New Ways of Dealing with Depression

By: Deepak Chopra

Belief #1: Depression is directly linked to stress.

In other words, if awful things happen to you, you will become depressed. Stressors include loss of a loved one, a failed job, bad relationship, tragic accident or major financial loss. We call these depressing events, but Redei found that the genes related to stress are totally different from those related to depression.

Belief #2: Depressed people have chemical imbalances in their brains.

For 20 years, researchers have repeated the mantra that low levels of essential messenger molecules—serotonin, dopamine, norepinephrine—lead to depression. “My brain made me feel this way” seems so logical that antidepressants almost entirely work by manipulating levels of neurotransmitters in the brain. But Redei found no depletion of genes that produce these chemicals in depressed people.

It’s a wonder, given the false basis of the theory, that any of these drugs work. And some researchers suggest that they don’t, but depend, in fact, on a strong placebo response in the patients who are helped. To get back to square one, Redei suggests something that should have been obvious all along: Depression starts higher up than chemicals. It starts with the formation and functioning of neurons. To put it in layman’s language, the brain cells in depressed people are adapted to express their depression. This takes the form of neural pathways that carry a message of sadness and hopelessness instead of those pathways that carry a message of happiness and optimism.

Depression starts higher up than chemicals. It starts with the formation and functioning of neurons. To put it in layman’s language, the brain cells in depressed people are adapted to express their depression. This takes the form of neural pathways that carry a message of sadness and hopelessness instead of those pathways that carry a message of happiness and optimism.Being a laboratory researcher, Redei takes her shattering conclusion and heads off in much the same direction as before: She wants to find newer, better drugs that will manipulate genes and neurons rather than manipulating the chemicals they produce. Yet there is a more logical way to proceed, which is to stop making depressed neural pathways and healing those that already exist.

How to do that? Current research is very optimistic, because it turns out that the positive lifestyle changes advised for such a long time actually change both genetic expression and neural pathways. In other words, your brain cells listen to your behavior and beliefs, and if those behaviors and beliefs are powerful enough, the brain changes. What this means is that therapy, spiritual practices, healthy relationships, love and compassion, avoidance of toxins, meditation and stress management aren’t secondary. They are central to dealing with depression and anxiety.

The deep lesson emerging from Redei’s new findings is that drugs will never be the way. The way is far more human, and therefore complicated. It would be nice if popping a pill improved your life, but only you can do that. The ball is back in the court of the human potential movement and its promise of higher consciousness as the road to health and wholeness. I for one view that as a great improvement over drugs, which can be saved for critical and chronic conditions when more human strategies have not worked.

6 Natural Foods That Heal

In Ayurveda the rule is to eat foods that come from the sun. You can eat your way to better health!  These 6 age-defying, heart-strengthening, cancer-busting, energy-boosting and body-slimming Superfoods. These Superfoods are easy to find in your supermarket or natural food store. Just make sure that they are included and available in your health-promoting kitchen. Make sure its ORGANIC!

1. Raw Almonds: Two ounces of almonds give you more than 50 percent of your daily magnesium requirement—a mineral that’s important for heart health. Eating almonds every day for at least a month has been shown to reduce cholesterol and lower other risk factors for heart disease. A study also suggests that they may reduce the risk of colon cancer.

2.  Apples: Eating an apple a day could very well keep the cardiologist away. Current studies suggest that eating apples regularly reduces the risk of stroke and your chances of dying from a heart attack. They lower cholesterol and also appear to decrease the risk of lung cancer.

3.  Avocados: Avocados have more protein than any other fruit. Sometimes known as “nature’s butter,” they have only about a quarter of the fat calories contained in the same weight of dairy butter. Ounce for ounce, they also provide more heart-healthy monounsaturated fat, vitamin E, folate, potassium and fiber than other fruits. They also exceed other fruits as a source of the powerful antioxidant lutein, which appears to protect arteries from hardening and the eyes from cataracts and macular degeneration.

4. Bananas: Monkeys may be wiser than we think—their favorite food is among the most nutritious of tropical fruits. Fiber from green, unripe bananas reduces bad cholesterol and increases the good by as much as 30 percent, while a ripe banana is one of the best ways to soothe an upset stomach. Bananas are a wonderful source of energy, can relieve heartburn and will also help decrease the risk of stroke.

