by Ada Porat | Dec 27, 2021 | Conscious living, Empowering changes, Healthy boundaries, Personal growth
Photo Credit: Hanna Busing, Unsplash
Do you feel as if you’ve outgrown your circle of friends? Perhaps you do not feel safe or understood any longer. There may be fewer and fewer things you can share with people in your habitual circle, and it leaves you feeling lonely or isolated. If so, you are not alone. Welcome to one of the core dynamics of continuous growth!
As we continue to evolve, many of us struggle with a sense of not quite fitting in with our traditional community or tribe: we may have expanded or changed beyond the borders of tribal norms, and no longer find the same sense of belonging there. Other members may have tightened the tribal rules to foster a sense of security. As a result, we may feel a sense of disconnection or alienation.
In truth, each one of us belongs to many tribes simultaneously: there is your original tribe – the family you were born into – and then there are all the communities of choice you have joined: your work tribe, your social circles, your faith-based community, your neighborhood, and more. These communities are not static; they are in continuous flux because they consist of individuals who are in continuous states of change. When there is a lot of change happening in either the individual or the community, a sense of dissonance results.
How are we to deal with this? First, it is important to recognize that tribal allegiances were historically forged for survival. They were adapted over the course of centuries to ensure the safety and survival of the group. Survival required that individuation be sacrificed for the trade-off of security.
In modern society, the tables are flipped. Whether we enjoy it or not, change is essential for survival at every level of being. The pace of change is driven by technological advances and happens with increasing rapidity: sociologists estimate that more change has taken place in society over the course of the past 100 years, than in the totality of the previous 6,000 years. Individual adaptation now is a requirement for survival, and the pace of individual change does not always match the pace at which our various tribal communities evolve. The resulting dissonance can cause intense friction and pain.
Dissonance also results from confusion between the concepts of ‘connection’ and ‘community.’ We tend to equate one with the other, when they really relate to different qualities. Connection relates to connectivity: the objective physical technology or media that enables us to build community, but which does not represent the quality of that community. Connectivity simply offers the opportunity to connect with others through internet, texting, phone calls, or any other social networking options.
Community is the result of building relationship through meaningful interaction over time. There is no shortcut; it is a process that develops when bonds of trust and intimacy are nurtured and honored.
And here lies a caveat: When we confuse connectivity with community, we depersonalize the sacred nature of true community and start relating to people as objects. Instead of developing intimacy over time, we collect friends on social network sites or try to buy people’s allegiance. Yet friending is simply an act of connecting; it does not create intimacy.
In fact, social experiments indicate that technologically dominated connectivity results in alienation and social collapse over time. In a groundbreaking social experiment conducted by Josh Harris, one of the founders of social networking on the internet, he found that the more people’s private lives were exposed by 24/7 technology, the more their sense of intimacy and relationship deteriorated until the community collapsed in violence and self-destructive behavior.
It is time to revisit our concepts of community so we can create tribes that offer a true sense of intimacy and belonging.
In his 1987 book, The Different Drum: Community Making and Peace, psychologist M. Scott Peck described several core characteristics of true community. Beyond the obvious components of inclusivity, commitment and participatory consensus, Peck pointed out the quality of embracing diversity through realism. When each member contributes their unique viewpoint from a place of humility and goodwill, the community benefits from a broader perspective in which to better grasp the full context of a situation. In other words, mutual tolerance helps members to embrace one another’s different viewpoints as an integral part of the whole, instead of imposing a forced compliance to groupthink or cohesion.
In an environment like this, members experience and express compassion and respect for one another. They allow others to share their vulnerability, to learn and grow, and to express who they truly are. When conflict arises, they learn to resolve it with wisdom and grace. Members listen to and respect each others’ gifts, accept each others’ limitations, celebrate their differences, and commit to find solutions together rather than to fight against each other. Indeed, the true spirit of community is the spirit of peace, love, wisdom and power. The source of this spirit may be seen as an outgrowth of the collective self or as the manifestation of a Higher Will.
