What is the problem or issue?
What is real and what is believed?
What is assumed to be true but is not really true?
How often do we believe lies and assume they are true?
There is a constant stream of narration in most people's reality or world. Certainly in my world I can get caught up in this narration, judgements and victimizations.
Different voices within our heads that all tell us different things. Our quality of experience for many is determined by which voices we choose to entertain.
We can do this because we are not those voices. We can listen to these voices or thoughts therefore we cannot be these thoughts.
It's almost as though we have different languages within our body. Different communication styles between different or perhaps the same mind. Brain, heart and gut. Maybe more?
However the intellect is very prevalent today. This is the judge. It is the finely tuned blade that separates, and defines. It is very good at solving problems and has given us many solutions and created a more efficient and systematic way of living.
But when this tool becomes over used it stresses the body. It puts us in a state of survival.. This state of survival is detrimental to our health when it is used chronically.
How many stories, symbols and judgments do we believe and therefore create our world from?
From a baby we have been programmed by our parents, friends, society and culture to believe certain things. To agree with certain statements.
Many of these statements are probably good and healthy but many of them are unhealthy and lies told by others and themselves to keep them within a certain kind of framework. A certain kind of paradigm and view of the world.
How many of these lies create suffering within our world?
Internally and Externally.
“ You will never be good enough ”
“ You aren't good at that ”
“ You aren't loved ”
“ You need this ”
“ She's a bitch ”
“ He is evil ”
“ These people are stupid ”
What are the common goals of people with this problem?
Every human has a common goal to be happy, healthy and free.
We all want the same thing fundamentally.
We want to feel loved and be loved for being ourselves. We want to bask in its warming light and know that we are loved unconditionally. No matter how small, tall, thin or fat. No matter how many times we screw up and fail, we want to know that we are loved by something.
We want to be able to discern between what is true and what is not true. To be able to navigate through life challenges without getting caught within the stickiness of suffering.
What we want is the power to be able to create the reality we want of happiness, abundance, ecstasy, love and bliss.
What are the common roadblocks?
What stops us from realising this reality? What is in the way of the actualisation of our dreams?
I believe that our systems are clogged with so much shit and gunk that we do not have the clarity to be able to discern between what is truth and lies.
This unhealthy system is a result of ignorance and a lack of compassion.
Is our mind, body and emotions clear and light or heavy and dark? How often?
What percentage of this gunk are we desperately holding onto and what percentage of the sticky shit are we completely unaware of?
There are two voices that we can call the dreamer and the critic. The dreamer is full of wonder, awe and visions of the future (perhaps the victim too?). The critic is the practical, the judge and discerns truth from lies.
One pushes us forward and one pulls us back.
The mind can be likened to a monkey. This monkey, for many of us, is wild and drunk. The monkey is not a good master. In fact, it is a terrible one.
It screams and shouts, it blames and fights. It cannot stay still or quiet. It cannot focus and is like an unruly child.
But this monkey mind can be trained using habits.
This monkey spits lies and tells stories that we are fools to listen to without scepticism.
These monkey lies can be spoken through other people. Believing these words at face value creates problems. What kind?
These stories contain the truth but are they in themselves the truth?
If we consider the statement “This is a pot”.
The statement contains truth, but is the statement in of themselves the truth? Are the words at face value truth?
A glass contains water but it is not the water itself. Believing that the glass is the water takes us away from the truth of the water.
If I say “this is a pot” to someone who does not speak english then they will not understand but everyones understands the implication behind the words. This is the common language.
We can feel the intention of what the person is trying to say. Especially when we read the language of the body.
It is not a coincidence that human communication is 98% non verbal.
What are the benefits of achieving these goals?
I believe when we unlock this language of feeling the world will open itself to us.
We can unlock deep intelligence and have mastery of our internal world.
We open a continuous stream of love and freedom that pervades every part of our being.
When we achieve this for ourselves we can then share and help others and therefore elevate the world around us.
The people we love no longer have to suffer in pain, guilt, shame and fear or anger but can be elevated in drive, purpose, love and gratitude.
What are my personal experiences with it?
My personal experience began when I became aware of my mind's thoughts.
I remember, I meditated for 2 weeks when I was 14 and remember feeling a little more secure with myself and my reality. It was a small but significant difference at the time.
Over time I have formed a consistent habit of daily meditation in various forms that has increased my awareness.
Interestingly, this awareness has brought suffering within me that may not have been experienced so soon if I had stayed within a level of dullness and ignorance.
I began to be aware of the violence I showed to myself and others.
Then I became aware of the violence people make to themselves and others. I see how my loved ones treat themselves and I feel this pain.
This has allowed me to empathise with others very well as a result.
I came to understand that I am not my thoughts and that I can choose what thoughts to agree with and what I will not agree with.
This gives me the power of discernment.
Most of the time I can discern what thoughts serve me and what do not nonetheless I still get caught from time to time.
I have been practising Qigong for about 12 months now and that has helped me to focus my attention around my body. Qigong is a form of mediation that combines movement with breath.
Breath work has been an integral part in taming my mind.
I can bring my focus out of my mind and into my heart and spine.
I can now start to bring my focus into my heart and feel instead of thinking all the time. I have always been an overthinker so it has been a great benefit to be able to stop the identification with the constant self narration.
Through body awareness I can perceive certain sensations that I would not be able to spot before.
Now as I spend more time out of my head, occasionally I get flashes of insight that revolutionise my life in a certain way.
What I struggle with is the acceptance of ‘unwanted’ feelings. At times I still try to be someone. This trying to be like someone else is inauthentic and results from the judgement that whatever I am at that point is not good enough.
Moving more into feeling we can learn to accept ourselves, love ourselves without any conditions and yet retain the drive to fulfil our potential.
Practical steps to think less and feel more.
Get your thoughts out of your head.
Write.
Spend 15 mins every day writing your thoughts on a piece of paper or a journal if you prefer.
Start by simply writing about your day if you are struggling to think of what to write.
By doing this process you are becoming aware of what you are thinking.
You can then develop a dialogue with different parts of you. You can make commitments to yourself. Intentions. Promises.
Develop the skill of awareness and concentration
Meditate daily. Combine concentration with breathwork. Give your head a rest. Bring your mind out of your head and into your body. Discipline the mind. Tame it.
If you need to you can use apps like headspace.
Be healthy
Develop good physical and mental health. Move and get outside, Eat good food, Fix your Sleep, Do what makes you happy.
Read how to eat, move and be healthy by Paul Chek.
Take the time to feel beauty.
There are pockets within the day, when the chaos of work slows. Moments of quiet. A short walk home from the office. A pocket of solitude.
Look outside and take everything in.
How does the air feel as it enters your nostrils?
What sounds can you hear?
What does your mind say as you hear these sounds?
What sensations can you feel?
Find an object and be wondered by it.
Practise feeling this feeling of wonder and awe.
Thank you for reading.
Please share with others that may find it useful.
If this resonated with you please tell me why on my Twitter (@goodwyn29) or through email.
Many thanks,
G