Today I am thinking about staying present to what is happening right now. We all do a lot of fortune telling (about the future and what will happen) mind reading (assuming we know what others are thinking/feeling) catastrophizing (thinking the worst will happen). Makes sense after all the events of the past year. I think fear is an important emotion, because it reminds us proceed with caution. But it's easy to get stuck in fear, the "alarm" system can become hyper vigilant to all the possibilities that may, or may not exist. We get overloaded and then our nervous system gets overwhelmed, causing all kinds of issues. If we can create a practice that helps us focus on the present moment, we can relieve many of the side effects of the over-stressed nervous system. There is no one right way - your individual practice is right for you. Is this something you think about? Could you find a way to turn down your over active alarm system?
- Elizabeth Bailey