Does this description of community sound spiritual to you? It is indeed, because Spirit is the common denominator among all of us, regardless of how separate we feel from others.
As human beings, we often experience a socio-economic sense of separation from others because of different opinions, beliefs, expectations, language, culture, or interests, since each one of us expresses these in a way uniquely different from anyone else. And still, we continue to differentiate! In this ongoing process, we continue to evolve or devolve in response to life. A community that felt like a good fit last year may no longer work today; the places where we felt embraced, now may suffocate us. Over the course of a lifetime, we can expect to outgrow and change allegiances to many of the tribal communities we once belonged to.
And yet, when we transcend the layers of physical appearance, mental beliefs and socio-economic conditioning, we find in the presence of Spirit a common denominator in everyone around us. Perhaps it is time to expand our tribal definitions to embrace a spiritual community that includes all of mankind as children of God.
Mother Teresa admonished her nuns to see Jesus in every leper they encountered, to find His presence as they looked into the eyes of the homeless. When we can look past the issues that divide us to find omnipresent Divinity in each other, we will uncover the foundations of true community.
Spiritual community transcends all socio-economic borders, beliefs and backgrounds. It is inclusive because it operates on voluntary self-responsibility and mutual compassion, and its doors are open to everyone.
Building this type of community takes time: time to listen, to hear, to respond and to participate. Take a few moments to read the description of spiritual community again. Then, make time in your life to foster that type of connection with people who matter to you. You are one of the architects of community in your life, and you can participate in building a tribe where you belong.
©Copyright Ada Porat. This article may be freely distributed in whole or in part, provided there is no charge for it and this notice is attached. Ada Porat is an energy kinesiologist & pastoral counselor with extensive international teaching & clinical experience. She uses body/mind/spirit techniques to help clients make optimal life choices. For more information, visit https://AdaPorat.com
by Ada Porat | Nov 18, 2021 | Conscious living, Empowering changes, Spirituality
Photo Credit: Mads Schmidt Rasmussen, Unsplash
“There’s a crack in everything…
That’s how the Light gets in.”
-Leonard Cohen
How can we make a difference in a world that seems so dark at times?
The ancient teachings of Jewish mysticism tell us that humans have been given the gift and responsibility of opening up portals for the Eternal Light. We are called to conscious participation in this process of Creation by opening portals for this Light to bless and elevate life around us every single day.
The great kabbalist Ramchal used a visual to explain this process. He said we need to open up a column of Light to Spirit every day. We should imagine that each day’s column or portal is so huge that, like a grand doorway, it takes a bit of effort to open fully. We can merely open a crack so just a little bit of light trickles out, or we can open it fully so the Light streams over, into and around us. And so, each morning when we wake up, our conscious intention can set the tone for that day by opening up that portal of Light and blessing to shine on us and through us to the world.
When we consciously open up our portal of Light, we are continuously being purified, cleansed and blessed because of our alignment to that Light. And since linear time does not exist in the spiritual realm, every portal of Light we’ve opened up previously, continues to shower us with Light and blessing daily. Every day that we fully open our individual portal for Light, that Light of Creator Presence pours over us, through us and into the world around us, today and forever.
Another story, further back in history, tells us how the children of Israel were protected by a column of Light at night while they traveled through the desert from Egypt to the promised land. That column not only protected them; it also lit their way and surrounded them with the reassuring Presence of the Divine.
Simply by doing our interconnected part in opening to the Light of creation, we can bless, heal and transform the world forever.
It reminds me of theoretical meteorologist Edward Lorenz’ discovery that everything is so interconnected, tiny perturbations in the atmosphere can cause enormous climate changes: a butterfly flapping its wings in Brazil can produce a tornado in Texas.
We share that intimate connection with all of creation. It offers us a beautiful understanding about the purpose of our spiritual work and our daily opportunity to participate in that. When we align and intentionally open up portals of Light, that Light will shine not only onto us, but into and throughout our world to bless, awaken and heal, today and forever.
