The state of suffering is simply a state of resistance to what arises, the end of suffering is when you are fully open to what arises, without any fear. This does not mean that when you become open to what arises, you will end up in perpetual joy (light nature), that would be totally unnatural, against the natural flow of life-energy which moves in a balance between dark and light nature (yin and yang). There is a difference between “no suffering” and “perpetual joy” – when you are free of resistance to the movement of life, you are free of suffering, in that you are not in “conflict” with what’s happening naturally, and you will allow the states of joy (high states) to arise along with low states, and what comes about is a harmony, a balance, there are no more “intense” fluctuations, no imbalances of strong nature, nothing overwhelming, this is what “stability” means. Initially, when you move into the state of allowing, you will experience some intense fluctuations, from intense bliss to some intense downers, and these fluctuations will continue for a while, until balance establishes itself within you – the intensity of the fluctuations is just the indication of the amount of imbalance that had accumulated over time within you, and the balancing act of the state of allowing brings it back to harmony.
The reason I am not a proponent of techniques like “positive affirmations”, or even “focused meditation”, is because they are opposed to a natural state of allowing. However, if, while being in a state of allowing, an inspiration comes along to do something like a positive visualization/affirmation, or a focused meditation, or any other idea for action, you can follow up on it. So, there are no “don’ts”, it’s just about following your inspiration while being in a state of allowing. If you see, quite simply, the state of allowing makes you stand on your own, it makes you independent, it connects you with your own guidance, and you realize that your guidance is already present within you. One can’t be in a state of allowing and ask “am I doing it right”, there is no right or wrong, it’s about what’s your inspiration for the moment while you stay true to being allowing of what arises. Sometimes, the inspiration is to get up and do something even when the mind is opposed to it, and sometimes the inspiration is to not do something which the mind insists on doing – so there are no fixed rules on how this is going to work out, you simply work with what your inspiration seems to be.
Being allowing is being positive
The only way I can ever define a term like “positive” is in the context of whether you are allowing of what arises or if you are opposing it – positive is simply about being allowing of what arises naturally, negativity is the opposition of what arises within you. So, if a depressive mood is what arises naturally, in this moment, and if you are totally allowing of it, then you are being positive – if on the other hand, you try to force change the mood by fighting it, out of fear of allowing it, you are basically in a negative state of being. In this sense, the depressive mood is not what is “negative”, what’s negative is the opposition to it, when you think “this should not be”. This is the reason why I use terms like “dark nature” and “light nature”, and then use terms like “positive” and “negative” – dark nature does not imply negative, light nature does not imply positive. For example, a low mood is a dark nature, but it’s not negative by itself if you allow it fully, and you will notice a different experience of this low state when you do so.
The state of allowing is not a technique, and you may/will start off doing it as a practice, but you will soon realize that it can’t be done as a technique rather it’s a pointer towards a state of being open to life, to let go of your “conflict”, of your rigid opposition, of your fearful resistance, to what arises naturally. At one point, you will realize for yourself, with certainty, what is really meant by a state of allowing – at this point you will be fully in tune with life as it is, with every aspect of its movement, without conflict, without fear. Of course, you can’t come to a state of total allowing overnight, it’s rare for that to happen, usually, it takes time and it happens gradually as your body, and mind, become more and more adapted to the energy movements that take place as an orchestration towards balance.
You can’t go wrong really, and if you ever have a question “am I doing this right?”, all you need to do is allow this question also – don’t try to answer it, because any answer will only be temporary, if an answer arises it’s fine, but don’t hold onto to it. I don’t hold on to any understanding, I don’t refer to my past posts to regain an understanding, I am fully aware that any understanding that I need for handing a certain moment in my life will arise in that moment – I know this to be true not because of a “blind faith”, but because I’ve seen it happen this way all the time, the logical part of my mind is convinced, through these observed evidences, that it can trust the intelligence of life.
