When a reporter asked HH the Dalai Lama how he was able to stay so cheerful and free of resentment towards the Chinese, who stole his homeland and killed thousands of his people, His Holiness said, “They have taken everything from us, should I let them take my mind as well?”
I was asked recently, “Given how much violence and political unrest has increased in our society, isn’t it healthy to fear for my child’s safety?” The welfare of our children is a compelling natural concern for almost all living beings – not just human beings.
In this series of 4 webinars, you’ll learn powerful techniques for transforming moments of fear and anxiety into skillful action to benefit yourself and others. We focus on an event (such as a pandemic or illness) as though it’s a static thing.
In this recorded webinar with transpersonal hypnotherapist Jack Elias and breath coach Alan Dolan, you will learn 4 ways to shift quickly out of fear and into skillful, compassionate action.
Getting stuck in anxious energy and busyness, but getting nowhere. Does this sound familiar? I call it "running in place," and it's a sure sign that I’ve stopped giving myself love and compassion. When you notice yourself doing this, don’t think, “I have to stop this.” Instead, think, “Oh! I'm running-in-place! I must be denying myself love and compassion.” Then if you like, you can put your hand to your heart as you do in the Hands Over Heart Technique I mentioned in this earlier post. . . .
Thinking of you all with prayers and love. Everything has changed! We’re all being challenged by the sudden appearance of this pandemic and all it brings with it.
Meditation on impermanence and death is a profoundly helpful practice when done properly, without a “poor me” mentality. Looking directly at the impermanence and fragility of life can save us from arrogance, the numbing effects of an attitude of entitlement, and from greed, all of which depend on holding onto the notion that we are immortal and that our ”stuff” is permanent.
Developing mindfulness and awareness during a crisis can be like riding whitewater rapids. It’s easy to talk about, but actually doing it requires inner strength, stamina, and a firm resolve.
If we are accustomed to living a "good life" of relative privilege, we can tend to be ashamed that we're afraid of epidemics, terrorism, and climate change. This unfortunate combination of feelings makes it difficult to develop a good course of action.
A big part of the transformational process is challenging negative self talk (mean and nasty internal dialogue). Again and again we need to look at, see, and then cut through the roots and causes of self hatred.