The Inner Hurricane
Time to prepare for the hurricane..flashlights check, candles check, water check, food check. The good news of the hurricanes that exist in nature is that we can prepare for them and take necessary precaution as best as we can. Although, you never know their true magnitude until they show up. We know we can expect high winds, rain, perhaps some thunder/lightening/hail. No amount of wishing will send the hurricane away and it is out of our complete control to re-route its path. So what do we do once it arrives, we sit, watch, and wait for it to pass. We know that it may be ugly, but eventually the hurricane will run its course and beautiful clear skies will once again be in our neighborhood.
Just as mother nature's hurricane, we have all experienced the mind's hurricane, where it feels like you are being flooded with damaging thoughts, emotions, and physical responses. The inner hurricane may seem out of your control at first, but we actually do have a great deal of control in our response to the hurricane. Similar to mother nature's hurricane, we can prepare ourselves for those times in our life when an inner hurricane comes in our radar. Practicing meditation, yoga, affirmations, breath work, visualizations, are all modalities we can stock up on and keep in our "cabinets"for when a thought storm approaches.
I mentioned above that when a hurricane is over our heads, the only thing we can do is sit, watch, and wait. Same thing goes for the hurricane of the mind. Here is a technique that can help you "wait out the storm" and once again see those clear blue skies within...
Start by taking a seat whether on a blanket, against a wall, in your bed...basically give yourself permission to get comfortable. This will make the storm watching process a bit cozier! Close your eyes and allow the darkness to start to soften the thoughts. You may visualize the thoughts as elements of a true hurricane..give them color, substance, temperature. Know that you are safe inside as you watch these thoughts take over your internal environment. Simply watch. Don't react. Don't allow yourself to get swept up by thoughts. Observe without judgement.
Deepen and slow down your breath so the thoughts themselves can slow down and weaken. After several minutes you may feel an "eye of the storm" moment where a settling begins to occur. Stay present here, but dont be surprised if another downpour of thoughts enter in. It's okay. It will be pass. Continue with slowing down the breath. Begin to visualize the thoughts becoming less potent as the mental storm calms down and pushes its way out of your inner environment.
Then see and feel the clearing. The space between the thought clouds, a decrease in the abundance of the clouds, the sun light breaking through the clouds. Eventually, there will be just a few light wispy stray clouds that are non-harming and non-destructing. Congratulations! You waited out the storm. It is a sunny day and you have chased the clouds away! (thank you sesame street).
There ya go dear friends! Hurricane Isaac may be among us soon here in Florida, but once he arrives we will sit, wait, and watch knowing that a sunny day is just around the corner. Hey if the power goes out you now have a lovely meditation that you can do. No power needed. Just the light of single candle. And speaking of light..
Namaste- the light in me bows to the light within you.
Stay safe in the storms everyone, both outer and inner :o)
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