Reclaim Your Life Through This Simple Practice

A few nights ago, I was completely overwhelmed.

Between a partner that’s been recovering from surgery, being a mom, launching a new program and other clients with looming deadlines, I was feeling the pressure. I momentarily reverted back to the ‘go, go, go’ mentality. The one that completely drains my creative energy and vitality while I work myself into the ground.

I used to go months at a time like this, but now I catch it within a couple of days. A mantra that I often repeat when I get caught up in this mindset is:

I am not this body, I am not even this mind.

It grounds me back into my chosen reality, beyond stress and emotions. It reminds me that I am worthy exactly as I am right now and I don’t have to do anything to prove it.

NAVIGATING THE MIND

Socrates said, "The unexamined life is not worth living," and that involves examining your mind. The mind can be a tricky place, it’s easy to get really attached to incredibly ridiculous thoughts. Our thoughts can be so convincing sometimes and they come packed with plenty of seemingly sound evidence.

Thoughts may arise in you, but you are not your thoughts.

It’s like the ocean. Within it are tons of sea creatures, plants, pollution, humans and boats but they are only IN the ocean. They are not the ocean…

So it is with your thoughts, they are just passing through. If you consciously choose not to attach to them, they too will pass. Some are incredibly important and keep us safe while others are nonsensical. Have you been able to make this distinction yet??

It’s challenging when you’ve lived your entire life identifying and being driven by your thoughts to awaken to the fact that you are so much more than that. I remember the first time I became aware that within my mind was a “thinker” just running all over the place.

Almost 8 years ago, I was sitting in a park reading Eckhart Tolle’s book, The Power of Now when a particular passage instructed me to pause and witness my thoughts. I had by this point already been introduced to Buddhism, Ram Dass and meditation - and in this moment, it all clicked. A thought would enter into my mind and I focused on not latching on to it. I imagined it to be a cloud and after a while it floated out of my mind's eye.?

As I continued to practice this over the next few weeks, I noticed in my meditations that there was another clear, distinct voice that would come through when I would find stillness in my mind. And when I would act on whatever this voice was guiding me to do, things would work out almost effortlessly. Learning to distinguish between these two distinct voices is an important piece of The Dying Project.

HIGHER SELF AND SMALL SELF

The fourth phase of The Dying Project is a process of reclaiming the spirit. This doesn’t necessarily have to do with religion or the metaphysical (although it can if you choose), rather it has to do with our fundamental psychological needs as humans. We all have a desire to become our true, unique selves, to be accepted as such and for our lives to have meaning. And part of this process involves integrating your ego or small self within your true or Higher Self.

The small self is also referred to as the ego or the "monkey mind". It is everything that has been poured on top of you from the moment you were born, your conditioning, cultural and social influence, and maybe even trauma. The small self’s primary job is to keep you safe and it has your whole lifetime of data to point to why you should do the things it’s telling you to do.

The Higher Self is You, beyond everything that has been poured on top from birth. It’s the true you, beyond labels, roles, identity and ego.

RECLAIMING WITH YOUR 'SPIRIT'

You can begin to distinguish between the small self and the Higher Self through meditation or deep concentration.?

Sit comfortably with your eyes closed and start noticing your thoughts without attaching to them, just visualize them as clouds floating by. Not attaching means, acknowledging the thoughts and feelings are there but not tacking on things like; I feel this way because...I am thinking this because they did that. Continue this while you begin to feel into the stillness that already exists in your mind and take a seat right in the stillest place (in your mind’s eye). As more thoughts float through, just take note.?It could sound like, ah there frustration is...there's jealousy popping up...oh there's that fear. Just let them be.

The small self is reactive and these thoughts tend to feel more concentrated in your head. It tells you everything is urgent and while you’re sitting there it’s thinking of the fifty other things you should be doing. It wants you out of the stillness by any means necessary and attempts to by inundating you with opinions and judgments. It will convince you that that itch must be scratched or that your foot will be rendered useless forevermore if you continue to sit in that position. Sit in the stillness a little more, until…

These thoughts begin to lessen and stillness expands.?

The Higher Self is the cool, calm and collected observer just watching it all unfold. It doesn’t feel the need to interject constantly, only when necessary or when asked. Otherwise, it just witnesses and loves it all beyond judgment and opinion. When you’re tuned into your Higher Self, it doesn’t come through like thoughts but rather like a deep knowing that emanates through your entire being and outwards into the surrounding energetic field.

If it sounds too "woo" to be true, try it and let me know what comes of it.

Last call to join The Dying Project! There may be a space or two available - payment pending. You can learn more below!

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The Dying Project is a 12-week intensive designed to help you go from feeling stuck to being deeply empowered and alive.

This is for you if, you’re ready to:

? Stop giving your time and energy to a draining situation, relationship or job

?? Start prioritizing the people, places and things that mean the most to you

?? Move beyond your regrets and make peace with your mortality

Life is short, so if you're ready to start living it more intentionally, I would LOVE for you to join this experiment! It begins on 2/22/22, so head HERE for more information and to sign up - there are only a few spots available.