Accentuating the Positive

Each of us is born with a furnace of creative energy inside that gradually dissipates over a lifetime. Artists tap into it, but many of us live unaware of how powerful it is. And while we all do our best to regulate our energy — releasing it in small or large reactions and sometimes huge quantities of steam — we don’t know much about how to keep it under control.

Neuroscientist Candace Pert offers a useful indication in Why You Feel The Way You Feel: “When the biochemicals that are the substrate of emotion are flowing freely, all systems are united and made whole. When emotions are blocked, repressed, denied, not allowed to be whatever they may be, our network pathways get blocked, stopping the flow of the vital feel-good, unifying chemicals that run both our biology and our behavior.”

Problem is, those of us who are afraid of our emotions often try too hard to control or repress them, whether through fear of hurting ourselves or others. But energy that is tamped down can become, over time, an underground volcano. At that point a big burst of anger can spew up so much ‘lava’ inside that we either implode or explode.

Developing an Alert System

In any case, most of us want to take more responsibility for our own negative reactions. That way, we can avoid wounding others as well as ourselves, and poisoning the world. First thing we need to understand — deep in our bones — is that this is our own life force, our own energy, that is running away with us. Then, to learn more about controlling the furnace inside, we need to become more aware early on of when negative energies start brewing.

Notice when they begin to build toward an explosive reaction. At that point it is hugely important to refocus your attention before they reach full blast. Learn to distinguish the taste of self-pity or rage or other large emotions in their early stages, and remind yourself that this force can drive you where you truly don’t want to go. That way you can avoid a meltdown that could leave you exhausted for days.

The Conscious Shift

As soon as you become aware of a negative feeling growing inside, consciously change the direction of your attention. Turn away from those inner voices of self-pity, complaint, criticism, outrage, or whatever is building up a head of steam. Instead, focus directly on the physical sensations of the forces that are now at play in you.

You need to make this effort as soon as a strong emotion begins to build, because once it is in full flood you will have no control over it. So make an effort right at the beginning to shift your attention to what’s going on in your Body Being. Even tell yourself out loud, “this emotion is roiling my stomach,” or “that thought makes my neck muscles stiffen,” or “Feeling this way isn’t worth it if it’s going to give me back pain that lasts for days!”

Such efforts are the key to change. Because, as Body Consciousness develops, you will begin to acknowledge the autonomous existence of your Body Being, activating the possibility of help from a new direction. You will begin to appreciate the cooperation that can be yours when you honor this intimate partnership.

Uncovering your habitual feeling tone

Another way to begin a direct study of the quality of your emotions is to discover what kind of feeling tone is vibrating in your inner world much of the time. Although we are usually unaware of it, it is habitual—a part of who we have become. Other people often recognize it by the way we hold ourselves, or the timbre of our voice.

For example, are you often swayed by an undercurrent of anger — resenting what’s happening to you? Or do you often find yourself submerged in a vague feeling of sadness? Sometimes there’s a wellspring of self-pity that leads people to feel victimized by life. Not their fault, but a tendency that’s grown up within them from childhood. Then there’s the falsely positive, good-girl attitude I sometimes have, expressing a need to feel on top of my game, helpful to others, or cheerful in the face of difficulties.

Once we acknowledge and begin to own our emotional tone, we will have a different relationship with it. It is not me, or you. It’s a deep habit.

Anxiety can be Diffused by Body Consciousness

Like most of us, you may also live in a state of general anxiety—you don’t know what direction the next problem is coming from and can barely deal with the one you already have. Inquire within whether you feel you ought to be different from how you are. As a child I often couldn’t understand what adults or other children wanted from me. I lived in an alien world, trying to please others but mostly unable to do so. That vague feeling of guilt can still produce a sense of inadequacy.

To help you deal with all this you can uncover the mathematical ratio between your level of anxiety, anger or pseudo-cheerfulness and a lack of kinesthetic awareness. Experiment with it for yourself. Bring your attention strongly to the sensation of your feet on the floor, your butt on the chair, or your hands as they work at what you’re doing at any moment. You will find that the more grounded you become in the sensations of your Body Being, the less you will be invaded by anxiety and tension.

At the root of anxiety is the fear of death, according to Jungian analyst James Hollis. He calls it “the single biggest neurosis of our time.” But if we take a leap into what might be called mysticism, we learn that leading-edge physicists and neuroscientists are proving that what we can’t see or understand with our head-brain is as real as an apple. Perhaps we are connected in some invisible way to every living being — like a network of energy. That means our balance and vitality both depend on and assist all that’s alive, including our very contact with every living thing. In other words, as our own Rolling Thunder has assured us, we are all cells of Mother Earth.