There is no way out but through.
When first placing focused attention on the heart, sometimes unexpected emotional reactions might occur. Emotions provide vital clues to issues that may be in need of attention. We may not have fully processed past emotional situations, whether from childhood or last week, and they can become stored in our bodies, both energetically and physically.
Intellectual knowledge or awareness alone does not necessarily resolve emotional issues. Past traumas can sometimes hold a powerful influence over our behavior and choices.
Placing attention on the heart can bring these emotions to the surface, providing an excellent opportunity to release the emotions. Calling upon your neutral inner observer when this occurs can be very useful. It is important to allow yourself to feel whatever emotions arise while witnessing from a neutral space.
It is not necessary to explain or justify the emotions with a story from the past; analysis can be saved for later. As you feel the emotions, simply say to yourself, “Let Go,” and imagine the emotions are being released. Releasing emotional trauma can provide clarity so that you can address the original source of a problem, if necessary.
More extreme trauma may necessitate third-party assistance from a practitioner. Practices such as hypnosis, EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) or breathwork can be useful for some. These are some of the methods of assisting the subject into a hypnagogic state, similar to brainwave entrainment using audio technology. In this more expanded state, suppressed memories more easily come to the surface, allowing them to be processed and examined from a fresh, more objective perspective — and, ultimately, released.
PRACTICE
Always remember to generate a feeling of gratitude when entering your practice. If unexpected emotions arise, observe from a neutral space while allowing yourself to feel whatever arises and imagine that it is being released. Continue with your practice and save analysis for later entry in your journal.
RESOURCES
The Untethered Soul by Michael Singer
A couple people have mentioned in the comments that they aren’t connecting with the dark, creepy voice singing Ohm. I thought I’d share a perspective that may or may not help. I think that voice is the Dalai Llama’s from a recording of a sacred part of the Rig Veda called Maha Mrityunjaya Mantra. It is auspicious and sacred (to some). Perhaps Invite yourself to look inward at your breath and heartbeat experiencing yourself as fully human and as the Ohm enters, imagine it is “the core” or “Ohm” that Dr Alexander mentioned in his 1st book letting you know how close you are to each other, like a beacon. Or maybe you have an imagining that works better for you.
The Dalai Lama has come to the Univ of Wisconsin for brain imaging to study how a brain/mind that meditates regularly is different than one that does not. (Dr Richard Davidson) The results are significant and I wonder if the brain’s filter softens with meditation and Core/Ohm knowing and experiencing enter our awareness ? That’s why I am taking this 33 day journey – not sure what will happen but opening myself to it.
I find that my brain can only be in one state at a time – if I’m neutral than I don’t feel, if I feel then I’m not neutral. It can fluctuate between these states every few seconds, but not at the same time. I think it’s also documented that the brain has to “decide” each time how to interpret reality, but it cannot hold two interpretations at the same time. Like the image of the two black silhouettes of faces forming a white vase between them. You can either see the faces or the vase, not both at the same time, but you can fluctuate between them. So to neutrally observe what “comes up” is actually for me to try to neutrally observe what CAME UP, because I cannot be neutral and think \ feel at the same time. And to make it even more philosophical – if I am observing even something that came up in the near past, It doesn’t feel like I’m neutral, because I’m thinking about what came up, even if there’s no judgement. To just be neutral seems to me like being in a place where nothing comes up, there’s nothing to observe. Can anybody relate?
Personally the emotions I find the most critical to release is the current emotions revolving around my returning to work in retail. The behavior that I witnessed prior to our state’s lock down had me worried, and some of my fellow employees who have remained at work through the last 8 weeks have said it is already very hard to deal with angry customers on the phone. We don’t even know when we are going to reopen. I am SO grateful to have several Sacred Acoustics recordings on my cell phone. I fully plan on sitting in my car during my hour long lunch break to try to re-center myself and wash myself of the anxieties, anger, and even hatred for those who refuse to be good citizens. These are definitely difficult times for our feelings.
Would someone care to explain what and where a “neutral” space is.
As the genearal descriptions of “emotions” are part of a “belief” structure, which might be part of what holds as back from the Divinity inside, would someone care to say what an “emotion” is, what is does, what its purpose is and how it might connect with the brain, the body and an spiritual practice or experience.
To clarify the use of “neutral”… this is a state of no judgment at all, just observation. Many have found it helpful to develop a perspective of neutrality, rather than a reactive emotional state. Rather than be triggered in some situations, a practice of neutrality helps us to see a larger picture of what might be going on. For those that meditate regularly, identification with the neutral inner observer assists in this process.
Hi everyone. A little nervous about raising the subject but, the issue of money brings up a lot for me.
