"Zen is Clarification..." Author & Mystic, Manly P. Hall (The Secret Teaching of All Ages)
How to Detach From Negativity
This blog will deal with taking a complex subject like "Facing the Music" or dealing with the harsh realities of life and provide a simple Zen Solution called Detachment. Here's a concrete example. The other night, hearing the rain pounding down hard brought both delight and dread. The sheer joy of splashing in puddles and dancing in the rain always makes my heart sing. Yet, on the other hand, grabbing buckets and bailing rainwater from our flooded garage and patio was devastating. In exercising detachment from the outcome, I saw that everything that was destroyed is gone. Yet the peace of mind that the rain storm subsided brought immense gratitude. In this contrast lies the acceptance of what is, is.
In Yoga, the Sanskrit word, Swadhisthana is the second chakra. In Zen and the Martial Arts, it is called the Hara. Located about 2 inch below your navel, your second chakra is responsible for centered control, balance and bubbling energy. It houses all your feelings. Water is the element associated with emotion (energy in motion). Consider, Bruce Lee's wisdom "Be like water..." water takes the shape of whatever vessel it is in. It adapts to any situation.
The previous blog goes into more depth regarding the Black Swan (our shadow) and White Swan (virtuous side) and living in harmony between both sides. In Sanskrit, priya is the word for freedom which means being in a state of love. Freedom is possible through holding your intention to choose being a non judgmental (friendly) observer and completely accepting whatever you are feeling. You detach from negativity by allowing fearful thoughts and emotions to flow through your mind and body without letting them throw you off center. In western culture, processing our negative emotions as an inner compass to feel=heal and return to our true self has not been popular until the last century. With groundbreaking research on East meets West Teachings, Energy Medicine, and Positive Psychology, the future looks promising.
In Yoga, the Sanskrit word, Swadhisthana is the second chakra. In Zen and the Martial Arts, it is called the Hara. Located about 2 inch below your navel, your second chakra is responsible for centered control, balance and bubbling energy. It houses all your feelings. Water is the element associated with emotion (energy in motion). Consider, Bruce Lee's wisdom "Be like water..." water takes the shape of whatever vessel it is in. It adapts to any situation.
The previous blog goes into more depth regarding the Black Swan (our shadow) and White Swan (virtuous side) and living in harmony between both sides. In Sanskrit, priya is the word for freedom which means being in a state of love. Freedom is possible through holding your intention to choose being a non judgmental (friendly) observer and completely accepting whatever you are feeling. You detach from negativity by allowing fearful thoughts and emotions to flow through your mind and body without letting them throw you off center. In western culture, processing our negative emotions as an inner compass to feel=heal and return to our true self has not been popular until the last century. With groundbreaking research on East meets West Teachings, Energy Medicine, and Positive Psychology, the future looks promising.
Inspirational Recipe Quote; "A confused mind cannot understand simplicity." Inspired from A Course in Miracles, Best-selling Author, Gerald G. Jampolsky MD of "Love is letting Go of Fear"
My intent is to give you the support you've been asking for and show you how to activate your own self supporting power. These zen tools will help you directly experience for yourself being Centered in the moment. In the present moment, your breath anchor has a chance to ground you to taste Serenity Now. You will be gently guided to remind yourself to re-focus on your purpose with presence and passion. Spinning, with anxiety into the future with an attachment to outcome, can keep us stuck. When we have past regrets our minds get polluted with blame, shame and guilt. Right nowness, is where comfort and joy is patiently waiting to welcome you Home Sweet Shalom to a clear mind peaceful heart.
Here we go. In One Breath, let's glow with the flow: Exhale, Whooosh (pressing your zen button) to relax and reset diaphragm~with comfortable upright posture. (Mental Fitness gives you the right know how to be upright in total command of your body soul instrument)
(Pixie Pause for Peace)
Exhale: Long Breath Out~ Soften your chest and start to feel the core tightening up (roots of self support) as you lighten up (wings) with the deep cleansing action of exhaling impurities, stress, and unwanted tension.
Zenjoy finding balance (do be do be do) in the dance of life. With your bite-size sweetsalt taste, you can take One Healing ♡Heart Step ♥ at a time to transform and reach wholeness.❧
Take a moment to visualize a stressful situation; perhaps a relationship issue, or turbulence at home or work. As I like to say, DGMS (don't get me started). The ego (Edging Goodness Out) part of our minds can become a toxic critic, inviting the monsters in the cupboard (my new favorite expression) to keep our minds spinning with distraction and doubt into depression. When we listen to this constant monkey mind chatter, we get disconnected from our Loving Source or Divine Love and find ourselves out of Integrity. Surely a sign that we are off center is when we find it difficult to keep our word to ourselves and to others.
My intent is to give you the support you've been asking for and show you how to activate your own self supporting power. These zen tools will help you directly experience for yourself being Centered in the moment. In the present moment, your breath anchor has a chance to ground you to taste Serenity Now. You will be gently guided to remind yourself to re-focus on your purpose with presence and passion. Spinning, with anxiety into the future with an attachment to outcome, can keep us stuck. When we have past regrets our minds get polluted with blame, shame and guilt. Right nowness, is where comfort and joy is patiently waiting to welcome you Home Sweet Shalom to a clear mind peaceful heart.
