Читать книгу The Woman's Book of Spirit - Sue Patton Thoele - Страница 32

SO OFTEN WE ALLOW OUR MINDS TO ROAM in areas that are not conducive to feeling good. We ramble around in the past in hopes of a better yesterday, and then we leap ahead and scurry fretfully around in the “what ifs” of the future. As a consequence, most of us spend very little time in the present moment, tuned into what is going on right now.

One particularly destructive mind habit—one of my own major weaknesses—is to rehash and relive negative emotional experiences, gnawing them, and our nerves, to shreds. Not good, because five minutes of ruminating on an argument creates the same imbalance in the autonomic nervous system as does real-time anger, and it depletes the immune system for several hours afterward. Roaming in emotional mine fields is bad for our physical, emotional, and spiritual health.

Diametrically opposed to the effects we get from straying into negativity are the positive effects received by roaming in the fields of our heart, the “hub of all sacred places” according to Sri Nityananda. Here we learn to be present to what is, right now, without being mired in the past or grasping for the future. Find a quiet moment today and allow your body to settle into a comfortable position. Encourage your body to soften, your breath to deepen, and your mind to be still. Focus on your breath and watch as it automatically begins to slow down. Bring your attention to your heart. Feel gratitude and admiration for it.

As you relax, create a beautiful scene that is symbolic of your heart. If the picture that first appears doesn't appeal to you, let it fade and create a new one. Explore your heartscape; deeply enjoy and appreciate what it generously offers. Be open to surprise blessings that may arise. You can invite those whom you love to join you, or you may prefer to have a solitary experience. Whatever you choose, trust the intuition of your heart to provide a scene that is right for you now.

During the day, refresh yourself by taking minute-vacations to come into the present moment. Return to the sacred hub of your heart and roam in it.

My heart is sacred.

I am worthy of a heartscape that is beautiful and refreshing.