Life is energy in play and the more free flowing the energy is the more vibrant/whole you feel – pockets of energy which are suppressed, or “held”, within you become sources of resistance to the free flow of your life expression. It’s not even essential to know when you created these blocks of suppressed energy, neither is it essential to know why, as long as you are open to releasing it now. All that’s needed for the suppressed energy pockets to start getting released is for you to be open in your being, rather than being closed and fearful of allowing them in your consciousness. So in one sense, some amount of courage is needed to just be open to the release without really questioning, or over-analyzing, these energies as they come up to gets released.
These suppressed energies are what you generated within yourself, in unconsciousness (lack of awareness), in your past, when you faced some fears or hang ups – it’s not really important to understand why and when it happened, for all you know some of it could be the load of your past life-time (of your stream of consciousness). Investigating your past has inherently no value, and the only reason to release these suppressed energies is so that you can have a free movement now, in your present reality.
These energies when they get released can create thoughts that were associated with the creation of this energy, it may not be a clear recollection or a memory, and you don’t really need to analyze the thoughts or make them personal – just stay open and they will get released. The only reason people don’t allow this release is because they get scared of the unpleasantness this release can cause temporarily – emotional pain, anger, sexual energy, depression may be forms in which these suppressed energies come up (based on what you had suppressed).
Over-Analysis is of no use
The release happens much faster if you don’t sit analyzing it, but just stay open in your being towards allowing it. The mind can get concerned by this release, and it can interpret it negatively, and if you buy in to its fears you will try to “shut down” this release in some way or just add unnecessary resistance to it. So the best time to start allowing the release is when you’ve gained sufficient stability in your awareness so that you are not pulled in by your mind’s fears, where you don’t buy all the doubts and negative interpretations of your mind. It’s natural for the mind to avoid low feelings, and hence it will try to distract itself or suppress the release in some way and if you are totally lost in the mind, you will just follow the mind reactively. This is the reason why you need to develop some stability in your being (where you are not identified with the mind totally) before you can allow this release.
It’s normal for the body to sometimes feel a bit tired when this release happens, because the energy movement can be quite intense. You might even feel very restless and can have some sleepless nights, especially if there is a lot of energy getting released. I am only mentioning this so that you are not overly concerned by this, it’s normal and it’s no different than any “detox” that we go through. The deal is that the more you relax and the faster the release happens, so you might feel as if you are regressing and becoming more negative when in truth all that’s happening is that your past negative accumulations are getting released. It helps to know this because without this knowledge your mind can get really concerned about these fluctuations and intense releases, and thus suppress it again.
The usual feelings that can come up when this release happens are – anger, sadness, grief, depression, anxiety, sexuality, excitement, depending on the energy you had suppressed. The thoughts that comes up will match the flavor of the feelings, sometimes your mind just creates random thoughts to somehow make sense of this past energy (which it’s not about to make sense of) – that’s why its important to not over-analyze the thoughts that get generated. Of course these thoughts and feelings will happen in your awareness, and you can’t just hide from them, you just need to allow this consciously and stay open – the less you try to analyze, the faster the release can happen. If your body gets driven into some movement, or activity, as a part of the release, allow it to do so in the wisdom of your awareness – don’t try to suppress it, and don’t judge yourself.
Experiencing a lightness in the body
It’s only when the release happens that you realize how “congested” your body actually was before. When you are around 50% of this release you sense this deep lightness in your body, where it feels very spacious and open, almost as if you melted from ice into water – your body feels more lucid. This causes your body to get into a higher vibrational state, it becomes more vital and alive – this will also cause your body to detox/purge its stored up bodily toxins in some way, because now it has more vitality to do so. Also, this openness in your body allows for the rest of the release to happen more smoothly without much unpleasantness in your being.
A lot of diseases are caused by these suppressed pockets of energy. We can numb the symptoms of the disease through medications but until these suppressed energies are released the disease just keeps coming up in new forms. Moreover when you have lot of suppressed energy pockets in you, it’s like you are carrying a huge load in your body which reduces its vitality. These suppressed energies also act as fuel to your mind’s negativity, keeping its momentum going. Since these energies are stored up in the body space as “blocks” of resistance they cause a disruption to the harmonious flow of intelligence in your body. There is a huge difference in the way you sense your body when these energies are released.