On the other hand, there are days when we just don’t feel the love; days when we don’t open up the portals completely, and end up feeling spiritually drained and thirsty. Yet today, and every new day, we can open up our portal of Light, and let it flow over us. The beauty of our spiritual work is keeping these portals of Light open, wherever we are, for all of life to benefit.
Every portal of Light we open up, remains open to nourish us now and forever, for ourselves and for the world, because this is spiritual law at work. The Light that shines into our souls isn’t just for us as individuals; it ripples out to bless all of life on this planet. And the portal of Light opened up yesterday didn’t just shine until we went to bed; it continues to bless the world and ourselves forever.
No matter how dark and difficult life may seem, we have the power to open up a portal of Light to Source. We can let in the Creator’s Light to heal what is broken in our lives and in our world.
©Copyright Ada Porat. This article may be freely distributed in whole or in part, provided there is no charge for it and this notice is attached. Ada Porat is an energy kinesiologist & pastoral counselor with extensive international teaching & clinical experience. She uses body/mind/spirit techniques to help clients make optimal life choices. For more information, visit https://AdaPorat.com
by Ada Porat | Oct 22, 2021 | Conscious living, Cope with change, Empowering changes, Spirituality
Photo Credit: Zenad Nabil, Unsplash
There is a deeper reality in every human being that exists beyond our personality and social identity. All spiritual teachings point to this reality, which is often referred to as “inner light.”
The modern word for this inner light is consciousness, and it is perhaps the deepest mystery in the universe. It is without beginning and without end, and it exists in limitless quantities and diversity. It is known as the presence of Life Force, the One Source, or the Creator, and it permeates everything.
How do we bring more of this consciousness in our own lives? How can we channel this inner light as a force for good in the world during this critical time?
Consciousness is the core substance of life everywhere. It exists in every life form. Even when you doubt everything about yourself, the fact that you are conscious, exists beyond any doubt.
Spiritual practice allows us to access that field. When we transcend thinking, we become aware of that field of consciousness that permeates everything. As we quiet the monkey mind, we become more aware of the vast realm of consciousness within and around us. We are all part of that One consciousness; we are interconnected through that unified Field.
This is both a mystery and an experiential realization; it is the foundation of all true action and effectiveness.
If we don’t know ourselves as the light of consciousness, we only perceive ourselves as separate bodies. And living life from such an ego-identified state tends to be fear-based, lonely and limiting.
When we start to glimpse what “being the light” means, we become benevolent change agents in the universe. We learn to tap into creative inspiration, so we can contribute to both our own evolution and that of all other life forms, especially during these turbulent times.
Each one of us has the power and the responsibility to expand our inner light of consciousness. All spiritual practices reach toward this common goal: cultivating gratitude, purifying our minds, practicing good spiritual hygiene, and nurturing our spiritual identity, are just some of the proven ways to do so.
With greater conscious awareness and alignment, we become more available to our loved ones and are better able to nurture them. The deeper we move into personal alignment with Higher consciousness, the more we can foster that emergent light of consciousness in others. Expanded consciousness also allows us to honor all forms of life as emanations of the One Source, so that we treat all forms of life with reverence and respect.
Embodying the unity consciousness of our common Source is essential for making meaningful change in our world. It is the antithesis of ego-based tyranny, which adds conflict to problems by separating and isolating.
You and I are the light of the world. When we understand this, we shift from a state of consumption to one of altruistic service. The more we expand our own spiritual understanding, the more we can positively contribute to all areas of society.
Conscious, Source-aligned action is called for more than ever now.
Our united, light-filled consciousness is needed to ignite the light in those who are ready. We are standing on the forefront of global change, and embracing our Divine nature allows us to anchor more light in the world.
Our contribution to the peaceful evolution of life on this planet can take many forms, yet it is not optional. If we wish to be a part of the solution instead of the problem, we need to step up and participate, starting with expanding our own levels of consciousness.
Indeed, the Presence of our awakened consciousness will empower and guide us to create collaborative and sustainable solutions to problems at all levels.
By deepening our inner alignment, we also develop more meaningful connections with those around us. Deeper levels of personal transformation allow us to become inspirational to others. This becoming is a precious gift we offer the world; it is not something we can buy or access randomly, but the fruit of deep, ongoing personal transformation.
