Emotions are not different from a movie projected on the screen of your mind. People who are stuck deep in their emotions or thoughts are unable to see that it’s just a movie. That’s why they hang on to their joy and sorrow and are attached to it. In the same way that the screen doesn’t disappear when a movie ends, even in the midst of the coming and going of different emotions, there is something in us that doesn’t change. There is a being, an existence that watches our nervousness, our sadness, and our loneliness. That’s the True Self and the true mind.
We have to learn how to ride the waves of our emotions as if we were surfing, instead of floundering and getting swept up in them. Just as it’s important to keep your balance when surfing, you don’t get pulled by the undertow of your emotions when you’re firmly rooted in your center which is your True Self. Even in the midst of change, you have to make an effort to see that which doesn’t change. We practice meditation for that purpose. Just as one might sit without wavering in the depths of the ocean and watch the waves above you rise and fall with the wind, so one must be detached. Whether things are bad or good, cultivate the “me that watches me.”
It’s only natural to experience times that are difficult and painful, no matter who you are. Those are times when anyone would feel tempted to give up on their dream. However, if you try to avoid adversity, you’ll end up succumbing to the external environment or to your own limitations. You’re able to demonstrate the creative wisdom that can over- come the difficulty only if you face it bravely and assertively instead of avoiding it—and you will grow through your hardship.
Why don’t you think of it like this: If a hardship comes, an opportunity has come. The time of hardship is also a time when your mind and heart can expand and open. Great hurt can be transformed into great energy. Don’t be ashamed to cry. There are tears that fall because of unfairness or sadness, but there are also the tears we shed as our soul looks at us. Do you know those tears? When you tell yourself, “It’s okay,” your soul finds strength in those simple words. It’s just the way it is that our soul finds more strength from the comfort received from itself than from another.
We are able to find true strength and rest only inside of ourselves. Our very body is a sanctuary and a generator of energy. When things are hard and confusing, go inside. The place can provide you with perfect rest. No matter where you go, dragging your body along with you, you cannot find true rest outside of yourself. Sit or lie down comfortably and as you collect your breath; let your mind observe your body. And tell yourself, “It’s okay.” That’s when your soul becomes easy and our body also obtains comfort and new strength.
*Excerpted from The Call of Sedona by Ilchi Lee (Best Life Media, $19.95)
ILCHI LEE is an educator, mentor, and trailblazer who is the developer of many mind-body training methods including Dahn Yoga and Brain Education. He serves as president of the University of Brain Education and the International Brain Education Association. Ilchi Lee is also the founder of Sedona Mago Retreat and the author of thirty-three books, including the New York Times bestseller, The Call of Sedona. For more information, visit www.ilchi.com.
