I had an interesting experience last week and I’d like to share the process I went through.
One day, I was feeling incredibly expansive and blissful. As I went about my day, I felt present, connected and grateful. In the afternoon I went for a walk in the woods and felt a true sense of Oneness. And when I left the woods, everything felt very alive.
It was one of those perfect kinds of days.
The next day I woke up feeling really irritated and heavy. Nothing in my outer life had changed, yet my energy had shifted a lot from the day before, I felt very contracted and there was a part of me that didn’t like it.
I had thoughts like, ’What happened? Where did the blissful feeling go?’
Then something clicked.
A few days before this, I had taken a workshop with spiritual teacher Matt Kahn. I then remembered something he said, and I will do my best to paraphrase his eloquent words.
Matt was talking about the importance of saying ‘yes’ to our experiences.
He said the more we carry that affirmative ‘yes’ the more we give ourselves permission to become who we really are.
He used this example…
Imagine a butterfly landing in your hand with grace. It is beautiful and free. You don’t want the butterfly to fly away so you capture it, put it in a jar with a twig, and close the lid. By trying to hang onto the butterfly it is being held prisoner and no longer free.
When I thought of Matt’s words, a visual came to mind.
I had been so attached to the bliss and wanting to capture and keep it, and when irritation showed up, I wasn’t saying ‘yes’ to my reality. It was putting the butterfly in a jar.
When I realized this, I changed my approach and started to say ‘yes’ to my experience.
I allowed the irritation and heaviness to be with me in my morning meditation. During the day I held the feelings as I would hold a child. I practiced conscious breathing and Tapping.
I was intentional about saying ‘yes’ to my experience.
The next day, I felt another shift.
In the morning when I meditated the irritation and heaviness were gone, without me trying to get rid of it.
I felt grounded and solid, and at the same time light. I reminded myself to be present and at the same time not attached.
As Matt Kahn says, we are the receivers of energy not the managers. We don’t control or contain happiness, peace and so on. It will come and it will go.
What if we said ‘yes’ more often to each experience, however it looks or feels?
When we do, we’re saying ‘yes’ to loving and honouring ourselves exactly as we are in that moment of time, without conditions.
A great way to start inviting this acceptance into your life, is to try this mantra from Matt Kahn…
I say ‘yes’ to who I am.
I say ‘yes’ to how I am.
I say ‘yes’ to exactly who I am.
Try saying this mantra no matter what “type” of day or experience you’re going through – during the highs and the lows. The goal being unconditional love and acceptance for wherever you may be in that moment.
Be well friends.
Diane