Some people go in for energy work (from some healers) to release their suppressed energy, but such a release being “unconscious”, and sudden, can create an imbalance in the body, and moreover, since you did not release it consciously you have the tendency to “re-create” it again since these energies always have an imprint in your mind. I am not suggesting that you don’t do energy work, it’s up to you, you can follow your own guidance on this and if you feel you need to get some energy work done, for some relief, do so – the only pointer is to not get addicted to the energy work where it becomes a crutch. These are means which can be used by someone who has low level of awareness to get some temporary relief, and hence it has a value, but when you grow in awareness you have the capacity to consciously allow this release on your own.
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Sen is meditation really that important in getting to this state of enlightenment?
Or is it possible to reach this state without meditation , by just following the tips and pointers such as relaxed awareness etc. etc.
Depends on what you mean by meditation, if you mean “watching the mind” as meditation, then of course it has a value because this practice helps increase the power of your awareness.
WOW…i feel sooooooo relaxed and at peace im listening to my heart and not my fear based thoughts..im not afraid anymore there is nothing to be afraid of.I lost sight of who i am for a short while ,being cheated on was the worst thing i could have ever imagined happening to me and it did ..We all have had those conversations with people when you hear what they are saying you listen but you give no meaningful attention to their words.Thats how i feel with the negative thoughts that were consuming my mind daily.I do hear what they are saying i just as you say Sen don,t pay any more attention than that to them because i recognize what they are useless i Choose to listen to my heart now.Im suprised how quickly these thoughts dissappear ive actually caught myself kind of testing i will try to re-think of something that a month ago would have kept me up all night with worry i end up kind of laughing to myself thinking what am i stupid i just don,t give any seriousness to the negative crap.I know who i am and I LOVE LIFE the way it is right NOW TODAY sheeesh i can,t believe how much i Love and appreciate the woman that i only three months ago found out cheated. i could go on and on …..thank you SEN……….What a FEELING i can,t wait to enjoy tomoro .see yah
This is very helpful and answers an earlier question I had
Thank you Sen!
THANKS !
Great Article, it offers immense clarity
Dear Sen
I woke up Saturday morning and went right to my iphone and looked up obsessive thinking…. “Is there a pill I can take I thought? Something, please”. I have been suffering with obsessive thoughts that of course manifest into negative feelings since 15 years old (I am now 42) Every chapter of my life has been either dwelling on the past or over analizing the future. I use to fail tests because I simply over analized the questions. My mind is my worst enemy and plays tricks on me. I have a headache everyday of my life! (no lie) I have been trying since saturday to just watch my mind and it has helped a little but I hope I am not just surpressing my feelings. I tell myself “its a radio satation, just listen, NO negative thoughts” But is this enough? I need it spelled out to me. Do I sit in a chair and tell myself ready set go? Do I re-read your article everyday? What exactly is the practice for 30 minutes everyday? What is the first thing I do? And when the mind sends over one of those negative clouds, to not show my interest, do I try to ignore it or talk myself out of it? I have written sadhana on a very visible spot to remeind me daliy, I have subscribed to your web-site (which is wonderful!) and I am determined to help myself. Also when it is time to release all this negative energy that has been bottling up inside me, what do I do? Go back to that same chair? I guess what I am asking is how do I have an open mind? I am very hard on myself and most people think I am strong on the outside for what I have been through they think I am amazing, however I am struggling deep inside me, I have been to that dark place more then twice in one year and it is only for my children that I didnt just take pills and go to sleep. Please help me let go of the past.
Liza, there is no short cut to coming to an inner stability/balance, it can’t achieved through pills or hypnosis – it’s a state you come to through a conscious release of past negativity and a conscious grounding in your space of being. For while you will need to spend time just being open to the negativity that arises, instead of trying to escape it – you don’t have to sit in some specific place, neither do you have to allocate specific times , let it be more natural, as a part of your daily living. Whenever negativity arises, just stay open to it, instead of running for rescue. If you find it difficult to be open to it, it just means you are getting afraid of the energy that’s arising, and the thoughts that are being produced, instead of just observing them as a pure awareness. I understand that it’s tough initially, because your mind has a high momentum, and your body has a lot of suppressed negativity – but there is no real choice in this matter, no short cut, it’s pure physics that the energy that you accumulated through your past unconscious identification with negativity needs to get released before you can sense the stability. The simplest pointer is stop trying to escape what arises, and just stay with it in an openness, and allow it to arise fully – it gets easier as you keep allowing, because as you keep allowing your spaciousness keeps increasing inside, you feel more open within. Right now you have very little space within and hence feel overwhelmed as soon as the negative arises. This space needs to grow, and it can only grow when become consciously allowing of this negative energy, even in the midst of fear.
Liza, I want to share what I found out with you. Every time when I noticed a negative thought arise, I would also notice that my body is in an intense status. For example, I would notice that my shoulder is very tight or my neck hurts. Instead of watching my mind, I start to relax my body first. When my body is relaxed, my mind is kind of clear too.
