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Institute of Serenity PMB 875, 713 W. Spruce, Deming, NM
Teaching Relaxation, Rest, and Renewal since 2002
Serenity Practice: Spring 2009
Meeting the
enemy:
As soon as you
notice that you are stressed, anxious, restless, or at unease, you have
basically two choices:
First: You can apply a
relaxation technique like gentle yoga, meditation, conscious breathing,
or Autogenic Training.
Second: You can look
directly on what stresses you out.
The first choice does not
necessarily mean that you turn away from your stressors. You can explore
so-called negative emotions while you meditate or practice yoga.
Generally speaking, however, relaxation techniques tend to divert your
attention away from your stressors.
This is not a bad thing to
do, especially if you need to switch to a more relaxed mindset quickly.
For deeper self-exploration,
however, you may want to know your "enemy."
Do the
following exercise:
Click on the image below to
download and print the sheet.
Then ask yourself:
What do I experience as
stress right now?
What, who, which circumstances?
What hinders me to live creatively, freely, and joyfully at this
moment?
Listen within. Let your
intuition speak. Notice what comes to mind.
No pressure.
Jot down some words; no
complete sentences are necessary.
Maybe an images enters the stage of your awareness. Try a little
sketch, without any artistic ambitions. Think of a children's
drawing or a cartoon with callouts.
Allow the words and
images to flow onto the paper until you feel that they capture your
present stress situation.
Then look at your sheet
while breathing evenly and deeply, with your shoulders down.
Here they are, your stressors!
Notice any changes in the way you feel about your present situation.