Moreover, this deeply embodied transformational consciousness forms the foundation for creating optimal new ways of living that are desperately needed in the world.
Our world is teetering at the edge of tyranny and totalitarianism. This is the urgent challenge and the opportunity we are called to address now.
Our level of consciousness determines the quality of what we create. To create something better, then, we need to transcend the lower levels of consciousness which led to current dynamics. The urgency of our times calls for more than a cessation of violence; it requires the transformation of egoic tyranny into self-awareness, blame into self-responsibility and blind projection into personal transformation.
Those who are awake are called to lead the change by example. We are called not to fight the dark but to shine the light and in doing so, to dispel the darkness. Each person who steps off the ego platform of false righteousness, hatred and judgment to engage in this process of transformation, can anchor more light in the world.
The presence of that Light then allows others to awaken and find their way to greater wholeness. When we join our Light, hope is rekindled around us. That Light within will guide us back to one another and unite us on a higher path so we can fulfill our common purpose as souls.
©Copyright Ada Porat. This article may be freely distributed in whole or in part, provided there is no charge for it and this notice is attached. Ada Porat is an energy kinesiologist & pastoral counselor with extensive international teaching & clinical experience. She uses body/mind/spirit techniques to help clients make optimal life choices. For more information, visit https://AdaPorat.com
by Ada Porat | Sep 20, 2021 | Change bad habits, Conscious living, Cope with change, Empowering changes, Fear and anxiety, Personal growth, Spirituality
Photo Credit: Photo by Nadir sYzYgY on Unsplash
There are three common ways we tend to deal with difficulties in life: we may attack, or distract ourselves, or deny the reality of the situation.
Attack is especially popular in modern society. We use attack as a form of defense. We may jump to our individual assumptions and interpretations of what has been said, and then take offense at what we interpret as a personal attack on us, our values or our truths. Instead of stepping back for objectivity, we launch into an attack of what we think happened or what we imagine the other saying. This hooks us into an endless cycle of conflict, both within and without. When some truth manages to penetrate our defenses, we may even deny the existence of actual evidence that contradicts our assumptions. We may even harden our stance by seeking revenge or justification and so fueling the flames of conflict.
We humans are very good at distracting ourselves whenever we do not know how or do not wish to face the truth. In modern society, the temptations for distraction are endless: we may overindulge in binge-watching television, overeating, indulging in addictive behavior, playing games, or even exercise. We love to justify and feed these habits of distraction: we skew truth to find reasons to indulge our addictions, or to justify our behavior. And while we may be haunted by self-doubt within, we push that away by invoking the actions of others as justification for our distracted – and destructive – behavior. Often, it is not until we hit bottom in this cycle that we realize the high price of distraction ourselves from truth and accountability.
The third way we perpetuate struggle is something every addict knows well: we go into denial. We deny everything that appears dissonant to our own make-believe reality construct. We avoid people and situations that call into question the shaky reality construct to which we cling, and we avoid taking responsibility for our choices and actions. Instead of dealing with unpleasant issues, we may deny our part in it and project blame on someone else. When we do not want to come clean or confront discrepancies in our own value system, we opt to disassociate instead. We avoid, ignore, deny or pretend we did not hear or see what happened, while we try to tiptoe past the truth. By denying truth, we slip into a form of self-hypnosis that traps us in a repetitive, destructive cycle of attacking, distracting or denial.
There is a better approach to life’s challenges available to all of us. It is the pathway of awakening, which requires the willingness to practice personal honesty and accountability. True awakening asks us to surrender our ego stance to which we so desperately cling, and to open our hearts and minds instead to seek the deeper Truth that exists in all of life. It is by aligning to this deeper Truth that we find the grace to surrender our hero worship at the false feet of egoic self. In the presence of Truth, our false gods and beliefs are laid bare for the shabby fakes they are, and we surrender our false attachments to right or wrong, to judgment and blame, to justification and shame, to avoidance and projection.
