Hello Friends,
Remember all those New Years resolutions that never amount to anything? Aside from the question of whether you’re just being cruel to yourself, consider this. If you’re having trouble manifesting what you truly want, it may be time to take a look at what you’re using for your anchor.
In Advanced Energy Anatomy, Caroline Myss insists that the speed at which we are able to move forward, to speed at which we can manifest the life we want to live, depends entirely on how much weight of the past we are carrying around with us. She puts it this way: wait=weight.
Listening to her talk, I can picture Jacob Marley from A Christmas Carol, dragging around those heavy chains and yelling at Scrooge to wake up and change his life for the better.
Most of us are carrying around some kind of burden like that. We’re grieving for something we’ve done or failed to do, we’re angry at the injustice of something that shouldn’t have happened to us or a loved one; we’re worried or irritated about something we wish were different than the way it is; we’re afraid that we are not lovable because of something that has happened to us. Heavy matter indeed.
As Echart Tolle says, most people are carrying on a constant conversation with themselves, entitled, “why I can’t be happy.” And all that stuff weighs us down.
The good news is, we’ve just turned the tide of the season, and the solstice is bringing the light back. This is a great time of year to break the chains that are holding us back and step into a lighter frame of mind.
One great way to do this is to view the situation symbolically. Imagine that you are the hero of a mythic story. What does the current obstacle represent? How may it be thwarting or distracting you from your quest, which is to flourish into your fullest potential? How might you, the hero, need to grow or change in order to transcend the limitation? Could the so-called “problem” or “reason you can’t be happy” have a spiritual interpretation? Can you lighten into a broader point of view?
In Yoga, the concept of aparigraha asks us to look at the things we grasp after, or gravitate toward – the things we cling to – and be willing to free ourselves of those influences in order to truly thrive. Sometimes the things we cling to are actual physical things, or physical habits that weigh us down. Other times they are prevailing moods, or habits of mind. In either case, aparigraha encourages us to get clear about what we actually, truly, want and need, and let go of the rest.
Maybe some of you remember Jane Campion’s beautiful movie The Piano. In the end, the heroine literally has to cut the rope in order to choose life, to experience happiness. The piano itself, which had been her lifeline, becomes the anchor she has to be willing to lose to set herself free.
The great sages of all traditions are full of light. Even though many of them faced terrible challenges on their own hero’s journey, they dropped the weight of that past in order to experience a transcendence of form, a transcendence of the suffering of the past. While still compassionate for the suffering of others, they no longer carry their own, “personal” grievances around on their shoulders. They’ve surrendered that weight. This is one way to understand enlightenment.
While that’s the lofty view, the idea of surrendering the weight that holds us back opens the possibility of greater peace of mind, greater happiness, at all levels.
This week, let’s take time to reflect on what we’re holding onto, that may be holding us back. It may be helpful to reflect, the more I hold onto this “weight” (anger, grievance, self-doubt sorrow, habit, need for approval, limiting belief – whatever), the longer I have to “wait” to realize peace of mind, fulfillment, the manifestation of what I came here to do.
And it may be helpful to declare, when you recognize that you have the power to set yourself free:
Lightness is Now. Happiness is Now. No more waiting.
Namaste,
Erin
Happy Holidays Everyone! Please enjoy my FREE GIFT to you this season: Holiday Relaxation: an 8 minute guided meditation practice you can do anywhere. (Click on FREE GIFT to access.)
Interested in manifesting your heart-felt desire?
Hit reply to sign up for my FREE webinar coming this January. You will learn and experience the time-honored practice of Yoga Nidra, which helps us cut through the Ego’s chatter and get back to what really matters. Put “Let’s Manifest!” in the subject line and you’ll be on your way toward aligning more fully with your soul’s purpose.
If you’d like to share ideas, questions, or stories from your own experience, send me an email: radiantenergyforlife@gmail.com