My Mind Lies to Me - a medical student's story

A few years ago a young medical student came to my office. She had been a patient for several years and in recent months had started studying the qualities of her mind. Through self-observation she discovered that there was a distinct difference between herself and her mind.

She saw her own self-awareness or conscience as her true identity. As she persisted in making decisions, she encountered obstacles that sabotaged her success. Appearing in many forms, such as doubt, laziness, and distractibility, these obstacles would subdue her best efforts and intentions.

As this realization deepened, the significance of her findings became startlingly obvious. On a hot August day she came bursting into my office. The look of disgust and despair could be seen for miles. “My mind lies to me!” And then the tears came. “I am afraid that I will never get better!” She dropped down into my office chair.

I volleyed back with questions:
Who is telling you that you will not get better? “I am.”
Who, specifically, is telling you this? The tears stopped and she looked up. For just a moment she had regained her balance. Then, much more calmly she replied, “My mind is telling me I may never get better”.

You mean your mind – that lies to you – is telling you that you may not get better? “Yes.”

The liar is frightening you? “Yes.”

Moments like these open a window of opportunity -- in that fraction of a second you can choose who to listen to – your mind or your conscience. At that moment you realize that ‘you’ are never afraid of anything, that ‘you’ are never filled with sadness nor regret. But your mind can become an ever expanding warehouse of distractions, raw emotions and doubt, flowing from the useless past and from unexamined feelings. These very personal insights to the cause of discomfort are essential to the goal of self-transformation.

Unless you gain a clear, calm and tranquil mind, your options for success and satisfaction may be limited. It is through the qualities and opinions of your mind that you view your world. Any distortions or misperceptions can ruin your day. Developing the skill sets for a clear, calm and tranquil mind provides immediate salvation to a nemesis that you cannot ignore. Both contemplation and meditation allow you the time and the space to sort out these distractions and make powerful life-changing decisions.

Transforming the mind from foe to friend is possible for everyone.

“Contemplation is not a skill limited to the spiritual seeker, rather it is an essential skill for every man, woman and child.”
-- page 250, The Happiness Revolution

“Contemplation hones and refines your ability to listen to your conscience.”
-- page 254, The Happiness Revolution

In Chapter 11 and in Appendix B (in The Happiness Revolution) you will find further information on the principles and philosophy of contemplation – an essential skill in self-transformation.

I will write again soon.
Blair

The First Sign of Stress May Surprise You

Relaxation – bringing yourself back to yourself

As I promised earlier, here is a little more insight into the chapters and topics of my new book, The Happiness Revolution. Today’s topic is relaxation.

Everybody wants to relax. Those who do not want to, are told to do so by their friends and relatives. As relaxation becomes a common prescription, it would seem wise to know what the word means.

Relaxation means to open, to let go of, and most interestingly it also means to pass a stool. Laxation is the natural healthy state of the mind and body. According to Yoga Science, the first sign of stress is an irregularity with one’s bowl movement, thus, laxation and “laxative” both come from the same origin. To relax is to re-gain laxation.

When we are under stress we feel constricted, constrained and condensed – and according to Ayurveda, the colon is the first casualty from stress. When you correlate the constricting force of stress with the collapsing of space in your day or in your body, then the cure becomes obvious – you must re-open, re-inflate that collapsed space within you. Relaxation is the process of re-opening that space.

The ancient Sanskrit word for relaxation is ‘pratyahara,’ meaning “to collect yourself, one by one, from every direction, as a means to bring yourself back to yourself, thus, overcoming any sense of loss and infusing the present moment with a sense of safety and comfort”.

Irregular bowel movements -- the first sign of stress – can become the starting point for unlimited problems and disease. The longer the stool and bowel gas remain inside the body the greater chance that these waste products will get reabsorbed into the bloodstream.

When both stool and gas are trapped within the body, then a secondary method of release must be found. As they get reabsorbed into the bloodstream, this acidic waste can be released through perspiration, through eructations (belching) or it will go into the joints or tissues of the body and disturb their function. In Ayurveda, many diseases including GERD and arthritis are directly related to the re-absorption of the gases and toxins from the bowel. The acidic nature of these trapped substances cause an inflammatory response that burn or damage bodily tissues.

Proper relaxation training will lead to the gradual recovery of a healthy bowel habit and the routine removal of all bodily waste. Relaxation training will release constrictions in the mind and the body creating an attitude of openness and a sense of comfort within the body. Learning to relax is a life skill for everyone and every age.

You can read more about specific relaxation techniques in Chapters 7 & 8 in The Happiness Revolution. I will write again soon.

Blair