Thank you so much for this post, it came at exactly the right time, it has given memuch needed clarity and support just when I needed it. Thank you so much!
Thank you I will try but being open to it to me means thinking about it and then ultimately obsessing.
Liza, that means you need to grow in the power of awareness, where you have the capacity to be aware of your mind without being pulled around by it. You need to start doing this as a practice, until you gain some stability in your awareness – just try to observe your mind/feeling space from a place of pure awareness, whenever you have the free time. This practice allows awareness to grow in power and stability, so that you reach a place where you don’t feel at the mercy of your mind’s pull. When you have some of this stability, you are ready to let go and be allowing of the suppressed energy to be released.
Okay. Thank you, I will and I will continue to read your articles they are very interesting to me. After all knowledge is power. Have a wonderful day and thank you again.
Sen – do you believe someone suffering from depression should see a physician? Can drugs such as Welbutrin offer temporary relief to someone who may not yet have much space of awareness. It concerns me when I see someone talking about taking pills to avoid (and possibly end) their life.
Depression is a “manifestation” of a high negative momentum. Medications can provide relief as a means of suppression, but it’s always at a cost – the cost could reduction in the body’s vitality, unnatural suppression of the nervous system and alteration of brain states as a result (similar to what drugs or alcohol do), reduction in consciousness and the addictive nature of the medication that makes you a prisoner to it and can make us feel more helpless as a result. If a person’s brain has no possibility of becoming aware (lets say they have no reasoning power to understand the process of bringing awareness), they have no choice but to work with medicines. But if you can bring awareness to your inner space, you can consciously start becoming free of being pulled around by the brain’s vacillations – I understand it’s a process and it takes time, and some people don’t have the patience to go through the process and prefer the temporary relief mechanisms, but it’s all about readiness, some people are not ready for it, and it’s totally fine, we all have our own journey to live.
I was in a very dark place once, and Welbutrin helped. It was only temporary, and my body would have adjusted eventually I suppose, but I am thankful there was medication available to speed up the process. I feel strongly that if someone is actually considering ending their life they should talk to someone in the health care field. From my personal experience, temporarily taking a drug to help a chemical imbalance can be a lifesaver.
There are no “don’ts”, different things can have a value, depending on your present state, in assisting in balance, if not abused. Depending on your level of inner stability, sometimes medication is the relief that you may need to get you over some overwhelming condition of depression or imbalance. Eventually the optimal place would be when you can stand on your own inner stability, and it takes time for this stability to come along as you grow in awareness, but along this journey you can always depend on temporary assistance to help you gain some support when you are feeling overwhelmed.
Sen, is it as simple as letting go every time you feel a negative vibe? I know a lot of bad feelings come from past negativity but sometimes even with awareness I can’t pinpoint why I feel negative about certain things. So basically say something triggers a negative vibe in your mind and your not sure what it is, do you just leave it and let it go or try to figure out what it is (which leads to more confusion and negativity in my case)
Dear Sen,
I have a question regarding the release of suppressed energy.
Since a while I found out how to practive awareness. It took me quite a while to just observe the mind because we are so used to run after every thought. Through this practice I could really “get rid” of obsessive thoughts and feel some great benefit.
Once I practice awareness it quite often happens that single muscles especially in my leg twitch. It is really a good feeling and feels like releasing some energy which was just stored in this place. It is not this kind of twitching when a muscle twitches many times in a row and you feel very stressed, it just happens occasionally and I feel more relaxed and enjoy this.
Is this one aspect of releasing suppressed energy you mention in this post?
Thank you very much, you have a great website and help many people.
All the best,
Andy
Andy, the physical sensation that you mentioned is quite normal during this phase of release. You soon start feeling a lightness in your body as a whole, and while your body shifts into this high vibration state it’s bound to create sensations as you are feeling at present.
Dear Sen,
It’s been a week since your advice to me about allowing my
accumulated stored negativity to rise and to just be with it
in a purely observational sense. I am also touching it with my being
and am not letting myself be drawn in by the strong emotions
being released. You are so right about me having a strong awareness
after meditating since last July. My awareness is rock solid. I realize
the only way out is the same way I got in to this state. The energy accumulated through
fear/thoughts/emotions HAS to be released. There is no other way to become whole again.
The emotions come in waves and I know they will be doing so for possibly
th next few months or so but I am not bothered in the least by their intensity. You are right.
by meditating so intensely I was suppressing by thinking that was the way, and i was under the impression that was all that had to be done because i felt so much bliss however that didn’t address the negativity
which was still present. Now I know it has to be released.