5. Broccoli: Broccoli has almost twice as much protein as steak—11.2 g per 100 calories compared with only 5.4 g. (Most of the calories in meat come from fat, but the calories in green veggies come from protein.) Broccoli is one of nature’s most potent Superfoods. It has been proven effective against cancer, heart disease and a host of other serious conditions. Its powerful sulforaphane content delivers a double punch to cancer-causing chemicals — destroying any carcinogenic compounds that you have ingested, then creating enzymes that eat up any carcinogens left over from that reaction—and it also contains indole-3-carbinol, which helps your body to metabolize estrogen, potentially warding off breast cancer.

6. Cinnamon: This ancient spice (obtained from the bark of Asian evergreens) and highly versatile flavoring helps to relieve bloating and stabilize blood sugar. Cinnamon contains methylhydroxy chalcone polymer (MHCP), which speeds up the processing of sugar in your body. Put cinnamon sticks in your tea or water, or sprinkling just a tiny amount on desserts, fruits, cereal and into smoothies. This will make your insulin release much more efficient, which may slow aging and help ward off diabetes and obesity.

Help Your Body Detox after A Holiday Meal

Holidays call for celebration, and many of us know the consequences that come from overindulging in alcohol and food. Sometimes, despite out best intentions, we overdo it. This holiday season, detoxify and recover naturally with the tips that follow.

Ayurvedic medicine views proper digestion as the most essential component in living a long and healthy life. Your digestive function is made up of numerous organs all working together to break down, absorb, and process all of the nutrients in the food you eat. Without healthy digestion, you can become malnourished and toxins will build up in your body, leading to degenerative diseases. Indigestion is caused and made worse by overeating–especially rich, fatty, spicy foods, alcohol, coffee, and acidic foods. These remedies will get your digestion on the right track.

 Walk! Walk it off after a large meal. About one hour after eating take a 15 to 30 minute walk. Aside from the proven benefits to your heart, walking is the perfect gentle exercise for promoting digestion and encouraging cleansing of the lymphatic system. Walking helps food move along the digestive tract, improving digestion and absorption. 

Drink Teas:  Herbal tea brings relief Relieve that feeling of fullness with herbal teas that target your digestion: Steep 1 teaspoon each of Coriander Seeds, Cumin Seeds, & Fennel Seeds  in a cup of hot water. Drink after each meal to soothe and prevent bloating. Ginger and Peepermint tea are other good choices for settling the stomach. 

 THE MORNING AFTER: Apple cider vinegar is traditionally used to remedy digestive distress, support liver detoxification, normalize digestive juices, and reduce intestinal bloating. Mix 1 tablespoon of organic apple cider vinegar with 8 ounces of warm or (room temerature) water, and drink in the morning on empty stomach. Feel free to add a little honey or maple syrup. Lemon water is also helpful, but does not have the same healing effects as the cider vinegar.

Eat right to lighten up! Breakfast: Eat oat bran cereal, brown rice, or any other warm grain cereal (as long as it is unbleached and does not contain any added sugar or chemicals.) Pair with unflavored soy milk or almond milk. Lunch/Dinner: Eat any combination of beans, brown rice, vegetables, if you eat meat dont eat more than 3oz. and make sure its organic.

 For a powerful Super Cleanse Broth, simmer any combination of the following ingredients for an hour: collards, Swiss chard, kale, mustard greens, cabbage, dandelion, Brussels sprouts, daikon radish, watercress, seaweed, shitake mushrooms, cilantro, garlic, leeks, fennel, anise, fresh ginger, and turmeric. Strain and drink 8 ounces twice a day. 

 Try a detoxifying exercise This movement is from Liver Cleansing Qi Gong, a body-mind exercise that was designed by ancient Chinese physicians to help stimulate the liver and drain the excess toxins from the body: Stand with feet shoulder-width apart in front of a tree. Inhale while raising your right leg and exhale while placing your right foot on the ground in front of you between your body and the tree. Inhale while raising both arms from the sides until they come together over your head. Exhale while lowering your hands in front of your face. Visualize green light running down your face as your hands move down to your chest. Inhale as you move your hands to the right rib cage over your liver. Exhale as you move your arms down your right abdomen and right leg, as if pushing down and out with your hands. Visualize the green light moving the toxins out of the liver, down the liver meridian on the inside right leg, and out the big toe.

