness that needs changing. If I want the love to flow then it is about changing me, not the world. This starts with acceptance of what is happening right now.
Adyashanti says that struggle is necessary in order to stay in the egoic state. "The reason that we struggle to stay in the egoic state is because it allows us to live our lives as if we are in control and separate from the world around us." (Falling into Grace, p. 74). This is the false solidity that Michael Singer talks about. Adya says that the struggle is often "within ourselves- where one part is pitted against another. Its the struggle of trying to be who we wish we were...as long as we're struggling, it's very hard for consciousness to shift out of the egoic state, into something more natural, expansive, and whole." (Falling into Grace, p. 74-75).
In order to really let go of control I recognize that I need to accept my life exactly as it is showing up right now, and not be so focused on making changes nor trying to plan for the future. Even though I am a very goal-directed person (including the goal of working towards awakening to a higher sense of Self), I am beginning to recognize that I need to accept not change. If my focus is primarily on changing myself and my life then I will be struggling with what is showing up now.
"The way we narrow down consciousness is through struggling, through striving. What we all aspire to, and what is in fact natural to us, is openness, peace, love, and well-being...They arise in us when we become conscious of our spiritual nature, of our non-separate, non-somebody nature. Then love flows quite naturally." (Falling into Grace, p. 75)
As I accept what is happening in my life, my consciousness will change. It is not my life that needs changing, it is my consciousness that needs changing. If I want the love to flow then it is about changing me, not the world. This starts with acceptance of what is happening right now.
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