Even in the worst of times a warrior keeps an even temper, a steady mind, and a loving heart, especially as these are the most stabling and productive of attributes to possess in times of stress and uncertainty. A warrior also finds the diamond in the hunk of coal, the light in the darkness, the laughter among the tears, for a warrior knows that everything changes, that in an instant everything can be different. And so, a warrior keeps a light and loving heart even through the darkest hours. It is the warrior’s prerogative to choose an attitude to take rather than be overwhelmed by anything. A warrior chooses wisely, and with more than the self in mind, for that too a warrior knows, that we are all in this together.
Oppose the dominant energy of now… get heart centered and calm… – Photo by Jan Ketchel
Unchecked impulse is the dominant energy of now. There are no signs of it letting up. None are immune from the impact of this energetic wave. Now is the time to turn inward and self-regulate.
It all boils down to intent. Intent manifests the word. Intent is the spirit of Yang (masculine energy) that attracts the Yin (feminine energy) of matter. When we tell the body to relax, it listens and releases according to instruction. But there are challenges.
Blocking beliefs are habitual instructions well-established in the body. If the entrenched belief is that “I am nervous,” the body will favor this established command and remain tense. This is understandable. A hardwired command may assert itself even in the face of a new order, “the body relaxes.” We must be patient and persevering when establishing new rules.
Perhaps the most challenging blocking belief is that “I don’t have the power to consciously alter things in my body.” Let this be the null hypothesis, that is, “my mind cannot change my body.” Let the hypothesis be: “anything is possible.” Next, set up the experiment.
Two times each day, calm the body with some form of progressive relaxation that focuses attention on all parts of the body, simultaneously giving the verbal message to relax. For example, notice the state of tension in your forehead, or shoulders and neck, and instruct the body to release the tension. Cover all sections of the body, head to toe.
Next, in a state of deeper calm, post-relaxation, tell the body, several times, the issue you expect it to address. A child who struggles with enuresis (bedwetting) might simply state: “body, wake me up when it’s time to pee.” An adult with digestion issues might instruct the body to “comfortably digest the food you receive.” The conscious mind merely states its intent, the body will know what to do.
Remain persevering in this regimen for a month. Attach no expectations to the outcome. Keep the mind passive. Expectations have been proven, at the subatomic level, to bias matter. Better to remain scientific and simply see what happens. Do, however, calmly follow the daily protocol and note whatever you notice each day. The key here is patience and calm perseverance.
All issues in our lives register in our bodies as stress, which means an activation of our autonomic nervous system to fight, freeze, or flee to protect us. This hardwired reaction can be overridden with direct communication to the body that assures it that it is safe and okay to return to calm. Prove it with your personal experiment.
Too often, we insist that we must get to the root of the problem before we can get calm. The problem is, if we are activated, we will be unable to perform the mental operations needed to think clearly. The body funds survival over mental processing. The thinking brain is largely dormant, hence, ineffectual when we are triggered.
Once we become calm, we gain the clarity and brain power to understand the root of the trigger. As we process the trigger, we can continually return to calm by reminding the body to release its stress.
Outer stress resulting from nature’s changes or political gamesmanship are surely on the rise. The opportunity here is to turn inward and access one’s personal intent to master outer challenge. All power lies within. Take up the challenge to hone your personal link to intent. Do the experiment. Let the outcome be your own proof.
Reduce stress. It is your enemy and not your friend. Reject it. Stress is at the root of all disturbances, physical, mental, and emotional; illness is compounded by stress, even spiritual disturbances are complicated by stress. Get yourself stress free. Use the practice of detachment to avoid stress; leave it outside of you. Use practices of self-regulation, including breathing, deep relaxation, exercise, and meditation. Find ways to avoid stress that are healthy and nurturing rather than destructive and habit forming. If you are going to form a habit to combat stress, make it one that is truly good for you. With so many stressful situations in the world you live in, remind yourself at times of stress to regulate your body’s response mechanisms, to get calm, to just breathe, to relax. Remember that stress is a reaction and not a cure, so let it go, just let it go. It can really hurt you, but you have the perfect cure within you and within your own control: self-regulate, and just breathe. Your body will be grateful, your mind will be calm, and your spirit will be at peace.
Sometimes the best medicine is to give none at all but to pull back, go inward, and meditate. Sometimes calming meditation is all you need to clear the head and soothe the body. A good dose of quiet time alone will do wonders for the human body and the human soul. During stressful times think first of calming meditation to address your woes. You can’t do any harm, and isn’t that the first consideration? Do no harm, meditate.
