July 17, 2017
Clearly, everyone has a past. That past contains all of the experiences that you have dealt with along the way in your life. Dealing with those situations, both good and bad, have made you the person that you are today.
Although this may be common knowledge, it was brought to light more poignantly for me this week during a yoga class where the message was to explore the physical link to these experiences.
We were asked to focus our attention to our “back body,” taking deep breaths and drawing awareness to the back of our lungs and down our spine, creating space.
We were prompted to think about the person we once were, before marriage, before children, before whatever situations or circumstances made us into who we are today.
“Consider the person you once were. What wounds from that person are you holding onto that you can now acknowledge and let go of to create more positive space in your body and mind? What wisdom can you draw from that person, from those wounds and experiences to make yourself stronger in situations today?”
Letting go of this negativity and learning to draw from the positive can be one of the most healthy and liberating things you can do for yourself.
But letting go of painful experiences can be much more difficult than it sounds, let alone converting that pain into a teachable moment.
As such, I thought I would share with you the thoughts and things that help me let go and learn. Remember, it takes time and intention to grow from past experiences, so don’t give up.
Nine times out of 10, your anger is affecting you more than the person or circumstances that you are actually mad at. It creates chaos in the body and can even lower your immunity and increase your risk of heart disease.
Similarly, stress wreaks havoc on your body. Chronic stress can lead to a variety of ailments ranging from headaches to depression and even coronary disease.
When you feel anger or stress coming on strong, take that energy and release it in a positive way by exercising. Go for a fast walk, run, get on the elliptical, do push-ups, yoga, whatever feels right for your body. After 20-30 minutes of doing something physical, you will feel that some if not all of that negative energy is gone. Bonus: you did something very positive for yourself.
Carrying around all this of this negativity is hard work. It ends up affecting every aspect of your life and every decision you make. Ask yourself if that is the kind of life you want to lead. Over time, I am sure you will find that it’s not worth lugging all of the extra weight around with you.
We are all humans and unfortunately, we all make mistakes. Nobody is perfect and almost no one is going to live up to a perfect standard. Start to see the humanity in people and try to empathize with it. Extend forgiveness to people who may have hurt you knowing that you are not perfect either.
Regardless if this baggage is related to your personal or professional life, these situations have a way of changing you, or at least changing your perspective. Practice using my five principles to create positive space in your life and learn to let go of what no longer serves you. Hold on to the wisdom that life brings you as a result of difficult or changing circumstances.
Remember to check in with yourself and evaluate how your past experiences are affecting your overall health.
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I hope you find this information as helpful as I have. Please feel free to share your stories here. I will continue to keep you posted on my health journey. Follow me for updates @christiemandia.