Is there anything else I need to be aware of during this process or
Do I simply ride out the storm for the next few months?
My deepest gratitude to you Sen.
Pavlo, you’ve come to a state of total allowing, and hence the release should get done quite quickly. Simply ride out this phase.
Dear Sen,
Everything you said would happen IS happening.
Once in a state of total allowing is achieved
(through the practice of relaxed, witnessing awareness)
The emotions come fast and furious for the first few days,
but they’re not all as intense as my mind was anticipating.
Some of them are, some of them aren’t.
I find my mind still tries to trick me by pulling me into the
web of thoughts/emotions which spring up from time to time,
but that’s just the mind just trying to exert its authority over me.
By Being in the relaxed, ALLOWING openness when
the thoughts/emotions come into my field of awareness and I
accepted them for what they are, I don’t value them anymore so
their sting, and their attachment to me is disappearing fast. Many
of them simply didn’t make sense but because my BELIEF
in them was so strong, they seemed like truth itself, which,
of course, they weren’t!. The more they come, the more they
are being dissolved by my life force. This is my sentient reality.
This is my truth because I can feel it. I feel as if my being is coming
alive in ways I have yet to discover and I am starting to know what
wholeness feels like.
I feel there is still much more to come out, but all I know is,
that I’m starting to feeling like a completely different person.
I’m becoming more vibrant, I’m living every moment, not because
I’m trying to, but because i feel so much more “aliveness” in me.
This is the best way I can describe my evolving awareness.
Thank you Sen.
Hi Sen, you said “you need to develop some stability in your being (where you are not identified with the mind totally) before you can allow this release.” but I thought that allowing this release would bring stability in your being? could you please explain this?
Lekha, a better way of putting it would have been “develop some stability in your ‘attitude’ of not being identified with the mind’s negativity”. A stability in this attitude is what allows for a faster release, and the release starts moving you towards inner stability/wholeness.
Hi Sen.
I had a break down before Christmas. I used this horrible medicine for my skin, was in the middle of my exams, and the hours were dark and me and my boyfriend broke up. I was struggeling the first 4 months and my doctor wanted me on medication. I’ve had deep depression (which I’m almost done with but still feeling uninspired) and anxiety. Through meditation and observing my mind with binaural sounds (I could not meditate without the sounds at first, now I can) the strength of the thoughts has lessened and I can be alone again, something I was scared of being (I walked a fine line the last months). I’m meditating at least one hour per day, often more. But I’m feeling tired and don’t know how I’m gonna spend my Summer. I’m struggeling and feeling unmotivated these days, even though my mind is getting better (isn’t weird?). I don’t have the intense fear any more, and my body has gotten calmer, but I still worry a lot. But in January my mind was going crazy, and it hurt so much, My breakdown involved that I started trembling, really high anxiety and a black out. I’m having trouble letting this go, and I think there is something wrong with me, and I consider it a trauma in it self. Do you have any tips of letting go and moving on?
Jia, what you are experiencing is a normal during the phase of release. As you mentioned your body is feeling a lot calmer, and it just that you don’t feel the energy/motivation in you. This motivation will come in quite naturally as a natural progression of this process (what I call the return of focus – you can read this post Phases of awakening for insights on this), you can help accelerate this process by spending time visualizing your desires where-ever you feel like it – you don’t have to make an effort, just a relaxed day dreaming is good enough, try to visualize the physical experience that you wish to have.
hey Sen, what are your thoughts on being around people that undermine your letting go, family etc. I find that certain people i’m around make it really hard to be conscious and present for very long. should I segregate from them ?
Kenny,
Though this reply comes months later, it sounds like you answered your own question!
also i know im a pain but im wondering how you know that you are not suppressing energy versus releasing it, how if i’m watching my mind if i am doing that right too, i have felt the way i’m feeling for a long time (anxious, moody, depressed, angry, etc. ) how do i know that i’m releasing this or just keeping it going. i’m really dedicated to this but it would be nice to have some kind of indication that i’m following the true path
Kenny, if you sense that you are free to allow the negativity to arise in your space (be it mind’s negativity or the negative energy in the body as emotional energy) that means you are “allowing” the release. It’s a personal deal, you have to be authentic with yourself to see if you are fearless enough to allow the negativity without wanting to suppress it as it arises. One does not reach this total fearlessness, towards allowing the release, overnight – it takes time and it happens in layers until you reach a space of total allowing, as explained in this post – Reaching a place of total allowing
sen how we can one become concious without analysing and understanding
ramjagat, gaining an understanding is an integral part of becoming more aware/conscious. In this post I am talking about the process involved in the release of suppressed energy. The understanding that’s needed here is to stay in a space of allowing what arises without becoming too concerned about negative energy as it’s coming from the past accumulation and has nothing to do with the present – that’s why the pointer was to not analyse the release, and just let it happen. This is also an “understanding” that’s needed, and this understanding allows for a faster release.
