A few posts ago, I described an aspect of the Law of Mind Action that
has to do with feeling good. According
to this teaching, we are most in alignment with Source when we are feeling good
and least in alignment when we are feeling anxious, worried, angry or fearful. I also shared in that post that I’ve been
noticing, now that I’m paying closer attention to my feelings, that I worry a lot more than I realized – especially during the summer. Summer is the perfect time for me to play
with the idea of feeling good. Since I'm not a huge fan of the endless days of summer, I have ample opportunity to notice my negative
feelings and practice changing them to something positive. I’ve been using a bunch of different
strategies for working with my feelings over the past several weeks:
Gratitude - Have you ever noticed that gratitude has a certain,
special feeling “tone?” I am beginning
to understand why cultivating a sense of gratitude is often taught as a
practice associated with the Law of Mind Action. The feeling tone of gratitude puts us in alignment with the energy of Spirit. In the past, I have made daily lists of
things I am grateful for, but I have discovered that making lists is very much
a thinking exercise for me and doesn’t put me in touch with the feeling of true
gratitude. Recently, when working
with shifting my feelings, I sometimes use this exercise from the Q-Effect workshop to connect me with a feeling of gratitude:
Quick Coherence Technique: Shift out of the head, and focus on the area of the heart
for at least 10 seconds. Imagine breathing from the heart. Breathe
in for a count of five, and breathe out for a count of five. Recall and try to re-experience a positive time or
feeling. Try not to just visualize it but to feel it fully. Bask in that positive feeling for a few moments.
Observer Self – In his book The Untethered Soul, author Michael
Singer offers a fantastic description of the Ego as the unruly “roommate”
inside of our heads. When attempting to
shift away from negative (Ego-centered) thoughts and feelings toward positive (Spirit-centered) thoughts and feelings, he recommends that we practice getting in touch with
the observer self, which is capable of watching the antics of the crazy “roommate”
without engaging in them. I’m comforted by
the thought that there is a wise presence underlying all of my ego drama and
that I can get in touch with that presence in a heartbeat simply by shifting into the
role of the observer self. I’ve been
using this practice frequently as a way of diffusing negative emotions. Amazingly, my observer self is never agitated, irritated, or fearful! My observer self is always calm, peaceful, and content. I aspire to live more consistently from the perspective of my observer self.
What Would I Love? - One of the ways that I unconsciously
perpetuate feelings of anxiety and worry is by constantly engaging in household chores and busy-ness. I have the hamster-on-the-wheel mode down to a science! Now that I understand that my feelings are my compass, I also see that the litmus test for whether or not an activity is in alignment with my true purpose is whether or not I'm enjoying myself while doing it. Recently, I've been paying closer attention to how I'm feeling when I'm engaged in my regular day-to-day activities. If I notice that I'm becoming anxious or developing feelings of stress, I stop what I'm doing and ask myself, "What would I love to do right now?" If it's possible for me to shift to an activity that I enjoy, I do. This has a positive impact on my emotions and allows me to return to a space of alignment where I can make heart-centered decisions about what needs to be done next.
None of the above strategies for working with feelings is intended to suggest that avoiding or repressing negative emotions is a healthy thing to do in all situations. In general, I'm of the mindset that we must be willing to experience our emotions in order to move through them. But oftentimes, I've noticed that I'm experiencing negative emotions for no good reason at all - it's almost as if my default mode is "worry," something I've carried with me from childhood. These strategies are helpful in shifting my focus at those times. Not surprisingly, my days are more fulfilling when I choose thoughts and activities that make me feel good.
~REBECCA
None of the above strategies for working with feelings is intended to suggest that avoiding or repressing negative emotions is a healthy thing to do in all situations. In general, I'm of the mindset that we must be willing to experience our emotions in order to move through them. But oftentimes, I've noticed that I'm experiencing negative emotions for no good reason at all - it's almost as if my default mode is "worry," something I've carried with me from childhood. These strategies are helpful in shifting my focus at those times. Not surprisingly, my days are more fulfilling when I choose thoughts and activities that make me feel good.
~REBECCA
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