Cal
5th November 2007, 11:25 PM
I don't know what it's called, but here is a technique I use to wash away negative emotions, so far it has worked 100% of the time but I haven't tried it on much.
When you feel something you don't want to feel, simply change your mind and want to feel it. I'll use a couple of examples from my life.
I have social anxiety, so when I'm in a socially anxious situation I just stop resisting the feeling, the situation, and the reasons the situation causes the feeling.
I turn the fear into love and accept it fully. Just become conscious of myself and the bad feeling inside and really FEEL it, as though I love it and want to suck it all up and can't get enough of it, I just intensify it to the point where it's taking up my whole focus. I don't try to resist it or wish I didn't feel it, focus on it, and feel it as much as possible.
Sometimes this is enough to simply make the feeling disappear, if not I intensify the love and acceptance of myself, my feelings, the situation, and everyone around me.
How can I describe this, you simply change your mind, this isn't bad, it's good, no it's PERFECT, and there is absolutely nothing at all wrong here. What this usually involves is being humble (getting rid of the ego which is what causes the problem).
It's ok to have social anxiety, I express fully that I'm nervous around people with a loving smile on my face, I tell them why if they ask, (for every fear there is a reason, a perfectly logical reason), just go into detail about the whole thing without trying to hide it or any aspect of it, bare your soul for all to see, love everyone and the situation fully. Not a good talker? Don't stand there in silence hoping the other person won't notice, tell them, express yourself, say your not used to people or whatever the reason(s) is/are. Suffered a lot of rejection that's left a few scars explain it. Now you have something to talk about :)
It can be hard though, letting down all defenses, but if you accept and love every sensation and every second, it can feel unbelievable.
If that's a little too much then tone it down a bit, just keep love in your mind, sit or stand there in silence and just love, just be ok with it, instead of hating/resisting it, reach in a give your fear a hug.
Another experience of mine (and the most powerful) where this loving acceptance and releasing resistance has helped me is with depression. Let me paint the picture.
During those times when it gets too hard to ignore, or when it comes unexpectedly and knocks me to my knees. When that horrible feeling in my chest that spreads in every direction choking me and squeezing out what little colour the world has creeps up from behind and pours hell into me. When I'm lost inside that black fog with no way out, curled up in the corner of my bed, all sense of what and who I am gone, seeming to existing as sorrow itself, feeling the tears flowing out with no control over anything. Being eaten from inside by a pain so terrifying to be dead would be a dream come true.
I imagine all my friends and family around me, I say to them this is how I feel, this is why, even though you might not understand, or think I'm stupid or wrong, this is how I feel. Yes I'm crying, I feel so scared and alone and can't find my way out. And I love you all, no matter what you think, because this is who I am, misunderstood, lost, scared and in love with you all and everyone else more than you could believe. I'm not scared of telling you now, because I love you no matter what you say or do or think, because this is who I am, and I'm not hiding what's inside anymore. I'm sorry for the bad things I've said and done, sorry enough to cry about it, I want you to know it was because I was scared and I didn't know what else to do. I'm sorry and I love you all so much.
At this point the tears haven't stopped, in fact they flow faster and I cry harder. But now they aren't tears of pain and fear, but of happiness and love, the unimaginable feeling of unconditional love and acceptance, absolute bliss.
I fall asleep, and the next day is one of serenity and inner peace.
Maybe this can be of help to someone else.
Cal
When you feel something you don't want to feel, simply change your mind and want to feel it. I'll use a couple of examples from my life.
I have social anxiety, so when I'm in a socially anxious situation I just stop resisting the feeling, the situation, and the reasons the situation causes the feeling.
I turn the fear into love and accept it fully. Just become conscious of myself and the bad feeling inside and really FEEL it, as though I love it and want to suck it all up and can't get enough of it, I just intensify it to the point where it's taking up my whole focus. I don't try to resist it or wish I didn't feel it, focus on it, and feel it as much as possible.
Sometimes this is enough to simply make the feeling disappear, if not I intensify the love and acceptance of myself, my feelings, the situation, and everyone around me.
How can I describe this, you simply change your mind, this isn't bad, it's good, no it's PERFECT, and there is absolutely nothing at all wrong here. What this usually involves is being humble (getting rid of the ego which is what causes the problem).
It's ok to have social anxiety, I express fully that I'm nervous around people with a loving smile on my face, I tell them why if they ask, (for every fear there is a reason, a perfectly logical reason), just go into detail about the whole thing without trying to hide it or any aspect of it, bare your soul for all to see, love everyone and the situation fully. Not a good talker? Don't stand there in silence hoping the other person won't notice, tell them, express yourself, say your not used to people or whatever the reason(s) is/are. Suffered a lot of rejection that's left a few scars explain it. Now you have something to talk about :)
It can be hard though, letting down all defenses, but if you accept and love every sensation and every second, it can feel unbelievable.
If that's a little too much then tone it down a bit, just keep love in your mind, sit or stand there in silence and just love, just be ok with it, instead of hating/resisting it, reach in a give your fear a hug.
Another experience of mine (and the most powerful) where this loving acceptance and releasing resistance has helped me is with depression. Let me paint the picture.
During those times when it gets too hard to ignore, or when it comes unexpectedly and knocks me to my knees. When that horrible feeling in my chest that spreads in every direction choking me and squeezing out what little colour the world has creeps up from behind and pours hell into me. When I'm lost inside that black fog with no way out, curled up in the corner of my bed, all sense of what and who I am gone, seeming to existing as sorrow itself, feeling the tears flowing out with no control over anything. Being eaten from inside by a pain so terrifying to be dead would be a dream come true.
I imagine all my friends and family around me, I say to them this is how I feel, this is why, even though you might not understand, or think I'm stupid or wrong, this is how I feel. Yes I'm crying, I feel so scared and alone and can't find my way out. And I love you all, no matter what you think, because this is who I am, misunderstood, lost, scared and in love with you all and everyone else more than you could believe. I'm not scared of telling you now, because I love you no matter what you say or do or think, because this is who I am, and I'm not hiding what's inside anymore. I'm sorry for the bad things I've said and done, sorry enough to cry about it, I want you to know it was because I was scared and I didn't know what else to do. I'm sorry and I love you all so much.
At this point the tears haven't stopped, in fact they flow faster and I cry harder. But now they aren't tears of pain and fear, but of happiness and love, the unimaginable feeling of unconditional love and acceptance, absolute bliss.
I fall asleep, and the next day is one of serenity and inner peace.
Maybe this can be of help to someone else.
Cal