Do you have an issue in your body or your life that has been affecting you recently? I would imagine that there aren’t too many of us out there who don’t have any problems at all. I have noticed a tendency for myself that when I have something that’s bothering me, either physically or emotionally, that I tend to tighten or clench around that area. Many times the sensation I feel in my body mirrors another larger experience that’s going on in my life. If I am closing down my emotions, I’ll experience heartburn. If I’m not incorporating lessons from my life into my daily routine, than I may experience indigestion.
Recently, I remembered a technique that I learned a few years ago when I took a class in Tai Chi. Tai Chi was originally developed as a martial art, but has been found to have great health benefits because of its ability to move energy through our bodies and relieve stress. The technique I learned was called “dissolving.” The basic idea of dissolving is to mentally scan your body for any area where you might be holding tension. Then you focus your attention on that area, breathing into it and imagining the tension being a piece of ice. As you bring more awareness to the area, you can actually feel the tension changing state… from ice into water and then from water into steam, at which point you can release it from your body.
If you agree that these physical issues can be representations of other larger things going on around you, then you can see that the technique of dissolving can be applied to almost anything that is happening in your life. Rather than shutting down and ignoring the unresolved issues (one of my personal favorites…), try breathing into the issue and facing it head on. While at first at may seem intimidating, the rewards are tremendous on many levels. By opening up to the problem and viewing it as a potential for growth, you may find new approaches for resolving the issue and the person or situation that has been causing you the most stress may end up being the one to teach you the most about yourself and about life.
In song,
Todd
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1 comment:
Thank you Todd! I always love getting your emails, and I realize I have never taken the opportunity to tell you. You seem to say the right things just when they are needed. I was blessed enough to hear you at CVCRS a few years ago. I bought your CD and have been getting your emails ever since.
Thank you again for being a lovely presence in the world.
(I watched your Oakland A's vid, great job!!!)
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