The initial challenge of entering a state of allowing
The state of allowing is effortless and you soon realize how powerfully transformative it is, and it thus becomes your nature to be unequivocally allowing of what arises knowing that opposition is not only counter-productive but totally futile. However, it takes a while before reaching this place of total allowing, and the initial journey can feel challenging mostly because of the fear of something going wrong. The state of allowing is equal to a state of total openness within, which can make you feel “defence-less” or even vulnerable, because of the feeling of letting go of control – in fact, without some assurance that there is nothing be afraid of, it can be starkly fearful of allowing, especially the dark natured energy movements. Moreover, when you enter a state of allowing, for a while the disharmony within comes to surface quite intensely, like an eruption, before the harmony gets restored – this intense energy movement can leave people worried that something might be going wrong, when in actuality it’s just a process of harmonization.
The state of allowing creates several “inner transformations”, bringing you to a state of maturity as required for your journey, sometimes breaking through several set “mind patterns” and past identities. You can see personality changes taking place in you, in the direction of a more balanced way of being, without any real effort on your part, it’s as if the mind is just getting reprogrammed into alignment. You will sense that everything that “felt” imbalanced within you is touched by this transformation, and a balance is restored. It’s just that, you need to “let it happen” instead of constantly wondering if you are doing it right, the deal is that you are not really “doing” anything as a force, you are allowing it to happen. Also, you need to let go of some imagination you may have of what wholeness/balance feels like, and find out for yourself what it really is – I assure you it’s nothing like what your mind might be imagining it to be. Be willing to be find out instead of holding onto to some imaginary idea of what it “should be”, such an idea will keep you from really allowing what is and you will constantly be comparing your present state with some “imaginary state” you wish to reach.
The biggest challenge people face while entering a state of allowing is to deal with the dark natured energy component of life within them. The sadness, anger, hatred, boredom, loneliness and fear, that can arise, quite intensely, initially, based on how much of it was suppressed before, and how much of it got accumulated in an imbalanced manner. Even after the balance is restored, the dark nature plays out equally with the light nature component, it’s just that both them lose their “intensity” and hence are no longer a factor of suffering. Coming to terms with the dark nature component of life-energy can be a big challenge and the usual motivation is to just reach out for a light-natured state through some distraction or suppression.
You will notice, that when you put forth a desire, it’s natural for the intelligence of your life-stream to play out the dark and light natured components of this desire, in your mind, and see if you are “resistant” to either of it – and in most cases, unless we have hit a balance, we will be found resisting the dark natured component. For example, we might want a certain desire but we might resist the maturity required to live that reality, the maturing process can be seen as a dark natured component because it requires “deconstruction” of some old patterns of behavior/thinking, and we may be resistant to allowing it. (Read the post – light and dark nature of your desired reality – for more insight on this). Dark natured component is not the “negative”, it’s just the polarity needed to balance the movement of energy, in fact there can be no movement without the interplay between the dark and light nature components – just think about it, the only reason you have a desire (light nature) is because you see a contrast (dark nature) in your reality, and without a desire you can’t have a new reality, and without the movement towards a new reality there is no movement of life-energy (it just becomes stagnant or dead).
A state of independence
Independence simply means free of dependence on anything from a place of bondage. To be independent is our very nature, we hate having to be in a place of dependence out of fear or helplessness. We can only truly become independent when we can fully rely on our own life-stream’s intelligence, and we can only rely on our life-stream when we trust it, we can only trust it when we see evidence of its intelligence, and we can only see this evidence when we first become allowing it (giving it a chance). So the choice is yours – your life-stream cannot work to its potential if you are not allowing it. It makes no sense to keep complaining about how helpless you feel in life, without ever giving a chance to your life-stream to sort it out for you. And, allowing is an open state, it’s not a “conditional” state of saying – “I will allow these things which feel convenient, but will resist these other things that don’t”, allowing involves allowing the dark and the light natured components that will play out within you as a natural process of bringing a balance.
Once you become adept at allowing, you realize your power to be totally independent – the circumstances no longer have a power over you, neither do outside influences. You are no longer in the hiding, you are not trying to deny anything about life, and hence there is nothing that your mind can hold you hostage about. You realize that you truly are free to live life without a need for dependence on anything/anyone out of fear. If you are in a helpless situation right now, created out of the various imbalances within you, you need to be allowing of it as it is, and the transformation towards independence will take place seamlessly. Life will effortlessly bring co-operative components into your life, the resources that will assist you in living your expression – this form of dependence is natural, and a part of co-creation. But, you will no longer have dependence based on fear or neediness, this way no-one has a power over you, and you don’t seek to have power over anyone – this is true freedom.
sen you say it takes a while to come to balance and I understand this perfectly as I can truly feel myself going through the process right now..
