The upcoming online workshop, Journey to Healing, Creating Safety Within will include information on the tool of meditation… read more below on how the presenter came to a deeper connection with her inner world and her Higher Power through meditation. If you want to experience more on this topic, sign up now for the March 23rd workshop here!
Meditation is a practice that involves training the mind to focus and redirect thoughts, often leading to a state of relaxation and heightened awareness.
By Dana T.
Learning to connect with my feelings was a process of unlearning and relearning what I had been taught since childhood. For many years, I found myself trapped in my thoughts, attempting to make sense of emotional discomfort with logic, aka getting stuck in my stories. Yet, my body was sending signals – my stomach clenched, my chest felt tight, and I felt an overall sense of uncomfortableness in my body. Little did I realize; these physical sensations were tied to my emotional state. I could sense it vaguely; when troubling thoughts arose, my stomach would knot up. But comprehending this link eluded me; it all seemed like a jumble of emotions, sensations, and thoughts, tightly wound together. From my years of studying codependency, I refer to this as enmeshment.
Unraveling this tight knot has been a journey, and in doing so, I’ve found space between my thoughts and feelings. The entanglement of my thoughts and feelings mirrored the enmeshment I had with my primary caregivers as a child. I found it fascinating how the dynamics within my family mirrored those within my own mind, emotions, and feelings. Recognizing this parallel was a pivotal step in establishing a sense of inner safety.
How did I cultivate this internal space? Meditation became my tool. It was a practice of mindfulness, but instead of focusing solely on my breath, I directed my attention to a sensation within my body. Whenever my mind attempted to analyze or interpret this sensation, I gently steered my focus back to the feeling within my body.
Our brains are wired to find meaning, especially when there’s an alarm signal going off in our bodies. In such moments, the brain creates stories that seem logical, all in the name of ensuring our safety. Whenever I caught myself crafting a story around the sensation, I consciously shifted my focus back to my body. Just like any new skill, mastering this redirection of focus required patience and practice.
With kindness and gentleness, I began to notice the sensation in my body, allowing curiosity to guide me. What color is it? What shape does it take? etc… These questions gently led me deeper into understanding what these sensations were trying to tell me.
Gradually, I came to realize that the sensations within my body served as my internal guidance system, offering guidance I could use for empowerment. Embracing, tending to, and nurturing these uncomfortable sensations replaced my urge to fight and eliminate them.
This practice marked the beginning of a beautiful new connection with my inner world and a deeper connection with my higher power.