RickyFitts

@Preety_India As I say, I'm just feeling talked out at the moment and I'm working through some stubborn emotional upset and energetic issues (it's taking a while, but I'm getting there). Maybe it's something I'll do in the future.

@Preety_India I'm not feeling very talkative at the moment, I'm currently processing some emotional/energetic issues so don't have the desire or energy for journalling. I've thought about it though, maybe I'll do it in the near future.

Yeah, he gets it - when you really pay attention to your own inner workings, what he's saying becomes so obvious. Thanks for sharing, guys.

Not sure this is exactly what you have in mind, but the spiritual teacher Jon Bernie holds online gatherings for $20 per person in which he gives a talk and then has interactions with some of his students - he releases them as podcasts that you can listen to if you want to get an idea of what they're like (only the audio's available in the podcast, but video's available with the online gathering of course).

It can be very easy on the spiritual path to get caught up in the various spiritual concepts, but harnessing the power of attention is hugely important I feel (I know it's something that's been indispensible on my own path) so I just wanted to share this video that explains why it's important and how to do it:

@Esilda Yeah sorry, I meant to say 'like a favourite sister'.

I only have eyes for one woman, Loba (I mentioned my relationship with her to Esilda privately recently), I like Esilda but I've always thought of her as a favourite sister.

@Loba Respect Esilda's wishes, Loba, this is her thread.

Excuse me? Are you second-guessing my motives when you don't know the first thing about me?

@Esilda You're so welcome, you're one of those people I just instinctively liked from the start so I'm glad if I could help. People reached out to me in the past when I was having a really hard time, too, so I know just what a blessing that can be.

@Esilda Okay good, glad to hear it.

Yeah, I've come to think that's the ultimate acid test - all alone in a silent room, with no distractions. Then you're all alone with everything in your body and mind that you've been avoiding, with nothing to numb the pain or divert your attention.

Ugh, I'm so sorry you were subjected to that, that must have felt so violating.

Cool!?

Pain's only an issue when you resist it. Problem is that we tend to be so conditioned to do exactly that - as I see it, spiritual practise is all about learning how to release inner resistance.

So glad to hear that, wonderful.

You're so welcome. So interesting to hear your thoughts on the challenges we face as a society, too, I absolutely agree that things can't stay the way they are but things seem so screwed up at the moment that it's hard to know where to start. But connecting to your intuition is the way to go though I think, as you say - love that you're re-reading 'The Power of Now', because present-moment awareness is central to that I feel.

I think something's always going to feel 'off' whilst you remain unconscious of your true nature, and you're never going to feel truly satisfied. But maybe you'll labour under the illusion that lasting satisfaction can be found 'out there' in the world, which will prevent you from knowing what you truly are because your attention's directed outwards.

@Esilda Oh no, poor you! You take it nice and easy then darl, you need to rest.

Will do, darl. RE anxiety and over-analysing things, that's something I really struggled with a few years back in the wake of a traumatic break-up, the anxiety became severe and near-continuous and it took me the best part of a year to come to terms with it. What I came to realise about my own neurotic mental activity during this period was that it was a way my mind was attempting to deal with strong emotions that felt overwhelming - the mental activity was essentially a coping strategy, which is something I developed from a very young age I suspect (I was a very sensitive, troubled child, and I wasn't living in an environment that was emotionally supportive so I didn't learn to healthily process my emotions). What ultimately helped me was to shift attention out of thinking and into my body, because we can't think our way to emotional resolution - 'you can only heal what you can feel', as Teal Swan so astutely observed. Sounds simple enough in theory, but it was hugely challenging in practice because I'd become very emotionally shut down and consequently had a lot of trauma and upset stored in my body. So you do have to persevere with whichever practice you choose if you do decide to go down that route (for me personally I've found 'do nothing' meditation or simple breath meditation most effective, though yoga was also a life-saver when my anxiety was at its worst, mindfully stretching your body can work wonders to alleviate bodily tension I've found). Really hope that's helpful, darl, because I know just how debilitating anxiety can be. ?

@Esilda Aw, you're too kind - but thank you. You've always been such a sweetheart so I just wish the absolute best for you, I know how incredibly hard life can be when you're highly sensitive (and I understand how extra-hard it can be for women, as you say, with all the pressures and hormonal fluctuations you have to deal with) so I really hope the therapy's helpful for you, lovely. <3