But for example I was reading “The Power of Now” and in the book, Eckhart Tolle states that his mind came into wholeness one night after some very very intense suffering..Can this actually happen like this? Or is it a total exaggeration
Abet, it’s rare and I truly don’t imagine that an entire release can happen overnight, but a huge release can happen due to a strong “realization”. Tolle does mention that he spend a couple of years in state of allowing though his mind momentum had reduced to a huge extent during that one night.
Hi Sen,
Beautiful article!!
My question is more towards an imbalance within the body. When I get stressed for whatever reason there is tightness within certain areas of my my body. It’s more prominent when Iam stressed. This has been going on for years and it’s reached a stage where it feels like there is a dark cloud over me all day everyday. The only time I feels at peace is when early morning of when Iam engaged in an activity but eventually it’s back. I try to relax or get in a state of allowing which at times feels amazing with a kind of feeling of release but my mind won’t let me relax for long periods. My mind kind of takes over in the form of bringing that those feelings like its saying that u will always feel like this.. It’s not so much thoughts that are negative but its more is a feeling of negative sensations. Once the feelings or sensations come back It almost feels like Iam fighting a losing battle. It’s weird because it’s physical with feelings of sensations or negative energy rather than negative thoughts. Ive read many books and articles of spirituality and even things like staying present but it feels the more Iam trying the worse I feel. There is something in the things u say about being in the state of allowing that gives me hope because the small moments of release that I have felt are simply amazing but within seconds Iam back down. I hope iam making sense and would love to her your thoughts and guidance in my situation.
Many thanks
Simon
Simon, as you continue practicing this state of allowing, you will release the congestion of energy in your body’s energy space that creates this feeling of strong contraction in you. It takes time, and it’s a process that you need to stay with for a while before seeing the harmony setting in – initially during the release you may sense that the intense of contraction may seem to increase, due to energy movement caused by the release, but soon the balance sets in.
Jel hello,
Thanks for the emails yesterday- really kind of you to take the time – and I appreciate your kindness. Had a few issues with my email…… so am using a mates computer at the moment, he very kindly allowed me to register on Sen`s site so I could contact you, but he didn`t really want me to email in his name which is fair enough 🙂
I just didn`t want you to think I was rude in not replying- and want to say that today I had some really encouraging news. I felt compelled to ring an old friend in Wales- and guess what- she is starting a new business with her husband, in photography- and there may be work coming my way. Just little steps, as you said, but I`m really optimistic!
Funny how life works out, maybe if I`d not emailed you, and told you a bit about myself, t I wouldn`t have got to thinking of this friend of mine- and she was SO pleased to hear from me.
So it looks like what Sen says is true- positive attracts positive.
I guess I`ll be a bit busier from now on- so won`t be spending too much time online- apart from whats needed to get going with my new work, but I wanted to say thank-you so much and wish you all the very best, you were very kind to me- and that is truly appreciated.
Many thanks and all the very best,
Cx
Hey Stella
That is brilliant news! Well done you.
Yes, totally believe that positive attracts, positive and that what we focus on is what we create. I really do think that what Sens teaching has brought me is a depth and truth of what that manifesting process is about, outside the shallow and materialistic teachings of stuff like the ‘secret’. And realizing that ahhh as i seek to create, manifest light energy experiences – there will always be a shadow. That’s ok when, I finally accept that is the nature of life and in fact what keeps life in perfect balance. And lol, yesterday I was sitting in the sun it was too hot and sought out the shade and smiled and thought shadows have their benefits too!
It was a privilege to connect with & thank you for everything.
Wish you much kindness, blessings and magic on your journey always!
Hi Sen,
It seems to me that i have gone through living different layers of emotions/feelings interspersed with short periods of just being (not having any particular dominant emotion in me) since i got into allowing. For the last week, I have been feeling irritated at anything that demands my time and attention. I just have this feeling of wanting to be alone. This is not possible with family so irritation is the dominant emotion of the day. But a weirdness about this feeling is – it feels honest and authentic as though it is coming from the core of me and something is being released. I also get the feeling i am being irritated at myself for having taken the high road many times in life before, coz i felt compelled to do, being brought up to think it is the way of life. I am beginning to see for sometime now the negative stories and limiting beliefs i tell myself. I am becoming aware of them but replacing them with anything positive feels forced at the moment. So i am letting be. I have always before held competition in a negative way before but now i am beginning to see competition and winning in a more positive light.
