The Practice
This Practice is the heartbeat of my work. You will find it beating in my articles, in my sessions and my workshops.
It is transforming my life and the life of people I work with every day.
It will transform yours in very surprising, creative and intelligent ways!
The practice is simple but not necessarily easy at first. To the mind it can appear counter-intuitive.
It only takes 5 to 7 minutes. Find out for yourself.
Sit comfortably and focus on and aspect of your life that seems problematic. I recommend to practice with a smallish problem at first.
Step № 1:
Take a moment to slow down and feel
Your mind is like problem solving computer. When a problem shows up the mind is immediately looking for possible solutions and ways out. In order to do that it speeds up and will usually find multiple options. This is a great asset for practical problems. Unfortunately, for most other problems it doesn’t work well. Usually the different options begin repeating themselves in your head and start circling like a broken record.
Taking a moment to slow down your thinking and instead feel what you feel, will stop your automatic “solution finding program”.
Step № 2:
Stay present with your experience
The next step is to put your attention on your experience at this moment. Ask yourself: "What am I feeling?" and stay present with the feeling, no matter what.
Important: ask “WHAT am I feeling“ not “WHY am I feeling what I am feeling". The question “Why” will start the solution finding engine again. The question “What” will start a different exploration. "What do I feel in this moment?" Notice where in your body you are feeling the feeling.( I.e. tense shoulders, sharp pain in stomach, numbness in heart area etc.)
Step № 3:
Feel the different sensations in your body
Now that you have become present with what you are feeling in your body, resist the tendency to find a solution to change these sensations. Instead, give them room to be exactly as they are. This will feel counter-intuitive. Your inner voice might shout something along the lines: “What?! You are not looking for a solution?! Are you crazy?! This is uncomfortable! It hurts! You need to find a solution quickly!!” And you will quietly say: “No, let’s just be with this, right now. We can always look for a solution later”. And no matter how uncomfortable it gets, stay present with the sensations you are feeling. Give them room to be. Notice that there is lots of room for even the most uncomfortable ones to be just as they are.
Step № 4:
Watch your sensations transform
The most surprising thing will happen now. No matter how uncomfortable or painful your physical sensations are, they will not stay the same. They will shift, usually within 90 seconds. Sometimes they shift towards more tension first, just to test if you will indeed give them room to be, no matter what. Even if the sensations intensify at first, or if it seems that they will NEVER change and you will be uncomfortable for EVER, give that room to be. Do not attempt to change anything. Just be present. Let them be the way they want to be. At the same time give them room to transform if they want to. But don't guide them towards that. Let them find their own ways. Notice shifts if they occur.
Step № 5:
Be open for a surprise
This you can only experience. You cannot think it up. Within about 90 seconds every feeling/sensation you experience fully will shift. And it will do that in most creative and intelligent ways. If you don’t go into an automatic freeze, fight or flight motion when a stressful feeling arises, a different part of the brain gets activated. New neurological pathway get created. Experience what these pathways are for you. For most people the space to an inner feeling of freedom and peace will open up. A gratitude will arise, as if Spirit, God, Essence was saying: “Thank you for not manipulating. Thank you for trusting yourself!”
