I've been noticing over the past week how much resistance I have to certain thoughts and feelings that I think are 'wrong.' Anger is one of the biggies, and I suppose it's like that for a lot of people (particularly women).
As I was sitting with feelings of anger yesterday and noting my resistance, the title of Toni Bernhard's book How to Be Sick came into my mind. (I just love that title; it's both clever and poignant). I did a little flip on the title and found myself saying instead - 'How to be angry. This is how to be angry.'
I imagined a little alien standing in front of me, newly arrived on earth with no idea how we human beings operate. 'How to be angry?' he asked.
'This is how,' I replied, describing my 'symptoms' for him. 'You screw up the muscles in your stomach, you feel your blood racing, your face looks all pinched, your temperature rises, and you think of a person who did something to hurt you. That's how you feel angry.'
'This is how,' I replied, describing my 'symptoms' for him. 'You screw up the muscles in your stomach, you feel your blood racing, your face looks all pinched, your temperature rises, and you think of a person who did something to hurt you. That's how you feel angry.'
I watch as the alien practices feeling how I'm feeling; screwing up his face and clenching his fists. 'Yes, you've got it!' I say. 'Hi 5 Alien-creature! That's how to be angry.'
Spontaneous and creative practices like these seem to cut off the blood supply to my resistance. It's impossible to resist and judge my anger whilst simulaneously teaching an alien life-form how to feel it!
Throughout the afternoon, as emotions and thoughts arose, I'd use the same technique. How to be despairing...how to be bitter...how to be sad...how to be @$#%...how to be peaceful...how to be.
