RELEASING ATTACHMENTS, FINDING FREEDOM
October 6, 2009 by rosie
Filed under Holistic Wellbeing
LETTING GO RELAXATION TECHNIQUE
By Certificd Yoga Teacher, Rosie Cox
At the beginning just simply get to know these feelings more intimately. Your aim is to feel the different feelings of joy, the difference in texture between irritability and full-blown anger. The sharp burn of fear gripping your stomach or knotting your shoulders and neck muscles. Notice if you can feel these emotions as sensations or feeling states in your body, and also notice the thoughts, the stories that tend to come up to justify your feelings. Allow these stories to arise without judgement.
As you become more familiar with the states of certain emotions you will be able to recognise how to approach it, whether in a physical activity, inquire into it or the need to express it. You are at the beginning of masterying your emotions when you are able to discern the initial bud of a strong feeling.
A true master is someone who can recognize the uniqueness of the emotion, the true texture and can then deploy each emotion at the exact moment just as it is needed. When you can naturally align to the very need of the occasion at each instance. But do not fear – or do – as this skill takes time, maybe a life time. So allow your emotions to filter out as needed and cry if you have grief or pain in your life and laugh when you have the emotions of joy and happiness.
By tuning in and developing the skill to hone in your emotions will allow you to detach from issues holding you back in life, allowing life to flow in a positive manner. So try this breathing technique to tune in a listen to your body in a physical and spiritual manner.
LETTING GO EXERCISE
To begin, it’s often enough just to observe emotions as they arise. You might try this first laying down or sitting in a meditation pose or when you’re riding in a car (not driving of course) or taking a walk. You’ll find it easy to recognize certain familiar emotions, like love or anger. When you notice a particular feeling state arising, try to identify it, anger, guilt, pride mixed with embarrassment then stand back from it for a moment, like a spectator at your own emotional drama.
When we’re dealing with a major loss or strong attachment, we always need to begin by acknowledging and working with our feelings. These feelings are the stickiest aspects of attachment: the excited desire we feel when we want something, the anxiety we feel about losing it, and the sense of hopelessness that can arise when we fail to achieve it.
Rather than pushing away the anxiety and fear of losing what you care about, let it come up and breathe into it. And if you’re experiencing the hopelessness of actual loss, allow it in. Let yourself cry.
Bring yourself into contact with your inner witness and allow yourself to explore the energy in the feelings. As you go deeper into this energy, moving the breath, directing the breathe to the area/s notice the knotty, sticky quality will start to dissolve, at least for the time being.Whenever you are working at exploring your feelings it is an important process to be able to be present with them but to also become that spectator and just become a silent witness to the present moment. Keep the subtle breath in the areas that you sense any constriction still or tightness and sense letting go as you breath these sensations out.
When you are ready to come back into the ‘real world’ take a few moments first to feel the outside noises surrounding you, start with the sounds of your breath leaving and entering the nostrils. Then open your awareness to further distant noises and again being a witness to these sounds. Then noticing your physical body again and perhaps the calmness you feel within. Take a few moments to feel the stillness as you awaken back to your physical and mental wellbeing ready to move into your daily events.