Sharing my progress and welcome any tips/guidance.
Thanks
Chetana, there is no need to force anything positive, the limiting beliefs will dissolve on their own accord if you stay in a space of allowing – your life-stream has the intelligence to re-program your mind in the direction of alignment. The mind which is imbalanced cannot rectify the imbalance from its imbalanced state, so even the positive thinking that it tries to do will reek of some form of imbalance. So, there is not need to force yourself to think in a specific manner, for now just allow the mind momentum to keep dissolving in the state of allowing – you will soon reach a place where you feel this sense of inner freedom where your mind’s thinking no longer disturbs your being.
Hi Sen,
I’m trying to understand staying as a “detached witness” of my mind and apply it to daily life. I have had a negative past and sometimes present issues arise that stir up past memories/hurts and I then tend to brood and seeth over them until I eventually explode – which is not good. My father is exactly the same, if not worse. I have a constant battle within. Sometimes I can let go but then I feel myself get dragged back into my mind and as I fight that, the same process of brooding and frustration happens again and then back to square one. How do I remain detached from the hurt/anger/negativity accumulated in my mind but allow it at the same time? I understand the momentum, negative feeds negative but sometimes by allowing that, I feel it fuels it even more.. (does that make sense?).
Frances, it takes time to come to a place of inner stability and for now these “fluctuations” that you are feeling, and this sense of feeling the strong pull of the mind, are very normal. Instead of feeling bad about it, and feeling that you are not making progress, just continue with the practice of allowing in the best way you can. Rest assured, you will come to a point of stability as you continue with this process. The mind momentum keeps reducing gradually, in layers, until one day you sense that it no longer has any real force left in it – you have to give it time. You can read this post for more insight – http://www.calmdownmind.com/reaching-a-place-of-total-allowing/
Sen – what if all I feel like doing is watching TV, posting on internet forums, smoking the occasional joint, playing computer games or just sitting around doing nothing? Aren’t all these just forms of escape?
When I think I should be cleaning the house, looking for a job or working on my home-based-business I start to feel my mind close up and I have absolutely no motivation to do any of these things.
What is going on?
Jan, a state of conscious allowing is not a state of being a “drifter” who is simply lost in distractions – if so there will be no difference between a conscious being and an unconscious being. For a while you may need to sit without distractions and bring awareness within yourself, and start allowing the thoughts and emotional movements that come through – it’s very possible that watching TV, engaging in social media on the internet and other forms of entertainment that you are following are just means through which you are avoiding facing upto to certain fears and conflicts in your mind and emotional space. The state of allowing is not about following the impulses of a fear-based mind, or a denial-based mind, and live in distractions – you may want to understand the pointer of allowing more clearly. What will be of help to you would be to spend 30 minutes a day just sitting with yourself without any distractions, and just allowing your inner space (the mind and emotions) without trying to ignore or escape what arises – just be open, without trying to change it or sort it out, you will sense several fears and conflicts arising – as you continue staying allowing of these movements, you can sense a dissolution towards their momentum and the emergence of inner transformation as well as external solution that bring a harmony to your life in terms of finances, relationship, health and creative expression.
Thank you Sen 🙂
Ahoy Sen,
You know when Krishnamurti says – if you deal problem by problem, it will take your whole life to solve them, go to the root of it… So, working on limiting beliefs and useless mind patterns, dissolving them, it is really exausting. Sometimes it looks neverending to me. What did he mean by that – go to the root of it? I think he meant dissolving the “me”, selfish “me”, ego, completely. When you talk about a place of total allowing, is that it? I accumulate nothing to add to the “me”, I just allow energy to flow? I think I maybe deluded myself with idea of sudden, “thunder” inner transformation, without gradual release of accumulated negative energy, although I still feel there is some point of complete shift in being?
