I LOVE Adyashanti’s ability to create a very simple understanding from what can feel so complicated and messy. You’d really do yourself a favour to do a search of his work and just read through some of his thoughts.
“Whatever you resist you become. If you resist anger, you are always angry. If you resist sadness, you are always sad. If you resist suffering, you are always suffering. If you resist confusion, you are always confused. We think that we resist certain states because they are there, but actually they are there because we resist them.” – Adyashanti
I’d like to make the above quote just a little more practical:
If you feel Anger it’s because some part of you is angry. If you feel Sadness it’s because some part of you is sad. These emotions come up within us for a reason, and usually the reason is that something inside of us feels scared.
If you sit down with Anger or Sadness and ask them in turn, “what are you afraid will happen?” you will almost certainly get an answer from within yourself… “I’m scared that everyone will always treat me as unimportant, that’s why I’m angry at the cashier for her bad service.”… “I’m afraid that no one will ever love me because I really am just unlovable, and I feel desperately sad about this.”…
If Anger and Sadness are parts of you that feel scared then your resistance, your rejection of them causes only more fear, causing those parts to feel even more angry and more sad.
You can see the truth in Adyashanti’s words: “If you resist Anger, you are always angry… if you resist Sadness, you are always sad…”
Two more thoughts from Adyashanti:
“Anything you avoid in life will come back, over and over again, until you’re willing to face it – to look deeply into its true nature.” – Adyashanti
“The more in harmony you are with the flow of your own existence, the more magical life becomes.” – Adyashanti
Harmony… flow… we don’t get to experience these states while we are resisting, avoiding, or running. Life becomes more magical when we learn that we can have a different relationship with what we’re experiencing.
Ask Sadness to come and sit with you. Let Sadness know that it’s ok that she feels sad and that you’ll sit next to her until she feels better. And guess what? This already feels better.
I am in awe of people who are doing “the work”, because I know what it takes to show up for yourself and do this work. It’s not what is conventionally thought of as pretty, but it is the most beautiful thing that I have ever seen!
Today’s meditation is an exploration of Sadness, Anger and Fear, and demonstrates a very practical way of creating wholeness within your own system.
As you navigate your emotional landscape, here are some mantras to guide you:
- Feel it to heal it. Resisting emotions keeps them trapped. Acknowledge your feelings, understand them, and let them go.
- There’s a reason for every season. Emotions arise for a purpose. Listen to what they’re trying to tell you.
- Be kind to yourself. You’re human. It’s okay to experience a full range of emotions.
- Acceptance is the first step to change. When you accept your emotions, you can begin to work through them.
- You are not your emotions. You are the observer of your emotions. Don’t let them define you.
By embracing your emotions, even the uncomfortable ones, you’ll be on your way to creating a more harmonious and magical life. So, take a deep breath, invite your emotions in for a cup of tea (or whatever feels right!), and embark on this beautiful journey of self-discovery.
Have a beautiful day beautiful humans!
– pierre –
Today’s LIVE meditation is: A sense of self.
(image credit: “Theater masks” by Serhii Voichenko https://www.artmajeur.com/serhii-voichenko )