Zen Pointer: Let's connect the dots between your spiritual being having a physical experience of doing the right steps with the right know how.
In the spirit of FunZen: "Fundamentals are the building blocks of fun."
Mikhail Baryshnikov (in photo Mikhail and Gelsey Kirkland)
Inner Swan Lake, 2nd Heart Step: Emotional Detachment from Negativity
In this moment, smile. Close your eyes (when you can). Soften and center up between your eyebrows. Simply visualize yourself becoming Water. Now, emotional baggage and stress can pass right through you from top to toe.
Remember to remember your self supporting power and roots
of "love and trust thyself" are found in your Hara (2nd chakra). Serene strength lies in the power to go with the flow, moment to moment, allowing negativity or difficulties to pass through us harmlessly.
Inspirational Recipe: In One Bite,~ Swan Lake Cake Pops (repeat one breath at a time as often as you wish)
Inspirational Recipe: In One Bite,~ Swan Lake Cake Pops (repeat one breath at a time as often as you wish)Here we go. In One Breath, let's glow with the flow: Exhale, Whooosh (pressing your zen button) to relax and reset diaphragm~with comfortable upright posture. (Mental Fitness gives you the right know how to be upright in total command of your body soul instrument)
Inhale: Deep blue ocean breath, Catching the wave. Let it rise gradually from your core cradle (hara) to your heart center ❤.
(Pixie Pause for Peace)
Exhale: Long Breath Out~ Soften your chest and start to feel the core tightening up (roots of self support) as you lighten up (wings) with the deep cleansing action of exhaling impurities, stress, and unwanted tension.After you Exhale completely, rest in the thought free space between the notes.
Ahhhhh ♪ Musical ♫ Pause ♬ Let it Be
Zenjoy finding balance (do be do be do) in the dance of life. With your bite-size sweetsalt taste, you can take One Healing ♡Heart Step ♥ at a time to transform and reach wholeness.❧
Grace says "Kid Friendly FunZen is Awesome to Celebrate Daily." Please Join us in the Soiree (celebration) of spreading these ideas that I hope are worth sharing on your part.
Mental Fitness (Foreword by Leonard Cohen) is available: Amazon, Bodhi Tree Books , or contact me for Complimentary autographed copy and free gift (up to 22 minutes) telecoaching session by mentioning you read this blog "Free your Inner Swan"
FunZen Girls OX
Michiko (lil mama) and Grace:
Twitter: @Zenmommie Email: mjrolek@aol.com
I teach Kids FunZen and train Parents to be Mindful.
This is an AWESOME BLOG. To learn how to be detached in a loving way (the observer) and know when you need to participate. With your incredible tools, one can be at peace inside so when we do loose "things" we ultimetly know that we can replace them. What is harder to replace is that state of inner peace. That is why it is so important to have tools already in place so when something does happen you can observe and know it is all good. You teach that in your blogs and your book MENTAL FITNESS. DGMS. I LOVE YOU. We are one indeed. Teacher/Friend/Sister thank you for sharing this much need knowledge for all to soak up.
ReplyDeleteI love those delicious Swan Lake Cake Pops, but seriously,detachment seemed like pie in the sky advice. And now, I can taste the reality of how to actually apply it. Thanks for bite-size practical spirituality.
ReplyDeleteWhere have you girls been? Just found you and feel blessed, and bold enough to share that from reading about freeing my inner swan, I've lost fear and gained more self love and understanding. Thank you!
ReplyDelete♥ More Beauty from you, Michiko! ♥ Home Sweet Shalom! I Love it! ♥ Om shanti, ~ Julie
ReplyDeleteI love your post and as usual, great quotes, metaphors and spiritual principles. Having an understanding of brain science really helps with detaching one's ego from external distractions. (When you understand how to apply the science information, that is). I have a way of helping people to engage the logical mind, which is the physiologic "home" of the ego so that ego can begin to take its right place - as servant to the intuitive, inspired genius mind within us from our True Self. Ego is not evil, it's just that until now, we had no "proof" to understand how we wire our own brain and we are generally still very much so, unconscious of how we are setting our ego "mental me" self up for self-destructive fear and worry. One way is by focusing all too often on what we DON'T want instead of what we can be grateful for. I like to also think of EGO as Enormous Growth Opportunity in that when we learn to have compassion for ourselves, we can take the lessons from an ego that is wounded and transform it into wisdom from powerful life lessons. We can go from fear to love....in fact, love is always within, we were just blinded by "cataracts of the soul" which are mental "blind spots" or mispercetiions in the Mind's Eye. So, having a logical understanding of mind and reconnecting back with the wisdom of the heart, we can unite the two (mind with heart) instead of living the "war within". Peace is an inside job and then we see it in our outer world and find it easier to detach, just as you say. Blessings!
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