Higher Truth is available to all of us at all times. The price for entry is simply this: we need to drop the ego’s cloak of duality and self-righteousness, and be willing to strip ourselves bare from all the limiting habits we’ve been hiding behind. Beyond the false identity of ego our souls await – ever pure, ever whole and ever peaceful. In that Presence, the illusion of struggle and competition dissolve to reveal the eternal Oneness of All that Is.
Our souls are not stirred by comfort and denial; it is upheaval that throws us out of our comfort zone into the uncertainty of life and awakens us. The goal of life, then, is not to avoid discomfort and the unknown; it is to lean into these times without holding back. The loss off our former safety net can become the opportunity to fly if we can stay present in the moment and stay open to the opportunities revealed by upheaval.
Are you feeling anxious because your world is coming apart? Do you feel as if you struggling on alone, without support, stuck in misery and confusion?
When upheaval comes, it is very helpful to remember that you are experiencing it because the cozy predictability of your life has just been addressed somehow. It may feel as if the rug has been pulled out from under you and you are falling through mid-air. This very sense of groundlessness invites you to stay present, and to see this is an invitation to deeper awakening and growth.
When we stop resisting fear of the unknown and stay present to our experience, we discover more and more freedom. We learn to lean into the Permanence that exists beyond the solid world of senses, and to surrender our attachment to the impermanence of the created world.
We are invited to discover the limitless freedom of Infinite Awareness manifest in us, and to recognize the timeless nature of Being. As we let go of our narrow identity as bodies, we can expand into the spaciousness of our true nature. We are expansive enough to stay present in every experience as it unfolds.
There is no need to defend false ego constructs: no need to attack, distract, or ignore what is unfolding in our lives. We can step back from drama and align with the Presence in which all possibilities exists and from where all creation emanates.
This letting go of our attachment to comfort and security, allows us to align with the Source of all that is, instead of the limited creations of ego. It restores us to ultimate freedom. From here, we can create a better world by focusing on what is truly meaningful, truthful, and inclusive.
©Copyright Ada Porat. This article may be freely distributed in whole or in part, provided there is no charge for it and this notice is attached. Ada Porat is an energy kinesiologist & pastoral counselor with extensive international teaching & clinical experience. She uses body/mind/spirit techniques to help clients make optimal life choices. For more information, visit https://AdaPorat.com
by Ada Porat | Jul 19, 2021 | Empowering changes, Life skills, Personal growth
Photo Credit: Rachel McDermott, Unsplash
Is there a difficult situation in your life that you’d like to turn around? Learning how to use the power of focused intention can turn things around and draw in amazing outcomes! Here is how:
The vibrational power of our words and intentions powerfully affects our experience of life. Research by the Institute of Noetic Science and others shows that all mental states are accompanied by vibration and each vibration attracts to it external conditions that resonate with its inherent frequency.
Japanese researcher Dr. Masaru Emoto took this information further by showing how water molecules respond to the emotions and intentions projected onto them. Both our positive and our negative emotions carry great power and can become enormously effective tools for change when we learn how to focus them wisely.
Every emotion, thought and word we engage with, sets into motion energy ripples that deliberately attract resonant outcomes to us from a field of infinite probabilities. In fact, everything that has been created, started with a thought: “I think I’ll plant a garden” or “I think I’ll go back to school.”
That thought acts like a blueprint; it creates an image of the intended form, which then through emotion attracts resonant energy to flow into that form until it eventually manifests on the physical plane.
When we focus on a thought with intention and visual imagery, we set into motion a laser beam of focused energy to attract the desired outcome. Top athletes often use intention, fueled by visualization and affirmation to focus their minds and improve their performance.
Some people tend to focus their attention on the outcomes they fear most in life: illness, loss of income, or the loss of security. Other focus their attention on the positive outcomes they desire in life: healthy relationships, joyful work, and so on. Both approaches work because thoughts become things. Wouldn’t it be so much better to focus on the thoughts that would bring us the intentions we desire? When we understand that thoughts become things, we become motivated to focus our intention on positive thoughts!
