Let it flow….. Then let it go.
Thoughts and feelings are natural phenomena. There are no wrong thoughts or feelings, only wrong actions.
Each day, every one of us experiences thoughts and emotions that we decide, consciously or unconsciously, are not 'ok' to have. This can go from a simple small jealous thought about a colleagues performance...... through to deep childhood memories and emotions that can pop up to be processed. We may suddenly feel angry, but all our lives we have been told that we shouldn't be angry..... and so we suppress the thoughts and feelings accordingly.
In order to advance and grow, it is important to learn how to let your thoughts and feelings flow freely, hear their message, and then let them go…… to help enable this, there are a few things that are important to understand about your thoughts and feelings……
The truth is that your thoughts & feelings are natural phenomena…… they are occurring within you as natural impulses and therefore there is nothing wrong with them. Thinking angry thoughts or feeling anger towards another person is perfectly natural, it is only if you acted upon these thoughts and feelings and harmed another person that the line is crossed.
It is important to understand that you are not your thoughts and feelings….. You are the timeless spiritual presence having a human experience, the thoughts and feelings you are experiencing aren’t you! By understanding this you come to realise that your thoughts and feelings are merely a guide to yourself and what is happening around you in the moment. Each one of them carries an important message that you should listen to.
All thoughts and feelings are transient and temporary……. The old adage of 'this too shall pass' is a powerful reminder that nothing we experience is permanent. You may be in sadness today, then in happiness tomorrow, you could be furious in the morning and joyful in the afternoon. In the longer term, you may experience months or even years of grief over the loss of a loved one but even in this case it will pass with enough time.
And finally…. When we deny and bury our thoughts and feelings, they don't go away. Being phenomena of nature, thoughts and feelings that are rejected and suppressed are held in the energetic system of the body for a later time when you can process them…. and will generally pop up when you have rest and time to process.
Now looking at this you might be thinking to yourself, sure it’s great to know this, but there can be very challenging moments with our thoughts and emotions, so what can I do to stop suppressing what is coming up for me? On this, I recommend the following steps......
Thought Pattern / Emotion Comes Up - Look at this neutrally as a warning light on the dashboard of your car, take a moment, stop and ask yourself what it might be trying to tell you about yourself and the current situation. What is the message?
Let it flow - Don't judge yourself, the situation, the thought, or the feeling,. Just be with it and let it be within you. Trust that it is a natural phenomena and it simply has a message for you
Let it Go - After some time with the thought pattern / emotion, let it go and move along with life. If there was a clear message that you can act upon calmly and lovingly, then do so. If it is murky and there is an ongoing frustration that you need to forgive (within yourself or others), then I highly recommend the Hawaiian forgiveness process of Ho'Oponono to assist in forgiving and moving on.
When we go through this process of letting it flow and then letting it go, we find ourselves moving through life with more lightness and joy. Remember always to be kind on yourself no matter what comes up for you. As you release more and more, your body will begin to release its lifetime of suppressed emotions. Some of these might seem strange and distant to your present situation, but it is a perfectly natural process - so no matter what comes up for you, gently let it flow and let it go and allow more light into the space that has been cleared.
Much Love,
Phil