Anger is always the soul calling us. Either it is identifying to us - through our experience of pain and betrayal - where a boundary needs to be created to repair and thus to preserve our integrity. Or it is identifying to us pro-actively - through evoking our anger or even our rage prior to a potential boundary breaching event - that a boundary we have in place is non-negotiable. Or - our anger, one of our most valuable inner Continue Reading
The Faces of Anger
There are many faces of anger. Just like the Inuit who have some twenty-two words to describe the subtleties and nuances of what we call 'snow', there are many shades of anger. Let's explore some of these - to unmask them, shifting us into power - our ability to navigate our way through them and into greater joy. Frustration, irritation, edginess, resentment, passive aggressiveness, impatience, cynicism, sarcasm, pointed jokes, withdrawal, Continue Reading
What are Boundaries? – Part Two
Healthy boundaries arise from the level of our instinct. They are our deeper wisdom's way of telling us what we need to do or say in order to preserve our well-being. As humans we spend a lot of time and resources creating and maintaining boundaries toward others and toward nature. We spend relatively little time and resources setting inner boundaries toward ourselves. It is the latter kind of boundary that hones our maturity - Continue Reading
What are Boundaries? – Part One
Boundaries are the mechanisms via which we protect and enhance our integrity. It is easy for us to comprehend physical boundaries. We understand and we accept that fences are erected to keep dogs out of gardens and children in safe playgrounds. Longitudinal and latitudinal check points are maintained at roads and at ports to defend countries and to maintain their perceived sovereignty. We keep liquids that are poisonous locked away from Continue Reading
How to Use the ‘Map of Emotions’ – The Practice
____________ This is a practice. Just like any great artist or athlete, mastery arises through practice. ____________ This is a practice. Just like a great artist or athlete, mastery comes through practice. Every time you feel miserable, take a 'time out' to begin at Step 1 and work your way through to Step 4 or 5, whichever is appropriate for you. The more often you practice these simple Steps, you will personally gain an Continue Reading
How to Use the ‘Map of Emotions’
As you practice recognizing the emotions in you - just like a musician practices musical scales and an artist practices mixing paint - you can begin to use this awareness in an empowering, life-changing way. You are no longer at the whim of whatever emotion arises in you. You can determine what you feel, and when. Why is this so valuable? Because what we are feeling emotionally is a direct reflection of what we are thinking. And Continue Reading
The ‘Map of Emotions’ – #17 – Being / Is / Enlightenment
Enlightenment is a word more and more frequently used in our society. For many of us who 'contemplate it', we assume that it is an endpoint. In fact, it is a doorway. Through the doorway of enlightenment we access realms of experience - and of consciousness - that we can barely dream of now. Enlightenment is the beginning of our rediscovering - who we truly are. For a brief instant, step into the energy field of enlightenment - of just Continue Reading
The ‘Map of Emotions’ – #16 – Peace
Peace is a state of being. We use it so freely as a word - in contrast to war, to upheaval, to unrest. Yet so few of us have 'tasted' it. For a brief instant, step into the energy field of peace. Memories may flash in you, like snapshots on a movie screen. You may feel sensations in your body or hear inner voices. Notice how your body responds. How does it feel? How does your heart feel? What do you notice about your breath? Be Continue Reading
The ‘Map of Emotions’ – #14 – Love
Love is an energy field. As humans we get caught in an 'idea' of love. We think we know what it is. What we typically deem 'love' is a fleeting moment of good feeling dependent on an outside source. True love - the energy field - is a radiant glow. It holds us in its warmth. It nourishes us. It reminds us, eternally, of who we really are. Love feeds our spirit. It is the beginning of our living as a spirit … in form. For a brief Continue Reading
The ‘Map of Emotions’ – #12 – Acceptance
Acceptance is the end of suffering. It is the final stage in grieving. It is the readiness to move on. When we are in acceptance we are out of control - out of our attempt to dominate our own outcome. The energy field of acceptance - just like all of the human emotions on this 'map' - is far more vast than the word suggests. When we are in acceptance, we are in a state of trust. We are in a state of willingness to participate and do Continue Reading