Just feel it

Many of us (myself included) would prefer not to feel uncomfortable or painful feelings-- sadness, frustration, anxiety, jealousy, and so on....
Naturally we seek distractions, escapes, excuses in attempt to stay in our emotional comfort zone.
There is value in not dwelling on negativity or choosing to stew in misery. But let's face it- we often deny or avoid what is really present:
>"Oh, I don't care. I'm not upset."
This isn't always honest. And what I have learned after years of the using avoidance technique is,
It don't work!
Loss, resentment, irritation, sadness, etc. actually take LONGER to dissolve when we bury them.
Yogis believe that humans store unexpressed emotion in the body. This negative energy gets stuck in our tissues and has detrimental health effects. You know that knot in your upper back or neck? That headache? Uh huh
Whether or not you practice yoga, you have human body. And guess what?
Your feelings want to be felt, fully allowed to manifest. Or else...
Just do it!
Just try it. Like an experiment. Identify the feeling(s). Feel it. Feel it intensify for a few moments until it lessens....dissolves...leaving you lighter.
Now the good and bad news is that the feeling may come back later. But the point is you keep trying to feel it and let it go.
Human life is a rollercoaster of emotion-- the full spectrum, baby!
You've heard the saying, "Without sadness, there could be no joy", right?
Perhaps in your next life time you be a butterfly or a dolphin or a giant tree. At that time you will not need this lesson.
But until then,
Just feel it!!

Are you here?

One of the most powerful and amazing parts of the human body is the brain. Right?
Just look around at society-- medicine, technology, art, music, architecture and take a breath of gratitude that the human brain has enabled such creation.

But what is the downside of our powerful brains?
They work over-time and our thoughts often take us AWAY from the present, to some other time and place.
We are often stuck on negative thoughts and worry that are unnecessary:
What if I get laid off next quarter?
What if my partner leaves me next year or in twenty years?
The term the Mind is what eastern spiritual traditions use to describe the not-so-peaceful and over-active aspects of our brains.

Certaintly one of the hardest tasks for a human is simply being present.
However, I have found that the more I think (about a future situation or problem) the less I know!!

Because we can never know the future.
And that's a good thing right? We are supposed to be here and now, not in 2014.So how do we do it? How do we stay present?

I encourage you to pay attention to and notice the places/people/activities that ground you in the present. Maybe it helps to be under a tree, or with your dog, or listening to a spiritual teacher or praying or practicing yoga...

There is no simple, fix-it-forever way to rid one's self of overthinking and drifting out of the now.
However,through mindfulness and re-centering we can certainly enjoy our lives more. And our energy affects those around us.

Here is little reminder that helps me:
Am I here?

Every day miracles

Don't we often find ourselves disatified with a situation in life -- a work problem, a conflict with a partner, financial concerns, etc?
And isn't it true that we find it hard to stop obsessing about situation Y or problem X?

We can thank our Egos for this tendency. Our Ego is the natural human tendency to focus on problems, fears, and wants instead of just being present and accepting our current life situation. Even if we do not like something, doesn't it make the unfavorable worse when we get all irritated and dwell on it?

Now if there is a problem/situation that you can fix, by all means FIX IT! Or come up with a plan to fix it, if the solution cannot be carried out now.
Then let it go.

Easier said than done. Way easier!!

One thing I noticed this week is that mini miracles are occuring every day. EVERY DAY. Good things, fortunate occurances, blessings are happening constantly.
However, it can be difficult to pay attention to these miracles when our Ego is at the wheel.

Here are three mini miracles that occured within a 24 hour period this week--
1. I left my purse on the trolley (containing 2 cell phones, wallet) and was tapped on the shoulder by a young man who watched me do this and returned my purse.
2. I had a close call with an accident on the highway.
3. I came close to taking a very risky path with my surfboard to get back up the cliffs (would have been a serious fall) and was stopped by another surfer who wanted to show me a much safer way.

I am quite sure that my mind was not focused on the present in these situations and each of them WOKE ME UP to the simple miracle that I am ALIVE and OK.
It became quite clear to me after each of these situations that there is a strong power of goodness and love in the world that is MUCH stronger than my problems and Ego.

It reminded me that every day there are miracles.

Look for them.