Trust Life
Just a few moments ago as I was meditating, I heard this message within me…trust life. There are so many moments, hours, and days where that intent doesn’t seem to exist within me, and instead there is a somewhat unconscious attitude to not trust life. It comes in waves of fear, resistance, judgment of myself and others.
In Buddhist practice, this is considered one of the five hindrances to peace of mind, to presence of mind. This particular hindrance is generally called aversion or ill will—where we have a “no” to our lives in some way whether it’s in the form of aversion, fear, judgment, criticism, attacking, rejecting, hating, etc. We pull away from life as we say “Yuck!”
If you share this obstacle or hindrance to peace of mind—to feeling relaxed, open, and present to your life—this inner attitude may need something in order for us to feel free, happy, and to trust in life.
First, this hindrance needs more and more loving awareness of its existence as it emerges to help unveil its unconscious presence and untangle it from its presence as a part of our lives. In other words, to not have aversion to our aversion.
Find a wish, a desire, a commitment within to being conscious and even welcoming of this often unconscious attitude that lives as tension in the body, a tightening of the mind. If it’s too hard to welcome it this expression of negativity, just being able to be tolerant of it works! Awareness coupled with acceptance helps to expose and untangle its grip on us.
It’s antidote is to consider trusting or being open to life as it’s unfolding—to trust that no matter what our circumstances are currently, that our inner spirit is part of the orchestration of these circumstances to help our whole being grow.
I heard this additional message this morning after I heard the message of “trust life”. The message was that my spirit, my life force wants to expand through me, and in order to accomplish this it finds ways as to expose my neuroses—my fears, judgments, negativity, cravings and defenses.
In this process of our neuroses being exposed they have an opportunity to be healed (as we bring awareness and acceptance to them), so that they don’t occupy our mind and body space as much as they do, and spirit gets to dwell here, within us.
This deeper place of self-trust that emerges from reclaiming our spirit within our body allows us to take this inner trust out into our lives. In this way we grow into trusting life!
May life be as life is and may you find your spirit that illuminates your path,
Dan