ALCOHOL – The liver is one of the hardest working organs in your body and performs a wide variety of functions. Its most important ones include the processing of nutrients, the production of bile to help in digestion of food and eliminating wastes, and cleansing the blood of toxins such as drugs, alcohol, and other dangerous substances. The liver has the ability to regenerate itself, but the effects of alcohol eventually wear down the liver. I strongly suggest that you keep your drinking to a minimum for the longevity of your liver and your health, but on that rare occasion when you overindulge, consider these remedies.

Liver Cleansing: Ginger tea to the rescue! In Ayurveda Ginger is the go to remedy to minimize the symptoms of hangovers and indigestion. Ginger has been found to soothe the digestive lining and balance gastric juices, making it a great remedy for overeating, too.  Cut a 2-inch piece from fresh ginger root, and thinly slice. Bring three cups of water to boil in a pot. Add the sliced ginger and reduce heat to a simmer. Brew for about five minutes. Then sip the tea slowly. You may also add honey to taste.

DRINK WATER! Whatever your weight divide by 2 and drink that much water in ounces! Example 180lb person divide by 2 is 90 ounces. That is approx 5 160z glasses of water per day. Though this is hardly a secret remedy it bears repeating.  Most things you put in your body dehydrates your system, so drinking plenty of water will help combat some of your unpleasant symptoms, rehydrate your body, and flush out toxins. Drink a few glasses of room temperature, filtered water after a night of holiday extravagance. The morning after start with lemon water Drink one lemon squeezed in 8 ounces of warm filtered water. Lemon activates your liver to release toxins and helps to cleanse and move the roughage that stays behind in your intestines.  Try these herbs in teas to cleanse and prevent a buildup of toxins and wastes in your body: Chrysanthemum flower is traditionally used to cleanse the liver and neutralize toxins. Hawthorn berry is used to cleanse the blood of plaque and other toxins. Turmeric supports the detoxification process in the whole body by increasing bile production and releasing and eliminating toxins. Simply put a tablespoon of the spice in a pot and stir over medium heat for five minutes. Milk thistle protects and restores the liver, due to its content of silymarin. Dandelion root has been found by studies to enhance the flow of bile, relieving liver congestion, which in turn aids the body in detoxifying.  I hope this article helps you recover from the effects of overindulgence this holiday season!

Namaste’ Gary

Embrace the Shadow

Shame, guilt and fear cannot be accessed by thinking. The shadow isn’t a region of thoughts and words. Even when you have a flash of memory and recall such emotions, you are using a part of the higher brain – the cortex – that cannot touch the shadow. The journey of descent begins only when you find the doorway to the lower brain, where experience is sorted out not according to reason but according to intense feelings. There is an ongoing drama inside your lower brain (identified with the limbic system, which processes emotions, and the reptilian brain, which reacts in terms of raw threat and survival).

In this drama, many issues that would be interpreted reasonably by the higher brain – getting stuck in traffic, losing out on a business deal, being passed over at work, having a girl turn you down for a date – trigger irrational responses. Without realizing it, everyday events are causing our lower brain to draw the following conclusions: I am so hurt, I will never recover. They put me in agony. I don’t deserve to exist. Everything is hopeless – I’m lost in the dark forever. Nobody loves me. No matter how free you feel from these shadow energies, they exist inside you. If they didn’t, you would be in a state of total freedom, joy, and unboundedness. You would be in unity, the state of innocence regained when the hidden energy of the shadow has been purified. Today you can begin to learn how to feel your way into the shadow. Shadow energies make themselves known whenever you can’t talk about your feelings. You feel out of control. You feel a flash of panic or dread. You want to feel strongly, but your mind goes blank. You have an irrational dislike for someone, and other such responses. What they have in common is that a boundary is crossed – a controlled situation turns unexpectedly anxious or causes unexpected anger or dread. The next time you experience this, watch and see if you feel guilty or ashamed of yourself afterward; if so, then you have touched, however briefly, on the shadow.

Adapted from The Book of Secrets, by Deepak Chopra (Harmony Books, 2004).