Hi again Sen,
Over the weekend I practice my relaxed awareness. What I notice is that I tend to “forget” and get lost in my mind as long as the external experience is positive.
When the external experience is negative or if I get anxious, depressed, stressed out is when I “remember” to just get into relaxed awareness.
I certainly hope I am not avoiding; as soon as I kindly observe myself into a negative state a nut on my tummy disolves and my shoulders fall 2-3 inches. I also start breathing more easily.
If the sensation is too strong I do say “oh, I am anxious” and/or “hmm, I can feel a pain in my back, interesting” and I get instant releif.
The negativity that has the most pull is to go over stories of my past (good and back) or day dreaming (good or back)
Am I in the right track?
The bottom-line of the practice of relaxed awareness is to free you from the grip of the negative momentum, it’s not meant to be a “discipline” you need to follow all day long or to stay aware all the time, it’s totally fine to be engrossed in thinking. In fact, once you are free of the momentum of negativity, you will hardly need to ever consciously stay aware, you will just be in a flow of living. You will gradually see your becoming more and more familiar with the patterns of negativity in the mind and thus will no longer be taken in by it, and there will be a fearless attitude towards your mind/emotions. This happens over time.
sen ur super awsome..thank u so much for ur posts!!!!!!!!!!
Sen, so it is ok to consciously ignore negativity as long as we become consciously aware of its presence within and consciously allow its release?
As long as you are not trying to ignore from a place of fear, or as a means of suppression, you are basically just “dis-identifying” while staying allowing of the mind movement
Hi Sen,
Thanks for the information. I do find that releasing the negative energy within, whether in the form of thoughts or emotions, is quite similar to pulling a knife or arrow out of your “flesh wounds” of the past. It does hurt, but dis-identifying with it helps tremendously if you realize these thoughts do not define you as your “true self”. They exist, but as energy with a certain vibrational frequence. It all comes down to allowing and identifying the thought, but choosing whether to identify with it or not. Then releasing the thought that you wish to release after identifying it. It pretty much comes down to following your heart’s guidance, rather than your past limiting beliefs, which could hinder your personal and spiritual growth.
just now i went through this ‘release of negative energy’ or ‘fear’ – as in i totally engulfed my entire being to it – and you are right about the after effects. i just like to thank you for pointing it out in this article. i sort of kind of worried for awhile because the after effects were totally new to me and don’t know what to do. it’s just like taking a cold shower – even after the shower you feel cold until you towel yourself dry and slowly you get back to you normal body temperature. it takes a while and just like it – you’ll feel refreshed. thanks and i hope you continue to inspire many with your site.
Hello Sen, I have a doubt regarding forgiveness.Is it necessary to forgive people who have deliberately hurt you in the past? I’m getting hateful and fearful thoughts against a person who has hurt me in the past.I’m consciously releasing these thoughts through detached awareness.I tried forgiving during the release process but I’m finding it difficult to forgive this person.It feels so fake and unnatural.I have a feeling that if I don’t forgive this person, this person will continue to haunt me in my thoughts.I can’t/don’t want to forgive this person.Is forgiveness necessary? Please guide me.
Dear Sen,
When I read your post, some sentences may resonate within me and immediately my eyes filled with tears. ( I feel the compassion and love behind those words). I was shocked with my response. Is this still the symptom of high mind momentum? Could any suppressed negativity related?
I also had this experience: when I saw amber alert information (children were abducted) while driving on freeway, almost within less than 30 seconds, the emotional turmoil could make me tearful. I am aware of this response now and could not figure out why. Looks like I still lack inner stability. These experience doesn’t bother me much, but it may reveal some inner conflict. ( I suffered obsessive thoughts, keep thinking of the person who hurted me long time ago like hooked on.) Could you guide me? Thanks!
Dear Sen,
You work is awesome. I wanted to seek guidance from you. So basically I have been trying to release thoughts and feels, but its almost like i want to keep them, like i enjoy my misery or something. I know this sounds sick but its the truth. Also it is like I am in a constant state of supression, like i don’t have any thoughts all day… Any suggestions for moving forward with this? Thank you so much. Chris.
