A Personal Reflection: The Untethered Soul
As I re-listen to The Untethered Soul: The Journey Beyond Yourself by Michael Alan Singer I can not help but be joy-filled at the timeliness of the lesson - when the student is ready, the teacher appears.
In The Untethered Soul, the author explains the relationship between our thoughts and emotions. He explains how when we have an experience that causes us to close off our heart chakra to the uncomfortable tension-type feeling we get in when something hurts us, makes us feel rejected, or fearful - we essentially trap that negative emotion within our heart. Then - lucky for us - at any time in our future, an external (or internal) trigger can cause us to be overwhelmed with the feeling of hurt, once again closing our heart chakra.
There is a silver lining though!
The Untethered Soul also teaches us that, if we decide to choose to - instead of closing our hearts and trapping the tension when those emotions come up - open our heart chakra, take a few breaths, allow the thoughts to float by, and just be - we have the ability to release the trapped emotions that are triggered from past experiences. Giving us the ability to, in the future, not have the same reaction when a trigger is presented.
The lesson is timely because I've recently been experiencing feelings of jealousy, which is something I haven't felt in at least 3 years. I've been investing more time with a close friend of mine, and there is plenty of history between us. Recently, external factors triggered unresolved pain I had closed off to over 16 years ago - before I even knew this person - causing me to react from a place of jealousy. Note: The choice of the word react.
I understand there is some unresolved shit to be worked through, but instead of choosing the growth-oriented response of being open and allowing the emotion to flow through me while watching the thoughts, I reacted by getting upset and for a time, closing off my heart chakra.
I did not remember until I began listening to The Untethered Soul by Michael A. Singer was that when we begin to feel our heart chakra close we have a choice of either continuing to close to the experience - locking in the pain - or opening our heart, releasing the emotion and growing through it.
To grow through it, become an observer. Relax. Open your chest. Be present. Be aware of the thoughts and stories that the mind will construct. These stories are being created in the mind's eye to protect you from experiencing the negative, heart chakra closing emotions you've been working SO HARD to avoid ever since the first pain caused the heart chakra to begin to close.
My biggest take away at this time - to remain open - and rather than react make the choice to allow the energy to flow - release the feelings, letting go, allowing myself to move forward.