This is why it is important to be conscious and observe what we feel no matter how uncomfortable. Eckhart calls it the ‘painbody.’ When we learn techniques that allow us to befriend our negative emotions then they are not so scary and we can actually dissolve the shoadow and live from the joy body! Cellular Memory Release is just one tool that allows this new type of energy work that is coming forth.

Unrefined Sea Salt vs. Refined Salt

In recent years salt has gotten a bad wrap and people have learned to fear it. In the same way they fear sugar, cholesterol, and even sunlight. Many doctors warn their patients to stay away from sodium. In the U.S., about 75% of the salt in the diet comes from processed foods. It is estimated that over 50% of all Americans suffer from water retention (the leading cause of weight gain and obesity). However, to live a salt free lifestyle means you will run a risk of being trace mineral deficiencies. Eating unrefined salt fulfills the body’s need for salt without upsetting the hydro electrolytic balance. Unrefined sea salts if dissolved in water or added to water in which food is being cooked have a profound positive effect at the cellular level. Unrefined sea salts help cleanse and detoxify the GI tract and it keeps harmful germs at bay.

So what is the different between sodium and salt? It is essential that we get some sodium in our diets because it regulates the body’s fluid balance and blood pressure, helps the muscles relax and carries nutrients to the cells. However, sodium is present in additives such as monosodium glutamate (a flavor enhancer), sodium saccharin (a sweetener), sodium nitrite (a preservative), sodium ascorbate (an antioxidant) and sodium bicarbonate (baking soda), but most sodium in the diet comes from salt. Refined salt what we know as table salt (a byproduct of the chemical industry) contains only two elements, 40% sodium (Na), and 60% chlorine (CI). In addition most table salt contains aluminum silicate which studies have shown to cause Alzheimer’s disease.

A teaspoon of refined salt contains about 2,300 mg of sodium. The present average person intakes, approximately 3000-4500 mg/day of sodium That is very high, and is, 2-3-fold in comparison with the current Dietary Reference Intake (DRI) of 1500 mg. Sodium and salt are terms often used interchangeably.

Functions in the body

Unrefined Sea Salt on the other hand contains about 90 essential trace minerals that are important to the body. Salt cravings may be caused by trace mineral deficiencies. Small amounts of sodium are essential for health. All body fluids contain sodium, including blood, and it has an important function in maintaining fluid balance within the body. In this context, it is important that the body is able to regulate the level of sodium in the blood. Sodium is also necessary in generating electrical impulses in nerve and muscle and in generating gradients across cells to enable uptake of nutrients. As excess salt in the diet is readily absorbed; control of sodium in the blood is achieved by excretion through the kidneys into the urine. There is also variable loss though sweat. Salt requirements are closely related to water requirements. When cells are deprived of trace minerals this can have dire effects to your health and well being. Over time this can lead to muscle spasms nervous disorders, and brain damage. The only salt that the body can digest and assimilate properly is unrefined sea salt. When ingested natural sea salt allows liquids too freely cross body membranes and combine with fluids in the neighboring tissues. In addition healthy kidneys are able to remove these saline fluids without a problem; which is essential for keeping the fluid concentration in the body balanced. In the presence of unrefined sea salt, saliva and gastric secretions are able to break down fibrous parts of carbohydrate foods. In its dissolved and ionized form salt facilitates the digestive process and sanitizes the GI tract.

Refined salt (table salt) has almost the opposite effect. Refined salt has no benefits to the body. On the contrary it is responsible for many health issues. It prevents the crossing of liquids and minerals causing stagnation in the joints, lymphatic’s, and kidneys. The dehydration effect of refined salt can lead to weight gain, water retention, high blood pressure and gallstones. To make salt resist the reabsorption of moisture salt manufactures add chemicals such as desiccants and bleaches to the final salt formula. The salt can no longer blend with bodily fluids. (Ingesting refined salt in a dry state it enters the body non-ionized and creates thirst in the body. This is a sign of poisining).

Refined salt is added to thousands of manufactured foods.

It is important to become conscious of sodium intake. You should have control of the amount of sodium entering your body. Of course when you eat out you give this up. Most restaurants and fast food meals contain between 1,100 and 3,300mg of sodium per serving. It doesn’t matter where you eat if it’s a chain, and there are the grams of fat per serving but that’s a whole other topic. But, even canned soups, frozen entrees, and packaged dinners can contain a lot of sodium.

