Within the complexity of human consciousness, emotions reign as powerful forces, shaping our perceptions, decisions, and ultimately, our lives. Yet, what if I told you that not all emotions are created equal? What if some of the feelings we hold dear are mere illusions crafted by our minds? Brace yourself, because we're about to embark on a journey to explore why your mind-made emotions aren't as real as they seem.
The festive season brings with it a mixture of sentiments, from the joyous anticipation of gift exchanges to the stress of holiday preparations. However, for many, it’s not just a time of merriment but also a season marked by the challenges of life.
Being bombarded with messages of ‘joy’ and ‘togetherness’ can amplify feelings of sadness, loneliness or anger for anyone going through the heartache of divorce or a breakup, grieving the absence or loss of a loved one, or facing strained or even abusive family relationships.
This is where Qigong can help, by connecting you to your inner strength and restoring your emotional balance.
In the stillness of my first Qigong session, there I stood, grounded yet reaching for the heavens, moving in harmony with an unseen force. My hands tracing invisible arcs in the air.
This practice, rooted in centuries of wisdom, spoke to me in a language beyond words. It whispered of a world within, a world rich with untapped potential and boundless possibilities.
Urbanization, with its concrete jungles and digital cocoons, has created an ironic separation between humanity and the natural world we belong to.
The rustling of leaves and the murmur of rivers are often drowned out by the cacophony of city life, leading to a disconnection from the Earth on which we depend for our survival.
What many fail to see is that the Earth beneath our feet is more than just dirt and soil; it’s alive and brimming with energy and ancient wisdom.
A fundamental aspect of emotional resilience is the understanding that it's not about suppressing your emotions or pretending to be fine when you're hurting. In fact, it's quite the opposite. Emotional resilience begins with acknowledging your emotions, understanding them deeply, and then finding healthy and constructive ways to navigate through them.
What is the underlying cause of all that you struggle with in your life? For most of us, it is a lack of self-worth, which leads to a lack of self-love.
Do you believe that you are deserving of living a life that is prosperous, joyful and abundant in every way?
If we think of our seven embodied chakras as being a ladder of consciousness, our crown chakra holds a most sacred position at the very top of our head, becoming our bridge to the Cosmos.
It is my belief that, no matter who we are and how we live our life, we are all seeking the fulfilment that comes from inner peace. This is the quality of energy available to us through our crown chakra.
Expressing who we are is not only about the words we speak. It’s about being so honest with ourselves that all of our thoughts, feelings, choices and actions become energetically aligned.
When I was 28 and taking my first tentative steps along the spiritual path, I made a vow to myself that I would make it my life’s mission to ‘evolve in consciousness’, without quite knowing what those words even meant.
I had a somewhat vague and romantic notion that, with enough yoga and meditation, I would one day ‘reach enlightenment’, which I thought was some kind of mystical reward bestowed on only the most spiritually-devoted.
Flash forward more than 20 years, and I have a very different view of what ‘evolving consciousness’ really means
When I first heard about ‘death’ as a child, it was described as ‘going to sleep and never waking up’. I remember being both terrified and unconvinced. The thought of there being no ‘I’ didn’t make sense at all. How could ‘I’ not exist, the 8-year-old me wondered? I reassured myself that, surely, someone would discover a ‘cure’ for this thing called ‘death’ long before my time arrived.
Little did I realise that Life itself, in its own time, and in its own way, would offer up a healing elixir, a soothing balm, which would provide all the assurances I needed. And that it would come to me, after decades of striving and searching for answers, when I finally learned to ‘let go’.
For a long time I lived as though I was ‘half-alive’, never quite feeling at ease in my own skin and trying really hard to earn love, recognition, and my worthiness, from the outside world.