Chow, to gain conceptual understanding of the ego, the negativity, the space of being etc has an importance but eventually it boils down to using these pointers to reduce your mind momentum and the momentum of emotional energy in your inner space – and it takes time. A realization can create a strong “aha” moment for you and give you a feeling of liberation for a while, but the mind will come back with its momentum, as will the emotional momentum, because the gathered momentum can only dissolve over time. A realization by itself does not liberate you of the momentum, a realization is only useful if it gives you an understanding towards becoming allowing of a negativity/imbalance to ebb away by removing identification with it. The brain, and your emotional space, has gathered a momentum over-time, and it’s momentum can only reduce over time as you become more conscious (thus becoming allowing without identification) and thus are no longer giving it the fuel of your unconscious attention.
Under the influence of alcohol and marijuana, the state of allowing seems to become more efficient.
Is this a false sense of efficiency?
I realize these substances are external sources of pleasure, however I’m able to gain a wider perspective and an increased sense of clarity.
I would like to be clear that I’m consciously participating in the act of allowing while under the influence of these drugs, as compared to going out and partying/socializing.
I seem to gain temporary stability, but are these substances inhibiting the speed in which I become permanently balanced?
Rah, there are no “don’t dos” really, and you need to take a call based on what feels inspiring to you at any point. Temporary relief mechanisms are helpful at a certain stage, and it’s fine to employ them if that’s what you feel inspired to. The bottom-line is to understand that eventually true freedom is about coming to a place of conscious inner freedom without needing an external crutch – but it’s fine to use some crutches while you are making your way through this journey, you are the best judge of your present condition.
Hi Sen,
Liked your articles and your replies to the queries of several people out there.
I am suffering from OCD, thoughts which are completely vulgar.
I simply run away from my thoughts because of which fear and so much disturbance keeps dwelling in my mind. I am clueless about my current state.
It is as if I do not want to entertain these thoughts. Don’t know how to handle.
Please reply.
Thanks
Bharat, when you associate a label like “vulgar” to these thoughts you are basically standing in opposition to them, and holding a stance of fear. This stance cannot really allow the state of inner freedom that you seek. What’s needed is for you to spend some time just sitting with yourself, without distractions, and stay in a conscious state of allowing your mind freely – if you feel a sense of disgust towards these thoughts, just allow the sense of disgust without fighting it, if you feel bad within about having such thought then just allow this feeling of “badness” – you have to allow what’s arising in order to come to a state of inner freedom. Inner freedom is not what you think, it’s not some state of nobility but a state of total openness to all aspects of life while having the freedom of choice on how you want to live your life.
Hi Sen,
I’m curious as to taking action where your not certain if its coming from a place of wholeness or imbalance.Lets say you take a vitamin supplement because your skin has broken out,is that coming from a place of fear?Like if you do something to avoid pain(not the thought of it),because you fear having no money or something along those lines.
To come from a place of wholeness/strength vs. coming from a place of imbalance/weakness,I am far more aligned than I used to be,my world has changed.Is it a case that once your fully aligned you will always trust your choices?
Thanks Sen
Chris, if you feel confused about taking a certain action, just let go of “deciding” for a while. This part of you that’s confused and trying to decide is the part that’s not really in the flow, and you need to allow the momentum of this part of you to subside – so don’t cling to this part of you, and just let it be. If the action is necessary you will see yourself following through on it inevitably. Don’t worry too much about if your decision is right or wrong, there is no need to be so “careful” in life, just trust that what you are doing is the best you can do at this moment because that’s what you feel like doing. It’s true that the more you come into connecting with your space of being, the more certain you feel about your choices, because you are very sure about your inner instinct and there is very little momentum of imbalance present in the mind.
I have had an on and off relationship with a man for a couple of years. He told me that he wasn’t in love with me. I became very needy after that which made him withdraw further from me. The last couple of months I have tried to stay allowing of all my feelings that arise. But this time I tarted crying. Cried for 2 hours at a time. Memories, feelings and everything surfased. Am I allowing when I start to cry? Or is that a kind of mekanisme to feel better?
Mb, sometimes the response of crying is simply body’s physical reaction to the emotional release, or even emotional turmoil, felt within and it’s a very normal physical movement – just be allowing of this response. It almost seems like a physiological/bodily necessity, sometimes, during a release (especially in females).
Hi Sen,
Can you please suggest some meditation that could be helpful in order to get the negative thought patterns out of the mind ? I just wish to let it all go, but not able to do it. Maybe, meditation or chanting the holy name shall help. Please suggest.
