True Balance Life Coaching

“Trying to push away our emotional distress can throw us into “cognitive shock” that turns our mind into a muddle.”

- Ezra Bayda

I recently read a great article by Ezra Bayda and simply had to share it with you.

The message in this piece is that it is absolutely fundamental for us to realize that difficult situations and feelings are our opportunity to awaken into a more genuine way of being.  No matter how much we try to avoid things that are unpleasant, we simply must experience the darkness in order to live in the light.

Here are five  questions to cut through anxiety and emotional distress and help you remove your self-imposed prison walls and move forward on your path of clarity.

When your energy is dark and frantic,  ask yourself five key questions:

1. What is going on Right Now?

- Honestly acknowledge the situation you are experiencing. Define your experience from a place of greater height. How does the situation look if you gently rise up above it, changing your perspective by looking at the issue from a macro point of view.

2. Can I see this as My Path?

-Difficult situations help us see our true path and how we can help ourselves and others. Will this experience inform your future? How can you use life’s letdowns as a guide or path to understanding?

3. What is my most Believed Thought

- Take a snapshot of your mind and uncover your deep-seated beliefs. What thoughts continue to surface for you?  Ezra describes this as taking a snapshot of your mind. This inquiry will help you uncover limiting thoughts that you may have been carrying around for years.

4. What is This?

- Be still and ask the question, What is this? Then notice how you feel. Check in with your physical being; face, chest, stomach, posture.  When I find myself triggered, I notice a tightness of breath and a heightened skin-crawling electrical current. Fight or fight kicks in gear. Thankfully, I am learning how to be with the emotion and witness my physical energy.

5. Can I let this Experience Just Be?

- It’s more painful to try to push what you are feeling away to comfort yourself than it is to BE with the experience, learn from the experience and let it pass. This is the quickest way to release the hook of the trigger.

Ezra reminds us that these questions are just pointers to help us understand the bigger picture and uncover the core of our self-imposed anger, fear and confusion.

• How have learned to release the hook of an emotional trigger?

• Do you have a story about being with your discomfort? What happened?

Read the entire article in the July issue of Shambhala Sun.