Monday, July 9, 2012

The following exercise was developed by Carol Sue Flowers.  It is a way to sit with your emotional pain and gently shift it.  I think I love the practice of loving yourself through the emotions the best.  So often, we are faced with negativity and we turn against ourselves for not being able to be more sattvic or pure in your thoughts.  Give it a try.  It works.  Om Shanti,  Pamela

 

WHAT TO DO WHEN EMOTIONAL PAIN ARISES

Fundamentally, emotions are “energy in motion”.  Energy cannot be destroyed, but it can be shifted and changed. Therefore, emotions can be shifted and changed. The Emotional Clearing Formula was designed to assist you in this process. Negative emotional pain can arise at any time in our lives… having the tools to support you can be invaluable. Intend that deep emotional release happens at an appropriate time when you are able to consciously work through it.


Catch it Early ~ Stay Conscious ~ Breathe Deeply

Be aware of negative emotional reactions early ~ the longer you allow them to dominate you unconsciously, the longer it may take to clear them. Notice and stay aware of what you’re feeling ~ but don’t “become” the feeling.  Be the “Witness” or “Objective Observer” of the feelings. Breathe deeply into the feeling. Practice becoming more aware of what you are really feeling each day.

Remember Who You Are ~ Breathe Deeply

Remember you are a God-Being. You are most essentially a being of Love and Truth.  You are an eternal being, experiencing the limitations of a 3 dimensional world which include emotions. Say out loud:  “I AM THAT I AM”   “I AM LOVE”  “I AM GOOD” or something similar.  Claim your Divinity no matter how terrible you may be feeling in the moment.

Love Yourself in Spite of the Things You Are Feeling ~ Never Betray Yourself

Self love may be difficult to feel in the midst of acute negative emotions.  Self-hate is likely to arise. Do not surrender into it.  Even if you can’t “feel” self-love in the moment, at least intend that you are moving in that direction. Never judge yourself or your feelings! Accepting the feeling is the first step to changing it.

Acknowledge and Honor the Emotions ~ Breathe Deeply through Them

Allow yourself to feel and acknowledge as completely as possible, the grief, anger, fear etc. (but don’t get stuck in the feelings ~ shift the energy as quickly as possible ~ this may be difficult at first, but will become easier with practice). Breathe through and out your heart-center. Remain the “Witness” as you speak to your emotional body by saying statements such as:  “I see you have a lot of sadness”.  Have great compassion for yourself. Remember ~ you are not these emotions ~ they are stuck energy patterns that can be shifted and changed.

Do Something to Shift the Energy ~ Breathe through Your Heart-Center


Continue to breathe deeply through your heart-center. Do one or more of the following:  Use healing art: such as the StarGlyphs cards (Pam, Please add in here the location on your site where they can see the sample Star-Glyph deck), color or draw.  Move the body: dance, shake, run.  Use the voice: sing, chant mantras, scream, LAUGH. Try anything to shift the energy. Remember it is very important that you stay conscious through the process.

Ask for Complete Clearing and Assistance

Call upon the Creator of Love. Specifically ask for help. Ask for complete clearing of the emotions back to the original cause. Sincerely say, “Beloved Creator, please send help, please clear this”.

Acknowledge the Underlying Cause of the Emotion

When you feel calm and relaxed, ask yourself what was the triggering event or the underlying false belief that caused this emotional pattern. Often there are sub-conscious beliefs that need to be changed.  Seek out a trained counselor or other practitioner who specializes in this type of work.

Rest and Nurture Yourself

After the emotions quiet and shift, practice self-care and self compassion. Take a hot bath with sea salt and baking soda.  Find a way to “treat” yourself. Watch an uplifting movie, eat ice cream or get a full body massage. Always love yourself deeply. Don’t get caught in your own drama ~ don’t take it all too seriously, no matter how terrible it may feel in the moment.


The Emotional Clearing Formula was developed by Carol Sue Flowers.

Carol holds a Bachelor of Science in Graphic Design from DAAP at the University of Cincinnati and a Divinity Diploma from the Unification Theological Seminary in New York.  Carol is certified as a 3rd Degree Practitioner in Traditional Japanese Reiki; Level 1 Teacher in Ipsalu Kriya Tantric Yoga; and an Axiatonal Energy Alignment Practitioner and Teacher.

Friday, July 6, 2012

Yoga Teacher Fail...

I will start this post with I'm Pitta, it's 100 degrees in Ohio and I have been getting up at 5 am for the past 3 weeks to teach a 6 am practice.  Now the fact that I am Pitta and it's 100 degrees in Ohio is out of my control.  I just have to literally melt into that. 

The fact that I chose to put a 6 am class on the schedule for a month is, well, insanity.  Why did I choose that choice?  Seriously, the morning hours are sacred to me.  This is when I choose to commune with Spirit. This is when I have my intimate moments and discussions with what is sacred to me. This is MY time and it's beyond sacred.  It's my date with God.  God expects I will show.  I expect God will show.

Teaching a practice and leading meditation is not the same as practicing and meditating.  To say the least...I'm going out of balance.  Okay, I am out of balance.  Pitta grrrrrrrrrr.

So why did I choose to do this?  EOM has a teacher training program.  My intent is to turn out some really powerful yoga teachers.  I know from being a teacher and from running a studio that has lots of teachers/instructors that if you do not have a personal practice of yoga and meditation, you will be a yoga instructor and not a yoga teacher, no matter what.  If you aren't walking the walk, you can't talk the talk.  I want to give my teachers in training the opportunity to establish their practice.  I want them to understand what I understand...the morning hours are sacred.

So, today when only 2 of my teachers in training showed up (and the numbers have been dwindling as the weeks have passed) I felt pretty bad.  I felt ineffective as a teacher and as a leader.  I felt that my ability to inspire must be diminished.  I felt depleted and just plain tired.  I also felt insane.  Why do I care so much about yoga?  Why is this desire to teach others so deep in me and so important?  After all, isn't this just yoga?  It's just yoga.  Right?

Once I returned home, I realized I needed a little renewal.  When I need uplifting, I find one of my teachers.  I searched for a lecture from Yogi Bhajan.  As Spirit would have it, I found just the right message.  Here's what Yogi Bhajan had to say about being a teacher of teachers:

"There is no relationship between a stone and a chisel and that is the relationship between student and a teacher.  A teacher has no investment in his own life and his environment and he has greatness except to create student of tomorrow. Teacher greatness is not how great teacher is, teacher greatness is not how watched he is, is not how happy and wealthy and how many people serve him and how many people adore him and how many people like him and how many people dislike him and how powerful he is. The only sense which makes to a teacher is will there be a teacher tomorrow that will be ten times better than me?  A student has to be ten times better than his teacher."

See you at 6!

Om Shanti,  Pamela