There are all types of options for cultivating a peaceful way of life. Most of us have probably heard about the benefits of practicing meditation to calm the mind. Meditation is beneficial and I recommend it. I personally meditate each day. Sometimes it’s not enough, it might take the edge off, but meditation does not address inner turmoil. Meditation provides a break and allows some time in ‘relaxation response’.
To really reach a state of feeling peaceful you need more than meditation. It’s important to explore the shadow side of yourself. It is within the shadow side that you can start to release those underlying emotions that cause unease or turmoil. Often as children we were discouraged, if not punished, for expressing the so called negative emotions. The suppressed emotions manifest years later with a wide spectrum of symptoms. People suffer from anxiety, anger, depression, lack of self-esteem, people pleasing, general uneasiness, insecurity, feeling unloved and a whole host of other issues. All these things sit in the shadow side of our personalities.
When you have not been taught to have a healthy respect and value for your own feelings: the feelings find a home in your shadow side and they manifest in toxic or unhealthy actions. Some people have immense rage simmering beneath the surface and they keep swallowing it until they let rip at the next unfortunate person in their path. Maybe they overeat, or run around after everybody and feel used and abused.
The point is to get in touch with your shadow side, don’t fear it: explore it. By having the courage to explore the unpleasant and destructive patterns that swirl beneath the surface you give yourself permission to let it go. Make a conscious choice about your behaviour, thoughts and feelings and to do this you need to understand the underlying processes that are running within the shadow side of yourself.
There are a lot of techniques that can help release toxic patterns and unconscious thought processes that are a barrier to being in a state of peace. Alternative health therapies like Kinesiology or EFT (tapping) can help to release old patterns of behaviour and bring about lasting change for a more peaceful and happy life.
Explore the shadow side and bring it into the light of conscious thought.
Cindy Maree: science, personal development and spiritual growth 