Acceptance, the Breath and Gratitude

March 4, 2016 by Dhyan 3 Comments

Through my experiences with clients and friends I have come to understand as human beings our nature is very complex. Many of us have fears, thoughts, emotions and feelings that are unique to us, which create our own perspective on everything and ultimately our reality.

For many life is very demanding, the challenge of constant change, the fear of the unknown and the inability to really love ourselves and others unconditionally. These are all products of the separation created in our minds, by the societies we live in. In truth life is happening through us for us. There is no separation. What happens between us and the entire universe, happens between us and everyone and everything around us. We are all unique divine sparks of one energy.

There are many people experiencing a divine shift now. This shift of consciousness is a move from living from the head to living in the heart. It is this shift that is creating some emotional, mental and physical  challenges for people as everything they thought they knew comes into the light of truth. It can bring up deeply conditioned worries, stresses, fears and anxieties. As we have been taught from a very young age to use our heads to make decisions and to listen to our minds for guidance. We have not been taught to use our hearts to guide us or that our hearts have an incredible high frequency of intelligence.

Life is a series of experiences, all of which help us to grow mentally, emotionally, physically and spiritually. Experiences are neither “good” nor “bad”, nor “right” nor “wrong”. They are simply opportunities for growth, healing and development. They help us to see the truth of who we are. As we remove all the labels, expectations, beliefs and conditionings we have accumulated we notice this. Our minds will often judge our experiences and this creates conflict within ourselves. Learning to see life with new eyes helps us appreciate the process of every experience.

Fear is the result of a feeling separate. This includes the fear that we are not “good enough”, the fear of not being loved, not being “succcessful”. The fear that there is something “wrong” with us, that we don’t “fit in”, that someone will leave us and it goes on. All these ideas have been adopted by us unwittingly through the ideals imparted to us in society. Fear in reality is just a thought, something our minds have come up with to distract us from what is available to us right here and now.

The pain that fear can illicit is immense and it comes from a place that is built on our previous experiences, beliefs and conditioning. One of the most painful experiences we have ever had is the the separation we felt as a child when we were born. We spent 9 months in absolute bliss, peace and joy where all of our needs were met. We had no concept of fear, separation or loneliness. We were not born with those systems in place. It is only after our birth and our physical separation from our mothers that our sense of identity starts to percolate. It is this sense of identity that is ingrained in us, from the moment we receive our name we begin to form the idea that we are somehow separate. We can limit our entire lives through the fear of separation. It can manipulate our behaviour, our minds, our actions, thoughts and deeds. The pain of unfelt feelings, emotions and un-faced fear can be so debilitating for the body and mind, that some people are willing to to take their own lives because of it. This is also the biggest cause of addiction. The addict looks for ways to numb their experience and escape their feelings and emotions through the use of physical activities such as sex, taking drugs, smoking and drinking alcohol, food can also be used in this way too.

Fear is actually an integral part of the survival mechanism. It is triggered by our fight or flight instinct. It is a passing emotion and will arise if we feel we are being threatened in any way. This can be logical such as in the case of a natural disasters or it can be completely irrational and unique to us. Fear is a transient aspect of our being, it is not something that will stay with us. It can change in any moment, through the power of deep acceptance, through embracing it as part of our experience. Learning to become inquisitive about brings with it a whole new way of experiencing it. It won’t be easy to start with but when fear arises welcome it, be aware of it, give it space. You can say to yourself  “I accept this feeling. I accept that I am feeling this now, I love myself  and the one who is feeling ”. It is this simple act that will dispel and dissolve the emotion, replacing it with something else and bringing you into the present moment. Bringing you to a place of self-love and peace within your being.

When we experience emotions such as anxiety, abandonment and depression, these are also products of fear. It is important to recognise that we are not these emotions. They are a small transient part of our nature as physical beings and when we suppress or deny them, we are ultimately suppressing and denying aspects of our experience. This act of suppression allows these feelings to grow stronger. This at of suppression is actually the cause of wars. As we begin an inner conflict within our own bodies. Feelings arise in order to be felt. If they are not felt and not welcomed they will fester into something else, often dis-ease is the result of buried emotion’s. It is the deep and loving acceptance and willingness to feel emotions that will release and heal them. No-thing else will do this!

In every moment there is an opportunity to discover true happiness. One of the ways in which we can do this is by connecting with our breath. It might sound simple, because it is! Becoming aware of our in breath at every point and allowing our awareness to follow our breath at every point creates a space in our thought patterns where our mind becomes totally focused on what is happening now. This is the nature of meditation. In meditation everything begins to slow down as we find a focal point for our minds and direct our attention. Through the process of focusing on the breath our energy or chi becomes single pointed and our mind, heart and body harmonise in awareness and peace. The mind becomes soothed, calm and the daily chatter that can be experienced no longer becomes the focus of attention for the mind. With this practice mind is set free and a whole new way of experiencing effortless begins.

In each moment through this practice with the breath, suffering begins to dissolve. All suffering is a product of the mind and its interpretation of whatever is happening. The minds job is to attempt to figure everything out, to solve everything and it is also the cause of these so called “problems” that it wants to solve. In order to keep itself entertained, it creates problem after problem and solution after solution in a land of fantasy that doesn’t actually exist. It really is a monkey mind! It can get very tricky. When we practice this breathing meditation the mind begins to loose its grip no longer controlling our consciousness.  We discover that we have shifted our attention to our breath and that simultaniously we become the present moment. The present or Now, holds everything, it is the source of limitless possibilities. It contains all the joy, peace and healing that we need and every other possible feeling and emotion that arises from these. The present moment is here and now, it is void of memories of the past and no concerns for the future. There can be no fear in this moment, no anxiety and no depression, only the presence of the body and mind, as one, in harmony, in a state of love and freedom. With techniques of the breathe anxiety fades and does fear, but first it must be felt.

Everyday begin a fresh, use your beginners mind to look without interpretation and witness the process of this magic that is you. On waking up the first words you can choose can be ” Thank you”. Let those two words roll around in your head clearing away any preconceived ideas. Let those words sink deep into your being knowing and feeling the truth of them. See the perfection in your experience, notice that each moment has brought you here, now to this one. Everything has been guiding you here. Everything has been and is guiding you home. Home is where you heart is for there is no better place to rest. ” I Love you” let those  words fall deeply into your heart. This is the path of devotion to live in gratitude for everything just as it is. To take loving action for yourself when needed and to focus on the things in your life that you feel grateful for. Allow this feeling of Gratitude to grow. Create a journal if you like and aim everyday to find something that you feel grateful for and see what happens, become aware of the process of gratitude. Whatever is happening, has a purpose, it serves as a way to help you wake up to your Self, to the true essence of your being. Life is helping you to see the miraculous, amazing being that you truly are. True guidance in life comes from your heart and your heart always knows where you are going, its time to BE THE MIRACLE YOU CAME HERE TO BE.

Love and Many Blessings,

Amelia