When we step into our kitchens and use unrefined sea salts, low sodium broths, unsalted butter, fresh herbs and spices, fresh whole foods, and cook from scratch leaving behind processed chemical based manufactured foods we give our body the opportunity to function and metabolize better thus giving us more energy and clarity.

It may be worth noting I am a chef and with that said food should taste delicious, but not salty.

Namaste’ G.

3 Easy Steps to Transforming Your Own Pain Body

                          1. Watch out for any sign of unhappiness in yourself in whatever form—it may be the awakening pain-body. This can take the form of irritation, impatience, a somber mood, a desire to hurt, anger, rage, depression, a need to have some drama in your relationship and so on. Catch the pain-body the moment it awakens from its dormant stage.

                          2. Observe the resistance within yourself. Observe the attachment to your pain. Be very alert. Observe the peculiar pleasure you derive from being unhappy. Observe the compulsion to talk or think about it. The resistance will cease if you make it conscious.

                          3. Focus attention on the negative feeling inside you. Know that it is the pain-body. Accept that it is there. Don’t think about it—don’t let the feeling turn into thinking. Don’t judge yourself out of it. Stay present, and continue to be the observer of what is happening inside you.

 Sit comfortably and quietly. Let your body rest easily. Breathe gently. Let go of your thoughts, past and future, memories and plans. Just be present. Begin to let your own precious body reveal the places that most need healing.

Allow the physical pains, tension, disease, or wounds to show themselves. Bring a careful and kind attention to these painful places. Slowly and carefully feel their physical energy. Notice what is deep inside them, the pulsations, throbbing, tension, needles, fear, contraction, aching, that make up what we call pain. Allow these all to be felt fully, to be held in a receptive and kind attention. Then, be aware of the surrounding area of your body. If there is contraction and holding, notice this gently. Breathe softly and let it open.

In the same way, be aware of any aversion or resistance in your mind. Notice the thoughts and fears that accompany the pain you are exploring:
“It will never go away.”
“I can’t stand it.”
“I don’t deserve this.”
“It is too hard, too much trouble, too deep,” etc.

Let these thoughts rest in your kind attention for a time. Then gently return to your physical body. Let your awareness be deeper and more allowing now. Again, feel the layers of the place of pain, and allow each layer that opens to move, to intensify, or dissolve in its own time. Bring your attention to the pain as if you were gently comforting a child, holding it all in a loving and soothing attention. Breathe softly into it, accepting all that is present with a healing kindness.
Continue this meditation until you feel reconnected with whatever part of your body calls you, until you feel at peace.

 When a feeling or thought arises, your intention should not be to chase it away, hate it, worry about it, or be frightened by it. So what exactly should you be doing concerning such thoughts and feelings? Simply acknowledge their presence.
For example, when a feeling of sadness arises, immediately recognize it: “A feeling of sadness has just arisen in me.” If the feeling of sadness continues, continue to recognize: “A feeling of sadness is still in me.” If there is a thought like, “It’s late but the neighbors are surely making a lot of noise,” recognize that the thought has arisen. If the thought continues to exist, continue to recognize it. If a different feeling or thought arises, recognize it in the same manner.

The essential thing is not to let any feeling or thought arise without recognizing it in mindfulness, like a palace guard who is aware of every face that passes through the front corridor. If there are no feelings or thoughts present, then recognize that there are no feelings or thoughts present. Practicing like this is to become mindful of your feelings and thoughts. You will soon arrive at taking hold of your mind.

Namaste’ G.

Thoughts Cause Our Suffering Not Events

Most of us grew up believing that that external events and people made us feel one way or another. It was always someone else’s fault why we were upset. When we believe this thought it gives all our power away. We feel a sense of hopelessness. The only way we can stay happy or calm is to control others and make them do what we want.

This implies you’re not responsible for your own feelings or reactions to events. If something outside of you is causing your feelings then how can you be held responsible? This creates the ‘victim virus’ that many people have.

We all receive and perceive information differently. If we didn’t then anytime someone had a feeling triggered by an event it would follow that everybody would feel the same way about the event, but that isn’t what happens.

