Recognizing emotions as guideposts

Ramen Girl tends to want to fix things and make things better.

Until one day, she embarked on the practice of meditation. She started noticing that things began to change within her. She no longer wanted to make things better or fix them. She allowed things to unfold as she watched the emotions come and go. When the feelings got uncomfortable, she paused there, watching it without judgment and recognizing that it was present, not resisting, nor creating and had risen but it also faded.

Watching the mind experience grief, witnessing pain and suffering, and a range of feelings, she realized the parallel of meditation and emotional courage like she hadn't experienced before. It appeared to have opened up so much within her. She witnessed emotions coming and going as she sat in stillness. As she practised daily, listening allowed space for people's emotions to rise without identifying them as good or bad. “I have an idea; I must fix how you feel and make you feel better” was merely a thought.

Ramen Girl was mindblown. Engaging with people is a phenomenal moment of exploration, seeing them and hearing them without needing to respond to fix and understand, allowing space for diverse feelings and thinking. In cultivating awareness, seeing things as they are shows up, and change is a limitless possibility. Creativity, curiosity, experiments, and iteration happen in the richness of feeling and thinking with gentle investigation.

This week has been complex as she grieved in silence. She was not ready to share the whole of it yet. It is vital for those around her, while not ignoring and judging, to see it thoroughly and give it love and gentleness. This has been a tremendous opportunity to show up, watching everyone dear. Grief and joy seemed to come in waves, and she noticed memories and feelings of loss and pain in her heart. At the same time, the waves bring to light the gift of impermanence and enduring abundant love.

If something in this blog post strikes curiosity, feel free to look at it.

Here are some references to begin your inquiry and unique journey to self-discovery, love, and purpose.

Meditation can bridge the gap between our intention and our reality, seeing things as they are and how to be perhaps honest with ourselves.

Thank you for your willingness and courage to explore, discover, be curious, and show up for yourself. Much love and respect. <3 08.11.2021 ay

Desire and sadness letting go

April 25th:

Have you ever encountered wanting something, and when you didn’t get it, it felt like the biggest letdown, so the next thing, of course, was to write about it…but lost the content during the publishing stage? Yes. It happens. Continue tomorrow. I hope to recall what I wrote. I realize it may not be the same and some elements may have been lost in the process of recollection. I will thrive regardless.

Well, it is May 25th:

One month from the episode of losing all that content, I wrote after that very thing I wanted, and I didn’t get. I honestly thought I was going to be angry and upset for a long time, but I felt a different way. I came to acknowledge the fact that it's okay not always to get what I want. Do you see me crying for days? Surprisingly, No. I honestly thought I was going to be "sad" about it for a long time, but even if I tried, every time I think I am sad, I couldn’t stay sad. Believe me, I tried. But my mind would draw a blank. I would stop and check in with my body and notice if any sensations came up. Even in my body, I tried to feel if sadness had an impression, but experientially, it was merely an exhale.

How meditation has benefitted me and been for me, experientially, resilience is no longer something to strive for, or somehow it feels like there is no need to be resilient because there is nothing to overcome nor resist. Those things that I expected to bother me no longer do, and even when it does trigger some things, I have learned not to engage in that thought and feeling. I am not exactly sure what is happening, but of course, there will be moments when things will not go as we expect. It's okay. Let it be. xo