Had very mixed messages growing up about money. I’ve not always handled it very well and made poor choices.
I’m trying to walk through it emotionally and now prioritize.
My akashic records teacher, Linda Howe, says, “Acceptance facilitates release.” She teaches us to first be aware of what is the case, next to accept that what is, is, as it is, then to discover what we learned from the (trauma, etc.) and are now grateful for and appreciate knowing, and, lastly, to take appropriate action based on our new knowledge.
I watched the interview of Michael Singer in YouTube. It is uplifting, it is so simple: notice, relax and release. Step by step. I have noticed that myself, when in a situation, that is not what I want and I begin to resist, and I notice that and tell myself “Don´t resist.” Everything changes, I start to smile, my heart opens and I´m fine. Thank you for the resources!
I agree, gratitude is truly the key to everything. Especially gratitude for the many things we don’t even know about, that has come our way by way of our creator. Like approaching an intersection,and the light turns red, completely out of sinc and you stop quickly. Then, zoom…., a car flies through, and your life has been saved. Coincidence….I don’t think so. Think of the many things that happen throughout the days, weeks or months, make a list, you’ll be quite surprised how many there are. I tell the Lord how very grateful I am for my health, my family and friends, on and on , then I think of a dozen or more things out of the blue, that I hadn’t thought of before. I was driving the other day. I was the second car at a light, the light turned green and the car in front went through the light, but my car hesitated like it was going to die on me, and as I looked, for the car behind me honked, a car going about 50 mph zoomed through the intersection and we would have probably been killed, as well as others, had I just followed through like normal. Gratitude for for this Journey,Karen and Eben and all you wonderful folks out there. Please be careful and ask for protection from above no matter what your doing. Blessings, love and light. Sandie
Lovely exercise again😊. A great way to clean out all the rubbish we pick up each day after going about in the world.
There always comes a point with me while “letting go” of stuff in meditation that I get to a place of awareness of my own small, limited energy field and I cannot expand consciousness or let go any more. It seems to me like I might have to wait until I physically die before completely letting go in this inner world. In the outer world, in unspoilt nature for example, I do feel like I can let go and expand to the furthest stars sometimes! Any thoughts Karen?
Comme dans toutes choses, ce n’est qu’avec la pratique e le lâcher prise qu’on arrive à bout de tout. Comme le disait Bruce Lipton, notre subconscient agit par automatisme, et le conscient a besoin d’entrainement pour arriver jusqu’au subconscient et que cela devienne un automatisme. Bon courage tout est possible.
Votre champ d’énergie n’st pas petit, mais très large, c’est juste que vous n’en êtes pas conscient encore. Persévérer, tout est possible, et pas besoin de mourir pour cela.
As a Reiki master I find that there is energetic release of emotions with clients I work with. Having the benefit of psychic sight and feeling, I can work with the energy in the Reiki session and then I always follow this up with a counselling / coaching feedback session after the treatment – and it works!
These daily practices are good and helpful in the practice of quieting the mind and in mindful mediation. Most of this daily guidance provides tools for this to be accomplishment, with the exception of the sessions where a background “Ommm” in repeated in a deep haunting tone/drone. It is quite frankly disturbing and actually is counter intuitive to a relaxed state, so I can not play or participate in those sessions. So no surprize you will agree that one size does not fit all.
I’m so glad to hear someone else say that the “Ommmm” sound is disturbing; I thought it was just me. It does not seem in keeping with peaceful, comforting sounds, and I am trying to reach a higher level to get outside of my body to reach that cosmic awareness of oneness.
Totally agree. I can no longer listen to the “ommm” and in addition having just purchased one of other recordings in the series have passed that CD onto someone else. I have wondered, because I am highly attuned to “psychic” awareness since childhood, if my baseline awareness level reads those tones as aggravating interference…. nona
Just the opposite for me. OM brings me into deep relaxation. Thankful that we have a variety of techniques to suit different individual experiences.
The recorded “om” chanting is neither unpleasant nor particularly engaging, for me. However, when I experimented with chanting “om” myself, after listening to the recording a few times, I experienced an unexpected sensation. It felt like a primal remembering. When I struck a specific tone and pitch, the “om” sound seemed to originate from a point deep in my lower belly, resonant and much more powerful. It felt like a Conduit or doorway into some other dimension And I suddenly remembered the Source of everything. OM. The One I’ve always known and loved, but had forgotten, in this body. The sound, the vibration of OM was utterly familiar, total love and perfect Home. The experience was both a total revelation, and not new at all. I’ve never felt anything like that while listening to the OM recording, and although chanting OM still brings back the flavor of that experience, a sort of memory of a memory, it’s never again opened the direct remembrance of OM.