 Our feelings are directly linked to our thoughts and beliefs. What would our lives be like if we did not use the words (should, would, or could?) These words create a lot of emotional and internal pain. When we live in the land of shoulds, woulds, and could we are living in our own fantasy land. A world in which we have created so we do not have not live in our own reality. We use these words with others, ‘He should get his act together.’ ‘If she would stop being so demanding I would be happier.’ ‘They could have knocked before they came in the door.’ I should get my act together.’ ‘I could have been more understanding.’ I would be happier if.’

How many times a day do we live in our little fantasy worlds of woulds, coulds, and shoulds wasting the hours away and not being present in the now and dealing with ‘What Is.’ Life is so much easier and we have much more choice when we can accept what is. Saying you should not be a certain way or feel a certain way just strengthens the feeling behind the thought. There is no love, compassion, or empathy from this self defeating space.

Shoulds represented towards another person usually represent an attempt to control that person’s behavior. Because that person is doing something that makes us uncomfortable. Our demands are always generated around wanting to make ourselves more comfortable. This is selfish and self centered behavior and it shows conditional love. In relationships shoulds are used to assign blame for a conflict rather than to help solve it. Each person resists accepting the blame and both parties end up feeling more distant and distrustful leaving the original issue unresolved.

Learning to describe your feelings is good start for awareness and change.

I have worked with many people over the years some addicts some not. Many people do not know how to identify their feelings. They do not know what they are feeling. This keeps you in a (no responsibility) mode for your feelings and your life situations. There can not be change until we can finally accept and take responsibility, and stop blaming others for our miserable lives. We create our lives. Yes. We are that powerful.

 Not everyone is able to jump into the body and process their feelings. Many are afraid of their feelings. Working with the mind is a nice easy way to get started. Its like coming through the back door. Here at the steps.

 Something happens in your life and thoughts and feelings arise. When you have time (make time) sit down and write it out.

Describe the thoughts you had when you were upset. Don’t exclude a thought because you now see how unreasonable it was at the time. The lesson here is to identify your thoughts and the ones that are unreasonable are the ones causing you the most pain.

 Ask yourself 4 questions…

Is it true?

Is it 100% true?

How do you feel or behave when you believe this thought?

Where in your body do you feel it?

 Allow it intensify it welcome it and breathe through it.

 Looking at our thoughts is powerful and we can change our thinking by doing this. We begin to see that our thoughts are random and they come and go. We also see that we think the same thoughts over and over each day. Bringing awareness to our thinking helps let go of unwanted emotions. It allows us to breathe and instead of fix, change, and control so we can be okay.

Understanding Why We Have Feelings

Feelings come and go they are constantly changing. Being energy beings feelings are constantly moving through our bodies. Different feelings create a different energy vibration. You can think of this as a frequency. When something happens in our lives an energetic frequency is created and depending on how intense the experience is depends on the surge or energy that is going to over take the body system.

Feelings are neither good nor bad. We as humans with our analytical mind and thinking need to know what is happening to us, thus we have names for feelings and some of those names come with heavy burdensome labels.

You don’t’ need to justify or judge your experience when it comes to your own feelings you just need to allow them and be present to what the body is trying to tell you. When we are experiencing a great deal of pain and sadness in our lives this is the bodies way of telling you you’re out of alignment for what is true and joyful for you.

However, the mind gets involved and many times overrides the body’s needs. This is what creates the mind-body disconnect and allows the body to fall into a dis-eased state.

Nobody feels good all the time that is unrealistic. We live in a world where we are meant to experience duality. As Buddha says, ‘we will experience pain, but suffering is optional.’

Pain is created when the mind gets attached to something. A person, beliefs, self image, things, etc… It comes from a place of fear always. Thinking that we are going to loose something we already have or we are not going to get what we think we need in order to be okay or happy.

The truth is we are always okay. We are designed with an intelligence within us that allows us to be self sufficient needing very little from the outside world. When we think we need something to be okay or happy. It tells the mind-body system that there is something wrong with us.

So, how do we overcome our own self defeating behaviors and attitudes?