Does this mean that we should deny or resist the presence of the opposite outcomes we don’t want? Not at all! In this world of duality, polarity is necessary for us to exercise our freedom to choose. Denial is a Pollyanna-type process of bypassing reality.
There is no need to resist anything either; resistance actually pulls us away from our innate state of loving compassion and traps us in judgment. And as we’ve all experienced, whatever we resist, has a tendency to persist!
Instead of resisting what we don’t want, the pathway of true personal empowerment invites us to harness our intention into clear focus on the chosen outcome. In so doing, we set into motion the creative power of intention to bring about any change needed so there can be harmony between our intentions and our actual experience.
Intention is a powerful force for both healing and manifestation. The creative power of our intention ripples out around us to attract people, situations and synchronicities to actualize the desired outcome. Imagine using that powerful intention to attract clients that can benefit from your skills, friendships you are ready to enjoy, and opportunities where you can be of meaningful service. This principle can turn your life around!
Intentions need to be fine-tuned to increase the power of the process. If you don’t like the results you are getting, then refine your intentions to match exactly how you want the outcome to look. This dynamic process will ensure that the resulting experience matches your evolving thoughts, intentions and actions.
You are much more powerful than you know. Your thoughts, attitudes and beliefs have an immediate, scientifically provable, effect on your world. Because the body is electrical and each cell in the body has a positive and negative charge, you are continuously, magnetically charged with the energy vibrations of your thoughts.
Thoughts ultimately magnetize a resonant energy field around us. We can tap into this power consciously. Instead of existing in a frequency of fear, lack and limitation, you can interrupt habitual, negative thinking with, “How would I prefer things to be?” or “What would be a better way to respond?”
With practice we can strengthen the power of intention as well. By identifying and releasing blockages that keep you stuck in limited thinking, you can choose to focus your intention on more appropriate thoughts positively creative ways to attract optimal outcomes.
Intention is a powerful tool that lets you consciously focus your mind on the outcomes you choose, rather than the ones you fear. Life will respond in turn, creating the outcomes you intentionally focus on as you harness the power of your intention for positive unfoldment.
©Copyright Ada Porat. This article may be freely distributed in whole or in part, provided there is no charge for it and this notice is attached. Ada Porat is an energy kinesiologist & spiritual counselor with extensive international teaching & clinical experience. She uses body/mind/spirit techniques to help clients make optimal life choices. For more information, visit https://AdaPorat.com
by Ada Porat | Apr 27, 2021 | Conscious living, Cope with change, Empowering changes, Life transitions, Mindfulness, Peace, Self-awareness, Spirituality
Photo credit: Hans Vivek, Unsplash
In a world forever changed by recent events, we are challenged daily with the need to restore and maintain inner peace in the midst of outer dissonance. And dissonance is everywhere. Perhaps the novelty of staying home has worn off. Or perhaps the world we are re-emerging into, is not the same as the world we left behind and does not resonate well. Distractions we may have previously used to soothe ourselves during difficult experiences have lost their sheen.
We may try to meditate to reclaim our inner sense of peace, but once off the cushion the reality of circumstances brings us right back to anxiety or irritability. It is perfectly natural to seek relief from these dissonant conditions. And yet, true relief is found not in distraction, aversion or judgment of the outer dissonance; it is found by changing the way we respond to these.
Inner peace does not require us to resist dissonant circumstances or flee from them; instead, it lies in finding a way to coexist with the very things that do not resonate with us.
Deeper wisdom requires us to learn how to be with discomfort. To paraphrase Pema Chodron, one of the greatest misunderstandings of the human mind is thinking that true relief comes from making ourselves more comfortable. The truth is exactly the opposite!
When our efforts to soothe ourselves or avoid external dissonance fail, we are actually ready for a more lasting solution. This is the perfect opportunity to find inner peace in the midst of outer dissonance. We can indeed maintain a sense of tranquility within despite the chaos without, because we have complete control over what we focus on.
Instead of resisting or fleeing outer dissonance, we start changing our response by using the dissonance as an opportunity to become more aware within. We turn towards our internal sensations of discomfort and become intimate with them.