I think you all are on to something: it is too masculine a sound and can remind one of an approaching army. I would like to hear a more neutral or midrange tone, as I heard during the birth of a baby when I was a nursing student. It was a magnificent experience: as the baby took its first breath, the universe turned inside out with a deep hum. No one seemed to see but me. So, what I do, when I hear the deep tones, I remember that hum I heard, which was the same, yet not masculine or feminine, but just a deep drone-like sensation of the basic fundament of reality. There are many recordings of male monks chanting om but not many recordings of women chanting om. But on another note, I think there is another reason for being repelled by the OM sounds: a yogi once told me that this is not the mantra for everyone, but only for those who seek the ultimate reality. It is a very expansive sound. It is the sound of the universe expanding. That kind of expansion can be scary. In the training videos (I watched them all and did research before buying the Ascension Bundle), Karen says to experiment with the OM sound, that there is a version of it that is specific to the individual. It is a version that combines your soul’s note with OM at just the right pitch and tone and so forth. So, one can override the track when listening by sounding one’s unique version of the sound of oneness and expansion.
It’s good to read all of the comments… as soon as I awoke I listened to the Let Go audio and then noticed in this new day a myriad of different things will vie for my attention. When I left my home, I made a quick stop at the P.O. and then went down the block to make a left turn. My car came out a little past the stop sign and a person in a red truck drove by with his hands up in the air saying what are you doing. At first I reacted defensively with an Oh Please attitude I Stopped, what’s the big deal… but then I instantly felt this is no way to start the day with my expansive heart just being so open. Then I relealized the person in the red truck was my teacher and that his reaction was a natural reaction to him not knowing that I would stop. I energetically thanked the man with my whole heart at the ocean in the midst of Day 17 Release practice. I am a beginner at coming from a neutral inner observer perspective and then allowing the feelings to arise and with my Heart Breath release the past issues that keep coming up. This practice is helping me to start over at any point in a day and be open… Thank you
…the inner observer is kind of like being stoned only more functional. The hesitation before “knee-jerk” reaction reminds me of my pet rabbit which has a ‘stall’ response before responding to a stimulus. I have learned to wait to respond from my rabbit and also have applied that behavior to working with my horses which always require a calm approach. This “neutral observer” is everywhere throughout nature.
Michael Singer’s is one of the most practical, useful little books I’ve read in a long time. I first checked it out from the public library, then bought it. If you are at all curious, please check it out – you will (most likely) not be disappointed. I’ve been using the “Let Go” technique for many things, not just thick emotional stuff. It works great for those little petty annoyances! I also do some “toning” before I sit for meditation if I’m out of sorts. It helps to clear my mental state. Thank you for this forum.
Gratitude is the key to everything, especially being grateful for something that hasn’t happened yet because the Universal field, or Higher intelligence opens the door and sends you what you are grateful for. The key is being in the present moment and really feeling the gratitude. Intent with emotion.
Gratitude “forward” is an interesting take on things. My husband transitioned in December, a few months ago, and since he has NOT disappeared from my life we continue to work out this new chapter of our relationship day by day…I have not realized until reading the Oct 5 2017 comment by Joe Hayes that this is what I am doing when I decide how to approach each new day. I plan for both of us asking him for approval or not with intent for happiness and that’s really a gratitude intent. A relationship involving this and the next closest dimension takes keen attention and approaching it with thankfulness for what might be possible clears much dust from the view forward and avoids the pitfalls of this not so ordinary plan.
Meditating with Heart recording, “You are in the Bible” a deep voice informed. “Who am I in the Bible?” I asked. No answer.
Keep asking and you shall receive. 🙂
Wow! Maybe the Book of Life? The akashic records? What a nice message to get! You are in holy space and will be remembered always.
If as Eben is teaching us, we are all a part of the super consciousness which is inside all of us, wouldn’t it be
true that we were all in the bible as every single person. This is so interesting because I never perceived all
of us being every person in the bible. What a consciousness expander.
Okay, well I will speak to this topic. I spent many years healing trauma with several different modalities – breathwork, Jungian analysis, EMDR. It is like peeling an onion, layer after layer. Your suggestion of witnessing from a neutral place is important because I do not intend to suggest victimization. Those who…I am looking for a word that doesn’t imply blame…presented the opportunity to explore trauma, have been my greatest teachers. Each challenge offers an opportunity to exhibit mastery.
Today I find that the gentle and nurturing practice of restorative yoga, flushes up tears and a feeling of vulnerability. So far, it seems, independent of a memory of any particular event warranting tears. So, yes, I just observe it…and allow it to move through me until it settles quietly.