 Well, first there has to be awareness that your best thinking is not serving you well. Second, you need to start exploring the thoughts that lead to unwanted outcomes.Unpleasant thoughts create unpleasant feelings. Unpleasant feelings create self defeating behaviors. Self defeating behaviors create negative results.

 With this cycle its no wonder our feelings influence our actions. This cycle is learned in early childhood and continues till the awareness to break it comes. When someone does not know how to go into the body and process a negative or unpleasant feeling then the body is going to ask for relief. When we are young the relief may come in the form of nail biting, watching TV, bulimia, anorexia, or in extreme cases leaving the body etc… but as we get older the feelings and the pain get more intense having not been processed and as adults we can easily turn to mind altering chemicals.

Using any mind altering chemical or substance is a self defeating behavior and does not support life itself. Why? Because it does not resolve or improve the situation that is producing the unpleasant feelings and often other negative habits and problems are created. The person is not dealing with their reality of ‘What Is’ and making life affirming choices and actions to move beyond the unpleasant feeling or situation.

It creates a vicious cycle because for many that start out using drugs or alcohol for recreational purposes and good times just the opposite is created and more unpleasant feelings pile on top of the unpleasant feelings that are still there and unprocessed in the mind body system. This leads to continued drug and alcohol use with more negative experiences all in the name of ‘fun’ and wanting to ‘chill out’ this cycle is what leads to addiction.

Similarly, someone who considers themselves depressed avoids healthy sources of support such as family, friends, education, therapy etc… resulting in isolation which leads to a sense of shame which leads into further isolation and shame.

Having unpleasant or negative feelings that haunt and live within the halls of our inner sanctuary is dangerous to our over all well being. Learning how to deal and process said feelings when they arise lessens the chances of acting out in self defeating ways and creating negative results for ourselves.

When we feel better we are more likely to act from a place of awareness and get positive results that affirm life not only for ourselves but others.

Namaste’ G.

Suffering From Victimitis

The victim virus: suffering-addiction

To play the role of victim is part of a very old cultural model, as old as our civilization. We find this pattern in all of human history. Today, it’s present in the books we read, in the TV programs we watch, in the daily news, in religions, in national policies and international diplomatic relations, in schools, in couples, in the family, in friendships, and so on and so forth.

We’re so used to this role that it has become an addiction. In fact, this addiction is a socially accepted one in which much physical, mental and emotional misery is perpetuated. To be a victim is a cultural game that has already taken, and continues to take, many casualties among us.

The person who plays the role of victim is suffering for different reasons and causes. She may suffer because of unfulfilled basic needs, physical ailments or illnesses, lack of energy, fatigue, helplessness, despair, indifference, unachieved recognition, confusion, betrayal, physical, emotional or sexual abuse, or because she has been manipulated, exploited, oppressed, abandoned, persecuted, among other things.

The resonance that is activated when we feel like a victim generates unconscious thoughts and behaviors, and we find ourselves silently or outwardly complaining, blaming ourselves or others, or life, or God. This chronic complaining state creates inner contractions that prevent essential energies from flowing as they should, and drain our élan vital. This is extremely debilitating.

According to the law of attraction and its principles, when we send out the resonance of “the victim,” we attract to us persons and situations that will make us suffer. Furthermore, we can’t make the most of the experience we’re living and will repeat them endlessly in various ways.

The victim “virus” leads us to perceive ourselves as an entity separated from the whole, having constantly to defend or attack. This “virus” also gives rise to a chronic fear resonance and sets forth a vicious cycle:

The more afraid I am, the more separated I feel;
the more separated I feel, the more alone I am;
the more alone I am, the more must I protect myself from what others may do to me, or from what can happen to me;
the more I must protect and defend myself, the more guilty I find the other;
the more I blame and accuse the other, the more separated I feel;
the more separated I feel, the more afraid I am.

In this way this vicious cycle, the root cause of human suffering, returns to its beginnings.