Chris, you may want to bring awareness to what it is that you really want to experience in life – just connect with yourself and in a state of openness (without just clinging to the habitual thoughts) try to get a sense of what it is that you wish to experience/express in this lifetime as this body. There are no rules, if you find that you enjoy being in misery, you can allow yourself that experience – all experiences have a flavor to them, and if you feel that you want to experience a state of misery or depression, feel free to do so as a conscious choice. In that sense you can fully allow the experience of depression or misery as it is right now without forcing yourself to be positive. In this state of allowing its natural to come to a place when you feel that you’ve had enough of dwelling in the experience of depression or misery, and that you want a different experience like may be a more well-rounded experience (or balanced experience) which includes elements of adventure, creativity and other desired-experiences that feel aligned with you. You can read the recent post on conscious choice for more insight
Sen, I began reading your articles about 3 weeks ago, I have been trying to just be aware of my thoughts but as of late I feel absolutely miserable, I am having both mental and physical breakdowns and I the last few days the flood gates have opened and I can’t quite crying. Since this time I have been trying to push everyone away from me cause I feel so miserable. I’ve lashed out several times at my 19 year old son and even asked him to move out for awhile til I could get my emotions under control. He refused and said he is resilient and worries about my being alone. I just read this post tonight and now see that perhaps this intense emotional state is part of the release process. My question is how long can I expect this to last? I’m exhausted, I’ve had insomnia for over 2 weeks and its had for me to even focus at work. Not to mention I want to end friendships and barricade myself from most everyone as I feel extremely annoyed. I feel like I don’t have the strength to continue, yet I know it is necessary to find inner peace. Do you have any suggesting to help endure this painful process? I’m afraid that I will sabotage relationships in this state. Also, my so has been very supportive and will just hug my and tell me I’m ok, when I can’t stop crying. His support is comforting, but is it okay that I accept support from others or should this process be all on my own?
Amy, the intensity of the emotional outpouring that you feel is just indicative of how much of it was suppressed/re-fueled in the past. It will take some time for the emotional clearing to happen fully, depending on the past load; it varies from person to person. You could work with an approximation of 6-8 months for intense releases to subside, the more allowing you are of the release the faster it happens, and faster does imply that there will also be discomfort (due to all the emotions that come up for release) while the release happens. However, if you use your awareness to simply stay connected with your deeper sense of calm (in your being), while the surface-level emotional turmoil finds release, you can function normally and intelligently in your life during this release phase – if you keep reacting to the emotional release by becoming overly concerned or worried about it, or by identifying with each burst of emotional release that happens, you would up over-exhausting yourself needlessly. It’s true that the release cycles are draining, and it’s best to find more rest and comfort during this phase for your body to recuperate, though it’s also normal to have some restless nights during the release. It’s fine to find comfort in some external support, initially, but with time you will sense an inner stability coming in as the momentum of your mind/emotions start ebbing away and thus you will feel more and more emotionally independent.
Hi Sen,
I hope I could reach that stage of lightness of body. As I work on my openness, I feel an armor in my body as if I’m a kind of crab. I always thought this has something to do with my body-image issues (but I have never been fat or too thin, always normal-weight but always felt heaviness, tension in my muscles) now I see that It’s related to the suppressed energies, I can’t even imagine the release of free energy and surge of vitality after I release them, I hope that one day I could experience that. For now, I allow my thoughts and emotions when they arise, I feel releases (not too intense though, I feel mostly calm ), but I can still feel the heavy armor there. I don’t try to protect my being anymore, and I just feel and watch this armor, but nothing changes. When I allow my fear or pain, it usually goes away, but I can’t feel any change in “the armor” while emotionally and mentally I feel so relaxed. I hope it will dissappear eventually…Well, even the hope of losing it someday is great, I have always been an alert person, I never thought that it could even be possible for me to have a “light” body , although I don’t weigh more than 120 pounds, Ihave always felt physically heavy. I know that losing weight doesn’t work, now thanks to you I have a hope that I can have a light body some day, i never thought it was possible.
Hi Sen!
I would like to thank you for posting a very insightful article about dealing with negative thoughts. However, I have some questions that I wish to clarify with you.
From this article, I gathered 3 main points and the following contains my questions regarding these 3 main points.
Step 1: The 1st recommended step to take is to develop a stable awareness by being an observer of your mind.
-Q1: Do you have any concrete actions or steps that we can take to develop such awareness? Any particular things to do, be it mentally or physically? For example, what I think of is to set aside 20 minutes each day to sit at a quiet place, do nothing and just “observe” the thoughts that flow in my mind. One way that I can think to achieve this is through mediation. Is this alright?