What does it feel like when our outer world appears chaotic, and there’s little relief in sight? What happens when we stop running and allow ourselves to listen to what lies beneath the surface? How do we feel when we move our attention away from the outer dissonance and center within instead? Asking ourselves questions such as these help us to become more present to the eternal nature of consciousness in this present moment.
As we inquire within, we’ll likely find all kinds of mixed emotions at first – our own disavowed, wounded, disenfranchised and wronged parts. These are the orphaned aspects of our being that drive us to look for an external scapegoat or a way to avenge ourselves by projecting our pent-up pain and anger onto others. These aspects may even twist the truth to reinforce our habitual narrative of wounding or victimization.
When we turn within and become aware of these wounded aspects within us, we finally touch on the potential for healing and peace. It is by acknowledging the darkness residing within, that we start to cultivate true honesty with all the aspects of ourselves. And it is in recognizing the discomfort, pain and anxiety within ourselves, that we cultivate compassion for ourselves and all other beings.
This process brings us to the realization that we are all connected at some level. Interconnection becomes a way of being and is no longer just theoretical. We start to understand the statement by Pogo the possum in the Walt Kelly cartoon when he said: “We’ve met the enemy, and he is us.” We recognize that there is good in the worst of us, and bad in the best of us. And we develop compassion for both ourselves and others.
This openness to our own experience makes us more capable of opening to others. We experience less need to turn away from the underbelly of life – both in ourselves and in others. Instead of judging dissonance and weakness while separating ourselves from it, we can look at it with compassion. We become more honest and at ease with our own disenfranchised aspects – getting to know their true nature – and so have greater capacity to meet others there, too. This is the path to true and lasting inner peace.
There are two primary ways we can develop this ability to find inner peace, regardless of outer circumstances: We can learn to remain connected to inner peace regardless of external dissonance; and we can use aversion practice to lessen our habitual reactivity.
By aligning with the deep, unchanging peace that underlies all experience, we become more resilient to the outer dissonance on the surface of life. Instead of labeling and resisting, we can learn to be with discomfort. We learn to refrain from the habit of labeling and judging everything outside our comfort zone, and to simply be with what is. Over time, we learn that we are limitless consciousness, subject only to what we focus on or hold in mind. That is a superpower!
Here is one way of doing it: In your meditation, try sitting 15 minutes without moving. When uncomfortable sensations arise (an itch on your leg, a pinch in your hip), rather than shifting to alleviate it, stay still. In this moment of discomfort, open up to the sensation and allow yourself to relax into it. Notice what happens as you do this. Observe the thoughts and reactions that arise in your mind, yet do not judge or react to them. Simply observe the discomfort and see it as an opportunity to discover something new – your innate capacity to be with discomfort and remain neutral. The more you expand this capacity to remain neutral in the presence of something dissonant and uncomfortable, the more you will be able to honor your inner peace regardless of circumstances.
The second exercise deals with desensitizing your conditioned aversion response. Think of one small thing you don’t like: A smell, a taste, a sound, or a texture. For some it may be the taste of onion, for others the booming music from a neighbor. Pick one. When it appears, rather than pulling away, turn towards it. Put a small slice of onion on your tongue and get curious about the flavor. Or sit right beneath the booming bass and allow its rhythm to play across your mind and body. Whatever your disliked issue is, see what happens when you stop, turn towards it, open up, and invite it in.
As you do that, you will discover different aspects of it to tease apart, turning your distaste into curiosity. With practice, your consciousness will be able to use the very dissonance as a portal to move deeper within until you are able to rest in your core of peace, regardless of outer triggers.
Finding inner peace in the presence of outer dissonance is a powerful practice to help us remain calm, regardless of the tumult in our outer world. It strengthens our inner ability to navigate life without clinging to or resisting the changing scenery and to walk straight ahead, no matter what shows up!
About the Author
©Copyright Ada Porat. For more information, visit https://adaporat.com. This article may be freely distributed in whole or in part, provided there is no charge for it and this notice is attached.
