Move Beyond Your Emotional Pain
“When we surrender, we allow the universe to work its magic; we say yes to infinite possibilities; we trust that things will work out as they are meant to; and we give ourselves permission to let go of the outcome. The act of surrendering can be liberating, intimidating, blissful, scary, and a swirl of so many other emotions. But in the end, we accept that life will work its magic if our words, thoughts, and actions have integrity and are impeccable." ~ davidji
The human mind, inherently impatient, triggers emotional reactions when our ideas about how things should be collide with how things are. We sometimes torment ourselves about choices we’ve made, words we’ve spoken, and the path not taken. Or we dwell on the future, postponing our happiness with thoughts about what is missing or wrong in the present moment.
These thoughts and judgments are the source of our emotional pain.
The mind has a lifetime of conditioned beliefs and expectations through which it filters all perceptions. While the body spontaneously lets go of pain the moment the underlying cause is healed, the mind has a mysterious instinct for holding on. Through the mind, we create a prison of suffering and then forget that we are the architect and that we ourselves hold the key that will set us free.
Even after years of emotional healing work, we all sometimes make the mistake of believing that something “out there” makes us angry, depressed, anxious, or afraid. In reality, outside events are only triggers. The cause of every emotion is within.
In this Meditation Moment, we invite you to discover the false perceptions that cause you to cling to pain . . . and practice the tools that will help you let go.
Let’s get started right now with a guided meditation podcast led by the Chopra Center’s master meditation instructor, davidji. Right click (pc) or control click (mac) this link and hit "save link as" to download the podcast or click play on the embedded audio at the top of this page.
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Speak with a program consultant about ways to heal and release pain at 888.736.6895 or ask your question here
Emotional Release
When you find yourself flooded with a negative emotion, the following tools can help you find your way back to balance and self-empowerment.
Resist the impulse to ignore your feelings, push them away, or judge them as bad. Instead ask them what they are trying to tell you. All emotions – including the most difficult ones – exist for a reason: to help you. This month’s guided meditation will help you tune in to the message your body wants you to hear.
Be objective. If you identify personally with negativity and think, I am angry, depressed, miserable, stressed out . . . it will be extremely difficult to detach and let go. Learn to see all emotions as only energy, like electricity that flows through you but isn’t about you.
Remember the acronym for fear: False Evidence Appearing Real
If you feel overwhelmed, tell yourself, “Whatever fear says, nothing can destroy me. I’m having a strong reaction right now, but it isn’t the real me. This too shall pass.”
Take responsibility. If you find yourself reacting to certain situations in the same way, ask yourself what you need to learn to change your automatic response.
Physical Release
Letting go isn’t just a mental process. You have metabolized your past and it is now stored in your cells, tissues, and organs. To release both emotional and physical toxins, Ayurveda prescribes Panchakarma, a powerful process that includes daily massage and cleansing treatments. Learn more here.
You can also help your body release emotional pain through physical movement. Begin by letting your body do whatever it wants to do.
Most of us are trained from childhood to ignore or push down these unsettling emotions, but resistance only intensifies our pain. Instead, we need to consciously release the feelings by doing something physical that doesn’t harm others or ourselves. A few ideas:
- Dance. Choose whatever music calls to you, find a place where you can be alone, and let your body express itself.
- Yoga. As you mindfully move into each pose, you feel the places in your body where energy is constricted and emotions are trapped. As you breathe into those areas, you begin to mobilize and release emotional toxicity. Heart-opening poses including gentle backbends, fish pose, and cobra are especially helpful.
- Breath work. Practicing bhastrika or bellows breath will energize you and help clear the clouds from your mind and body. Read on for instructions
Find Peace of Mind
Meditation is one of the best ways to loosen the grip of sticky emotions and connect to our true self. Meditation brings us home to the peace of present-moment awareness and gives us an experience of profound relaxation that dissolves fatigue and long-standing stresses and – as countless studies have shown – promotes both physical and emotional healing.
In meditation we disrupt the unconscious progression of thoughts and emotions by focusing on a new object of attention. In the practice of Primordial Sound Meditation, that “object” is a mantra that we repeat silently to ourselves. A mantra is pure sound, with no meaning or emotional charge to trigger associations. It allows the mind to detach from its usual preoccupations and experience the spaciousness and calm within. In the silence of awareness, the mind lets go of old patterns of thinking and feeling and learns to heal itself.
The Chopra Center Resources
Release Your Pain and Rediscover the Fulfillment and Joy Within. We have developed a wide variety of programs and resources to help you heal and release emotional pain ― and open yourself to greater happiness and life fulfillment.
Finally Learn to Meditate with Deepak, David, and davidji. Experience a week of deep meditation and inner discovery this March 8–14 at the Seduction of Spirit meditation retreat.
Spend a Week at the Chopra Center. Experience timeless healing practices and treatments for physical health and emotional wellbeing.
Free Intro to Meditation. Learn about our free introduction to meditation class, offered each week in the beautiful setting of the Chopra Center in Carlsbad, California.
The Chopra Center On-Line Library. Read about spirituality, Ayurveda, mind-body healing, and more at our on-line library.
Translate Good Intentions into Great Choices. In the spirit of both Eastern and Western traditions, David Simon shows how changing our mind-set from commandments to personal commitments can help us make the life transformations we have always wanted.
Speak with a program consultant at 888.736.6895
or ask your question here
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Heal Yourself with Writing
Journaling is a powerful way to gain perspective on your inner feelings and heal your emotional pain. When you put your thoughts and emotions on paper, you make them explicit and can “objectify” them in a way that allows you to see the false identifications and conditioned beliefs that keep you in bondage to the ego mind.
When you read what you have written, you do so from a quieter reference point inside. This inner reference is closer to your true Self, the silent witness within.
Journaling Tips
Just write! Allow yourself to write uncensored, with no concern for spelling, punctuation, or grammar. No one is going to read your journal without your permission, so feel free to vent and express exactly what you want – even if it feels petty, self-pitying, judgmental, or “unspiritual.” Writing will help you uncover the unconscious sources of pain and release its hidden charge.
Keep a journal with you so that you can write when you have a few spare minutes. Even five minutes a day of journaling can be healing. When you have a longer block of time, you can write more.
Experiment to see what works best for you. Some find it helpful to write after their morning meditation. For others, an evening practice is ideal. There is really no correct way to journal, so trust the method that works best for you.
Now Available Online - Exclusive Podcasts by Deepak Chopra
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Coping with Job Loss
Many scientific studies provide evidence that keeping a journal helps us cope with stress and loss. For example, in a study of people who had recently lost their jobs, researchers found that those who wrote about their feelings about the trauma for twenty minutes a day for five days were significantly more likely to have found new employment than the control group who didn’t write.
The Journey to Wild Divine
The first "inner-active" computer adventure that combines timeless meditation techniques with biofeedback technology for total mind-body wellness. Join Deepak Chopra as he guides you on your quest towards emotional wellbeing and peace of mind. Limited Availability Worldwide!
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