How to detect when one is playing the role of victim

When playing the role of victim

– we react unconsciously to everything;
– our mind constantly creates situations full of anxiety or worry;
– we think, interpret and analyze (inwardly or outwardly);
– we deny what we feel (“Everything is all right,” “There’s no problem”);
– we suppress our emotions (with rigidity, contractions, tensions, and illnesses);
– we tend to engage in “dramatic” situations and with “dramatic” persons;
– we permanently speak about what “should” and “shouldn’t” be done;
– we complain about ourselves and others;
– we inwardly or outwardly judge, criticize, accuse, and blame anyone;
– we repeat past situations again and again in our mind;
– we find it very difficult to forgive, and keep very old resentments;
– we want to take revenge and “collect debts”;
– we resort to our painful past when having to act or make decisions in the present;
– we are afraid of the future and of what it may have in store for us;
– we rehearse again and again what we shall do or say;
– we aren’t aware of the present and ignore it completely.

Now, write down which of these traits is true in your case.

The model of self-responsibility

The model of self-responsibility is the opposite of the role of victim, it implies honoring life, and is connected with the body of light.

The way to achieve it is:

– Acknowledging:
“I’m scared, angry, sad, excited, enthused, attracted by…”
– Localizing:
Realizing in what part of the body is exactly localized the sensation.
– Permitting:
Moving oneself, shaking oneself, stretching, emitting sounds…
– Intensifying:
Amplifying to the greatest possible degree what one feels.
– Breathing…

Exercise For Dissolving The Pain Body

Here are three ways to observe and dissolve the pain-body:

                          1. Watch out for any sign of unhappiness in yourself in whatever form—it may be the awakening pain-body. This can take the form of irritation, impatience, a somber mood, a desire to hurt, anger, rage, depression, a need to have some drama in your relationship and so on. Catch the pain-body the moment it awakens from its dormant stage.

                          2. Observe the resistance within yourself. Observe the attachment to your pain. Be very alert. Observe the peculiar pleasure you derive from being unhappy. Observe the compulsion to talk or think about it. The resistance will cease if you make it conscious.

                          3. Focus attention on the negative feeling inside you. Know that it is the pain-body. Accept that it is there. Don’t think about it—don’t let the feeling turn into thinking. Don’t judge yourself out of it. Stay present, and continue to be the observer of what is happening inside you.

  Sit comfortably and quietly. Let your body rest easily. Breathe gently. Let go of your thoughts, past and future, memories and plans. Just be present. Begin to let your own precious body reveal the places that most need healing.

Allow the physical pains, tension, disease, or wounds to show themselves. Bring a careful and kind attention to these painful places. Slowly and carefully feel their physical energy. Notice what is deep inside them, the pulsations, throbbing, tension, needles, fear, contraction, aching, that make up what we call pain. Allow these all to be felt fully, to be held in a receptive and kind attention. Then, be aware of the surrounding area of your body. If there is contraction and holding, notice this gently. Breathe softly and let it open.

In the same way, be aware of any aversion or resistance in your mind. Notice the thoughts and fears that accompany the pain you are exploring:
“It will never go away.”
“I can’t stand it.”
“I don’t deserve this.”
“It is too hard, too much trouble, too deep,” etc.

Let these thoughts rest in your kind attention for a time. Then gently return to your physical body. Let your awareness be deeper and more allowing now. Again, feel the layers of the place of pain, and allow each layer that opens to move, to intensify, or dissolve in its own time. Bring your attention to the pain as if you were gently comforting a child, holding it all in a loving and soothing attention. Breathe softly into it, accepting all that is present with a healing kindness.

Continue this meditation until you feel reconnected with whatever part of your body calls you, until you feel at peace.

 When a feeling or thought arises, your intention should not be to chase it away, hate it, worry about it, or be frightened by it. So what exactly should you be doing concerning such thoughts and feelings? Simply acknowledge their presence.

For example, when a feeling of sadness arises, immediately recognize it: “A feeling of sadness has just arisen in me.” If the feeling of sadness continues, continue to recognize: “A feeling of sadness is still in me.” If there is a thought like, “It’s late but the neighbors are surely making a lot of noise,” recognize that the thought has arisen. If the thought continues to exist, continue to recognize it. If a different feeling or thought arises, recognize it in the same manner.

The essential thing is not to let any feeling or thought arise without recognizing it in mindfulness, like a palace guard who is aware of every face that passes through the front corridor. If there are no feelings or thoughts present, then recognize that there are no feelings or thoughts present. Practicing like this is to become mindful of your feelings and thoughts. You will soon arrive at taking hold of your mind.

Namaste’ G.