This week's podcast explores what it takes to move from a reactive state to a response-able state of being. When we are reactive we are triggered and allow strong emotions to overtake our awareness.
When strong emotions such as anger, guilt, sadness, or fear arise we are thrown off center and act from a place of past conditioning (we re-en-act a behavioral pattern that we have witnessed and been conditioned into). Reactivity is almost always rooted in keeping our awareness stuck in auto-pilot. We have been shown by others from a young age that certain things should produce certain emotional responses, which has conditioned us into the same belief systems and behavioral tendencies.
When we react, we also project. Meaning, when a strong emotion is triggered, we project that strong emotion onto others, believing that the outer stimulus (person, event, or place) made us feel that way. The truth is, nothing can make us feel angry unless we choose that for ourselves (subconsciously). No one is guilty and nothing can make us feel guilty unless we are already imprinted through cultural conditioning that we are guilty, which we then continue to project guilt out into the world. Being in a reactive state robs us of our internal peace and oftentimes creates suffering in others.
To demystify and unpack our reactive tendencies, we begin with mindfulness. Mindfulness of our thoughts, feelings, words and actions. Just because our intial response is to get angry doesn't mean we would actually choose that for ourselves if we were totally present and centered within our heart in the present moment.
When we become willing to take a good look at ourselves and realize that we are fully capable of responding (the ability to be response-able) in every encounter we have, we become capable of seeing through reactive emotions that if acted upon, create mush upheaval and pain out in the world. To be responsive is to consciously decide how we wish to be/act/communicate in the moment at hand, and then follow that higher prompt from within ourselves. Just because we are triggered doesn't mean we need to take it too seriously or allow it to rule us.
Finding emotional freedom is about allowing emotions to be just that, emotions that we perceive within the lucid realm of our own internal awareness. Certain emotions are appropriate to be acted upon and expressed, whereas others would be better left processed through breathwork, physical activity, connection with nature and support systems. This podcast moves step by step through the four phases from reactivity to responseability and gives applicable techniques to help process through challenging emotions.
The outro music at the end of the podcast is called 'Call On' and is orginal music produced by DJ Karishtan. It is available for download via iTunes and Spotify.