Step 2: Allow the thoughts to come in consciously and stay open. Don’t analyze, suppress or judge it. ["Detox"]
-Q2 (Similar to Q1): Do you have any concrete actions or steps that we can take to release our thoughts? Any particular things to do, be it mentally or physically? For example, what I usually do is to say “Okay” to any intruding negative thoughts so that I won’t give attention to it. In addition, once I have practiced enough for step 1, I would set aside 20 mins each day to detox. Is this way alright? Are there any other ways I can do this?
Step 3: I would eventually feel a sense of emptiness or my body gets lighter after the release of negative thoughts
No question to inquire about this step so far.
Kelvin, to grow in the “capacity” for awareness you can start off with what you mentioned (sitting without distraction and observing the mind), I call it the practice of relaxed awareness – in this state you are working on being aware of the mind. I think just a few weeks of this practice is enough to establish the habit of being aware, after which you will naturally have the space of awareness towards your mind and emotions. From this place on, you just need to start connecting with the state of allowing (you can read this post – FAQ on the state of allowing) – this instigates the phase of release, to start with, where all the layers of emotional accumulation start coming in the form of release cycles, and also all the “thoughts” in the mind start coming up – your openness would allow the mind momentum and emotional momentum to start running out of steam (because it’s no longer being reinforced by your suppression or identification). Remember that the state of allowing is a state of openness, and not a “protective technique” where you say “okay” to a thought and “try” to remove your awareness from it to make it go away, rather its about allowing the thoughts to arise knowing that you are aware and hence will not be lost to their influence. If fear arises, allow fear to be there, if sadness arises, allow sadness to be there – don’t use the “it’s okay” technique to try to feel good, if you are feeling down (and downright crappy) allow that feeling to have its movement in you without trying to look for an escape route – this what openness is, and this is what truly releases the momentum.
Is it okay to analyze if the mind is truly curious to why? As long as it doesn’t come out as forced?
Dear Sen,
thank you again SO MUCH, no one has ever brought me to understand and internalize the meaning of “allowing” as well as you just did in your article and your comments. This is truly a life changing experience for me, I can’t even find words to explain it, because it is a feeling inside me and it feels so good.
Thank you.
Sen,
I ran into your blog and every posts contain so much wisdom that it’s not easy for a person like me to understand but I think with time, it will become clearer.
I have this question for you (and maybe more later on): I have a crush on a girl and things are not going well between us. I know that it’s a lot of things that I need to work out to remove the insecurity in me that make me fall for her but I don’t know what I should do now in term of interacting with her. I used to talk to her and asked her questions and showed that I care but since she shows no interest in me as the way I want to, I’m back off but I don’t want to cut it totally since it will make her think that because of her action, I’m not being nice to her, but if I continue to talk to her, it comes from my neediness, not purely a friend to another friend concern or communication.
I probably still have too much attachment to her that I do care about what she thinks of me, so I guess the best now is like you said in another post, be selfish first to take care of my own happiness and then after I get enough security and no more attachment or neediness to her then by that time, I know what to do.
What do you think? And even though I try to bring the feeling for her, the insecurity, the jealousy feeling to my awareness, I still have a hard time let go off her and I feel the fear that I cannot get rid of those feelings, and probably a lot more other feelings that I need to let go. Do you think that with time and patience and consistency, things will take care of itself?
Thanks!
Quan: “…but since she shows no interest in me as the way I want to, I’m back off…”
Most people find drama in relationships because what they find does not match what they want to find. That is, we create an idea of what a relationship is or should be – then get upset when the reality is different. You can save yourself much struggle by looking at what is really there. You see it, but are having trouble accepting it.
Though you ask for advice, you seem to know the answer already. Ask yourself why the needy feelings, why jealousy, why insecurity? Answering yourself honestly will calm your anxiety and help you begin to let go of those imbalances.
Sen, I have had problems with obsessive thoughts for some time, the information in this blog has helped me put the thoughts into perspective thus decreasing their intensity , thank you!
I’ve gone through a couple of cycles of emotional release which were intense and am finding that the accumulated emotional energy is now coming up for release automatically, however my mind is trying hard to surpress the energy making it very difficult to release. Should I simply watch the mind contractions until it allows for the energy to be released? Will the mind contractions eventually lessen in strength allowing the emotional energy to be released more freely?
Thanks!
