The things we carry, and how we can let go of them.
Oh how I wish we could just simply "let things go". But alas, we are human beings who process pain and hurt differently to other creatures on this beautiful planet.
Learning to practice detachment from negative thoughts and feelings after processing them is an important skill. They can become persistent and overwhelming, perhaps you even fixate on them.
“Put your thoughts to, try not to let them cast a shadow over the moon of your heart. Let go of thinking.” - Rumi
So how do I do this?
It takes practice.
Right now, wherever you are sitting, I want you to sit back in whichever seat you are in.
Push your body all the way back into the chair and find a comfortable position.
Pay attention to your breathing, the inhale and exhale. Keep your focus here for a while.
When you are ready, close your eyes and imagine yourself sitting on the bank of a beautiful river or dam. Perhaps you have climbed or hiked up a mountain to get there, or maybe just taken a walk and stumbled upon this body of water. As you arrive to the bank of the water, you are hear the soft sounds of the water.
You look around and see an old man getting sitting in an old canoe. He picks up the big paddles and begins moving the boat towards the direction of the sun.
You catch his eye and his smiles at you with a wide grin and waves.
As he turns to continue paddling, you place the negative or challenging thought you had today. The one where you felt bad about something you did or said. Or how you behaved. Or how challenging things are right now. You place it into the canoe with the old man.
As he paddles away, you watch the thought or feeling slowly float off with him...
You watch as he begins to become blurry and slowly disappears into the horizon...
As he disappears you take a big deep breath in and an even longer exhale out. You gentle stand up and walk back toward this moment.
You slowly open your eyes and pay attention to your breath for a few minutes. You then pay attention to your hands, then your arms and shoulders, followed by your stomach, back, upper legs, lower legs and then your feet.
Then you feel your entire body on the chair you are sitting on and the noises around you and come back to this moment.
Give it a try. Be patient, be kind and be gentle with yourself.
Tami x