Thanks
B.S
BS, you can start with the practice of relaxed awareness (for a couple of months) and then move towards practice the state of inner allowing, mentioned in the below posts. This is to gain a space of inner stability, you can work with your mind’s thoughts once you have this sense of inner stability in you.
http://www.calmdownmind.com/the-practice-of-relaxed-awareness/
http://www.calmdownmind.com/reaching-a-place-of-total-allowing/
http://www.calmdownmind.com/faq-on-the-state-of-allowing/
Hey, Sen 🙂
I love your articles. They resonate with my being.
I wanted to ask you personally about something.
I understand fears and other anxieties need to be accepted and allowed to exist in your being, so that they can be transcended. That’s okay.
But what happens when your mind is a master trickster and loves to compare you with other people. For example, I’m a student. It’s true that I’m not one of those people who have the best grades, nor am I one of those who actually studied the way they were supposed to. My knowledge is quite limited and I still have much more to go, in order to be successful in my future practice (a psychologist wannabe, by the way).
Because of the fact I’m quite aware of this, my mind quite often makes me feel miserable by pointing out stuff I said wrong in a discussion, or makes me feel like others judge what I say, when I participate, or judge me when I don’t say anything- for example, ‘they must believe I’m dumb’.
In a way I’m very outwardly oriented, and I need outer validation of my qualities, because on the inside I know I have much to learn and if I compare myself to other student, I most definitely don’t know enough.
My question is, when such annoying miserable thoughts arise, do I need to let them be as well, or should I try to analyze where they come from?
I’ve noticed that when I allow them to be, they soon become very vague and abstract in nature, mostly like a frustrating sensation, and that makes me feel like I lose the perspective of the problem, so that I can deal with it. It has to do with the self-analytical approach inevitably caught from the psychological lectures and so on.
But I’ve always been more keen on the spiritual.
Thank you.
In a way, I’ve always ‘battled’ with this strong need of outer acceptance. I want to transcend it.
Hi Sen
Firstly many thanks for your articles I am really getting benefit from them.
The mind has many questions but one which I have difficulty with is this practise of allowing. Does it mean that for an initial period of time, where one has a preference for a particular outcome,which is not life threatening so to say, I should go along with the preferences of others.
I have been doing this & finding life to be much calmer however with certain decisions the mind keeps throwing strong objection
Grateful for your comments
Kind regards Jeffrey
Sen,
I have started on this journey to unearth who i really am, behind all the anxiety and mind chatter that has consumed me for so long. The journey so far has consisted of ups and downs which have both thaught some valuable lessons towards growth. In awarness i watch all my insecurities, fears and doubts come to light. I currently still feel like im in the middle of a storm and don’t know when it will end.
Why does the mind keep bringing up past stories ? I am staying aware but the momentum of negativity still arises (thoughts & sensations in body). They don’t scare me as much anymore and i am slowely begining to see them for what they are. They only get to me when im trying to move forward with life and then they pop up and cause doubt (the thoughts sort of come by suprise).
On the other hand, i sometimes get a over exicited feeling in the body when the negativity goes away and this is when most my realisations arise. The best i could describe it is thinking without a feeling of heaviness and resistance. Although the over excitement and energy in my body sometimes tends to overwhelm me to the point were i think ‘something cant be right’.
I think it might be because I tend to look into the future to how i want things to be and get discouraged when still being stuck with this negativity.
I have relised that my motivation and drive for life is possibly being clouded by my deep rooted fears towards physical living. The fact that i have unconciously been identified with this ‘unaware’ way of thinking since childhood has also added to my pain.
Thank you for all your help so far Sen, i really appreciate it.
Let me know what you think.
Also, if anyone else has any insights on their personal journeys, i would love to hear them.
Nick
It sounds like I am on a similar journey to yourself and I also am in the ‘middle of the storm’. If i bring a brutal honesty to myself and my life then I must admit to myself that anxiety(sometimes chronic) and fear have stalked me all of my life since childhood and I think that this has led to feelings of anger and resentment against those I have(past tense) deemed to be responsible, ie my parents, culture and society. This type of thinking has just led me to a huge mindmomentum and a feeling of having no control, being helpless etc.