Hey Sen, me again. Hope you are well. I write this as i don’t have a clue what to believe or even what a belief is. I’ve “followed ” teachings by several “guru’s” over the past year and I will say you make the most sense of all of them. I just wonder if I will ever see the truth or the light so to speak. Been looking into video’s of Sadhguru speak and he seems honest but then….bam send me money and all will be awesome and blissful. I gotta say all this stuff fills my self(?) with frustration as i don’t know what to feel or (gasp) think about anything anymore. Is all of this just bs and we all need to suck it up or what? All these guys are selling books, dvds, and seminars/retreats to infinity and i’m going nuts trying to decipher what is real or what is a scam. Your thoughts? I have been trying like hell to allow or come to a place of total allowing but haven’t , as far as i can tell , had any “releases” as of yet. Just alot of rage , stress, and confusion. Am I questing for that is unobtainable in this lifetime?
ps sorry for long post, i’ll donate soon as you’ve done so much to aid all of us for so little.
Kenny, if someone is selling enlightenment, that person may be ripping you off. Of course, even teachers need income to support themselves. But a master who is in a position to teach (that is, has truth to share and is not working from a place of ego) is not going to take advantage of the gullible. No matter what they peddle, only you can do the work of finding balance.
Markus, just makes me ill that everyone is selling salvation and because people who are suffering are likely to do anything to get some relief it’s hard to know where the universe taking care of us part comes in. just wish my brain wasn’t sp damned cynical 24/7. thanks for your words. been seeking balance for awhile now and have made some progress i suppose but it seems sometimes to be a go forward/ take a step back deal .
So basically Sen, no matter what horrible thoughts the mind comes up with repetitively one should say “ok” to it? My issue is when I allow something horrible to be in the mind after awhile I start to think that I believe I am into such horrible things that “I” see in the mind. For example if i see thoughts of violence or criminal acts i allow them to be there but with time i seem to be tricked into “thinking” i believe i enjoy or that there is something wrong with me for “thinking” about such things. This is the definition of identification huh?
Kenny, that’s right, however it’s not really about saying “okay” to the thoughts, it’s simply about letting them be – there is a difference between the two. To say “okay” to a thought is still a form of identification where you feel the need to respond/react to a thought in the mind, and once you do that you are bound to attach a personal significance to it. Just let the thoughts be, and let their emotions instigated by these thoughts arise freely also, without needing to do the salvaging job – just stay in a state of allowing until you no longer feel pulled around by your mind momentum per se.
thanks for the quick reply man. much appreciated.
Every time I feel like I am regressing, or enraged or horrified, that I will never be happy again (I’ve been feeling that way for nearly a decade), or can only think about how hard it is to get through this phase, this site continues to help me regain an understanding of what I am going through, and able to keep pushing forward.
On an unrelated note, I just thought I should add that I’m writing a book (a medieval fantasy) where one of the characters goes through something like this (This was before I found your site). He spends his life pushing down all the things he does NOT want to be or think, which works for him for a while and actually results in him being a really likable respectful guy….. until one day something (I won’t spoil it) sets him off and all those suppressed thoughts and emotions come boiling up in the form of a series of calamitous events that end up severely affecting the other main characters for months. This site is not only helping me understand a disorder that most doctors are not even aware of, let alone how to fix it, but also to write this story and thus continue doing what I love in more creative ways. So for lack of a more grateful word, THANKS!
Hello Sen,
Thank you so much for your insights. They have really helped me further my spiritual understanding. One question. Is working out part of releasing the negative cellular memory or pain body as someone could call it?
Maddox, eventually the deal of releasing “negativity” (imbalances) is an inner work, it’s about growing in awareness and finding conscious inner freedom. As you find more freedom from the pull of negativity, you will also feel inspired towards “external activities” (like working-out) that are congruent with your well-being – so the balance works from inside to the outside. For ex, someone who has an inner imbalance (let’s say an egoic imbalance of the chronic need for attention or too much identification with the body without much connection with the heart or inner-space of their being) may work-out from this place of imbalanced motivation, and whatever be the results the fact remains that they continue to keep fueling their imbalance through their activities. Finding balance is always an “inside-out” approach, not an outside-in deal.
Dear Sen, really insightful articles, it reminds me of J. Krishnamurti’s writings, as the bible says there’s nothing new under the sun . We translate the same Reality in different languages.
Query arising within me from you is:
1) You talk about “disinterested awareness or watchfulness”. I have tried this process where mind is in a state of conflict trying to suppress unlikely thoughts or think about something else during the unlikely thoughts which is followed by a thought that says that people may come to know what I am thinking,so suppress this thought ,don’t face it, what to do in this situation?
2) Question of ethics, we remain witness to our thoughts and it needs constant awareness,I think which needs to be developed with tedious practice.How are we going to set standards for good or bad behavior?