In this three-part feature, we will discuss methods of Self-Therapy from the 3 planes of human existence: Spirit, Mind, & Body [Part I: Weighing Our Spirit]
Now that you have conquered the first mountain—a willingness to seek guidance—you can move down to the level of the mind. In your mind, candidly tell yourself your symptom of focus, and then pause.
Ex. (In your mind) – “I eat too much food for my body to be as healthy as I would like.”
Ex. (In your mind) – “I over-think situations in my life to a point of negativity and fear.”
It is important not just to accept that you have the symptom, but also to acknowledge the positivity you are forfeiting to it. In other words, you must explain to yourself why you feel it is a symptom. For each person, there is the “common” reason, that is, the larger (perhaps social) one, but you must acknowledge what makes it a symptom for you individually. For example:
Common reason– Eating too much is unhealthy because being overweight carries health complications.
Individual reason– Eating too much is a symptom for me because I love swimming and can’t excel at it if I am overweight.
or
Common reason– Smoking is unhealthy because it can cause cancer.
Individual reason– Smoking is a symptom for me because it will keep me from playing baseball with my son.
We often have other influences, other people telling us what they believe our symptoms are. Phrases like, “Your problem is that you…” or “Why do you always have to…” are ways others tell us their beliefs about their own behavior. This communication can be healthy if it is done without negative, judgmental language but for self-therapy you must be sure that you are tackling a symptom you feel you have, not one that you are only addressing because others have told you that you have it. If someone says, “You’re way too forgiving of people,” but you don’t feel that being empathetic to this degree is a symptom for you, don’t decide to tackle it. Perhaps they are pointing it out so that you can locate the deeper or related symptom that makes sense to you. Perhaps hearing it will help you discover that your real symptom is that you lack self-worth as a result of being abused by a parent or friend. While others are always judging us, we must not confuse their judgements with our own understanding of the path we are on.
Now that you’ve concretized the problem (e.g. overeating, smoking), you have also recognized two essential elements:
1. The issue can be addressed in a way that is TANGIBLE; productivity is possible.
2. The issue can be understood outside the context of your Self, as part of a collective human experience.
Connecting your symptom to a greater energy than your own may seem like it is distancing you from personal responsibility or ownership, however, the opposite is most often true. By understanding the context of our issue outside of our ‘self,’ we can, in essence, make our mind up more clearly and translate this energy through our body. This approach has a much stronger basis for success, since it is much different from making up one’s mind with the body first. Leading first with the body is often unsuccessful because we neglect to acknowledge the essential progression from the universe down to our Self.
Whether or not we are aware, when we’re able to follow through with a positive choice, it is because we have actually prepared ourselves spiritually and mindfully first.
Think of an occasion in which you persevered with a positive choice— no matter how minor it may have seemed at the time.
Ex. I finally decided to lose weight and lost twenty pounds over the summer.
Ex. I joined a volunteer group because my friend said it changed her life.
What was the highest reason, the most profound reason, that you were able to succeed in your decision? If another person or group of people were involved, how did their energy influence you?
Exploring our symptom(s) from a higher level in order to engage with it productively is not the same thing as praying for a resolution to occur. In mainstream culture, people often confuse seeking spiritual guidance with praying for an outcome. Petitionary prayer, as this concept has been called, is more often an exercise in ego than insight. By praying for something to happen, we are trying to take control of the universe for our purposes rather than allowing the universe to guide us. Often, what we think we want isn’t what will help us to evolve, nor will it enable us to influence others as we’re meant.
The key to accepting guidance from the universe is to understand that it will not usually come in the form we expect. Often we begin to resolve a symptom in reaction to circumstances we never planned on. The universe has initiated these circumstances for us and it is up to us to practice mindfulness of the influences involved.
First published on Adam’s blog, Paranormalyte, on December 21, 2013.