A mind that is lost in thought, or one that overthinks, can create pressure and tension, within our body. This can lead to us feeling stressed, anxious or depressed. Anxiety is when we are thinking lots of fearful thoughts about the future. Depression is when we are don’t want to feel at all or think the thoughts that create the feelings. Instead the feelings, usually from the past, are pushed down or repressed within out energetic system. When we let go of our thoughts and relax our mind, it is possible to experience the instant joy and bliss of just being. Without awareness, it is possible to become a slave to our mind that can push us and tell us that we will be happy when we have achieved our future goals. When we let go of our thoughts and relax into the present moment it allows us to be happy right now. For example, when we are not consumed by negative thoughts, we are more likely to be aware of and experience the sun on our face or delicious softness of the couch supporting our body.
When we are able to go beyond the stress and tension that our minds can create, it feels amazing just to be in our body. When we learn to work with our minds and emotions, it is possible to be in a blissful state on a regular basis. Our racing mind can often carry us away; our thoughts can be so strong and powerful that, when unmonitored, we can find ourselves in situations that create stress and unhappiness.
This is particularly so in our relationships. Unconsciously, we can find ourselves deep in thought, based on our past conditioning (past experiences) that can create fear towards our partner. In these situations we aren’t seeing them as divine and loving human beings, because of our judgment towards them. It can be easy to project our fears onto our partner, as though we are seeing them through the lens of our fear and not as they truly are.
“What am I thinking now?” is a helpful question to ask yourself. This is particularly relevant when you feel any discomfort in the body as it is our thoughts feed our emotions. If we are unconsciously thinking negative thoughts or holding onto negative beliefs, any tension in our body is a great indicator of this. If we do feel tense and uptight, this is a wonderful opportunity to practice finding our way back to peace.
In order to calm our mind, it is essential to redirect our attention to our body. Creating space and quiet time to go within, can be helpful.
When our mind is racing, we usually feel confused, not knowing where things start and end. When we take the time to go within and observe our unsettled emotions until they pass—we reconnect to our true nature—our divine, loving selves.
To transcend stress, anxiety and depression:
- Sit quietly and focusing on your breath. Take three deeps breaths to lead you into the meditation
- Direct your attention to your toes and then focus for a few seconds on each of your body parts, ascending all the way up to the crown of your head. This is a useful practice to redirect your focus from your mind and thoughts and “get you into your body”.
- Take an overall snapshot of the energy of your body and observe any tension in a neutral, non-judgemental way.
- You may find that in this space, also known as a state of presence, you become aware of the thoughts that have been fuelling the tension. This gives you the opportunity to change to thoughts that support you.
When we view another with presence, that is, clarity and love, it can facilitate them connecting to a place of presence within themselves.
What we are thinking is really important. If we are thinking unconscious fearful thoughts, we can make those fears come true if we think them often enough.
Working with our thoughts allows us to plan and create a wonderful future for ourselves. That is, until we are ready to go to the next level and surrender altogether to a power that can guide us on a journey far greater then we could have imagined ourselves. I call this the tipping point to Bliss.
We choose our joy and sorrows long before we experience them. ~ Kahlil Gibran