My huge mind momentum has contributed to feelings of anger, depression, paranoia, anxiety, disturbing thoughts etc with the result that my life has become almost unbearable at times. This aslo feeds the victim mindset that comes with such thinking and really just makes you go round in circles. I have tried all sorts of ‘therapies’ and techniques with little or no success although that probably says more about me as I was looking for instant cures and ‘the magic bullet’ – I now know that there is no such ‘cure’.
I am not really a religious person but I thank ‘god’ for bringing me to Sen’s blog\site as I was hooked from the very first sentence – it really resonated with me and for the first time in my life the articles written by Sen have given me hope and optimism whereas before I felt a total prisoner to my mind and its fears.
Where am I now? Releasing\allowing most (if not every) days and starting to feel that I am opening up and starting to allow. Of course I am nowhere near total allowing yet as, in Sens words, this takes time. I still have some difficulties with allowing horrible and disturbing thoughts and my mind still has ‘momentum’ but overall there seems to be a gradual shift with a lessening of the intensity and frequency so my intention is to keep going on this journey and see where it takes me. I feel there is a long way to go but I am on my way and I am going to try and even enjoy it if I can!! A few months ago I would have found it hard to even make that statement so that in itself is heartening.
Once final pointer: I, like a lot of other people, up until now have been very impatient in everything I do. However I believe Sen fully(but NOT blindly) when he says we should be patient and let this process unfold at its own pace. For me personally I know it will take time as I HAD a huge mind momentum, a Tsunami of negativity, anxiety and fear, and therefore even in the middle of the storm I will stay with it because this process and Sens teachings have shed light on a lot of things I could not.
Best wishes and stay with it Nick, and even though this may sound absurd, even try and enjoy it although it can be a difficult and fraught process. As the saying goes do not be afraid of the truth, as the truth always sets you free.
Sen, I have struggled for the longest time to ‘get’ you writings but I think i might FINALLY have a handle on this non mind stuff. So a fearful thought enters my head, instead of forcing myself back to the present moment, forcibly emptying my head, instead I’ll say ‘yes’ or ‘ok’ in my head & not back away from it and it feels different this way. More fear arises in my being it seems but it feels like its maybe a low level fear that’s always there that I’m forcing myself to block out and by allowing I’m opening up for it to be addressed? I don’t know, does this sound at all on the right track?
Alex, that’s an accurate understanding
OK but what if the thought is constantly present even while your staying aware? You keep having to release it into allowing again and again? Is this correct until its magnetism goes away? It feels like I’ll make it happen like this, its hard not to get taken in by my mind
Hello Sen,
I dearly hope u will resolve my doubt I have about ‘allowing’ and ‘staying aware’.
I am studying for a highly competitive exam. I have a desire to qualify in this exam. In accordance with my desire I have aligned myself and am doing the necessary ‘efforts’ ( efforts that feel natural in alignment with my desire)towards passing this exam.
I am feeling good about it and am aligned most of the time. But sometimes the mind does throw up the occasional fear that I may not pass and I would be left behind my friends and competitors.
My question is:
Do I ALLOW this fear of failure (and the other unpleasant emotions associated with this ) to pass through me
OR Do I Just stay aware of the thoughts AND stay focused on the end result?
Many thanks for your reply.
Srini, just allow this thought as a movement of your mind, there is no need to either indulge in this thought or suppress it, just let it be. Continue your preparations in an objective manner without being hooked up on the superfluous thoughts, when you are studying just study there is no need to bother about how you will perform compared to your friends – let these thoughts come up, don’t get identified with them, and they will release on their own (they will lose their pull and intensity as you stay in this openness).
This website is literally changing my life, I’m 18 and I suffer from hyperhidrosis, now I know what to do when this problem arises, just do not try to fight the feelings, just let it happen and with time it will go away, I hope ..
Sen,
Your writing is truly beautiful and well articulated. You’re words resound within me and cement so many loose thoughts and understandings together.
Thank you for your efforts to share your findings with others, they are truly helpful and I hope you are rewarded with happiness.
David
Hi Wynone,
It’s nice to hear others have the same inner thoughts as I do.
Sen, I wanted to repost Wynone’s question in the hope you might see it, I appreciate you must get so many questions. I would love to hear your insights into Wynone’s examples, mine are very similar and i suspect many others too.
Thanks
David