I have been reading Eckhart Tolle’s best selling book, A New Earth. I think this is the sixth time I’ve read it. It is the most important book I’ve ever read. Every time I read it, something new resonates with me or I develop a deeper understanding of some aspect of spirituality.
The book delves in to six essential tenants:
- Living in the present moment … the Now
- Non-identification with form
- Accepting the present circumstances
- Dissolving ego
- Dissolving the pain-body
- Understanding our true purpose
Tolle says that non-identification with form … that is to say, living in a state of Being. … is one of the keys to living without fear. Being could also be referred to as the soul or higher–self or inner-self. It is the aspect of us that is directly connected to the universal–energetic–intelligence [God] that is found in every atom in the universe.
In the course of reading the book, it occurred to me that all of the things I have been attempting to manifest on my forest walks, which I spoke about in a recent post, including living in trust, living in a carefree state of enthusiasm, living each moment in a state of utter joy, living fearlessly, could be addressed by simply, Being. They would all happen by default.
You see, the thing is, I’ve been trying to manifest good health through thought … and it hasn’t been working. In fact, I was recently wondering why, with all of the prayers and mantras I repeat every day … what I do in the forest is only part of it … am I not making any progress. And the reason is this, it puts me in the realm of thought, which puts me in the realm of ego, and ego, according to Eckhart, is where our unconscious detrimental beliefs reside. And according to Bruce Lipton, author of The Biology of Belief, subconscious detrimental beliefs trump conscious thoughts every time.
Conscious thought: I am lovable.
Subconscious belief: NO YOU’RE NOT. YOU’RE EXTREMELY UNLOVABLE!
Conclusion: Okay, well that settles that, then. Unlovable it is.
So, I can’t think my way through this. I need to approach it from a state of Being.
So, what does this mean, living in a state of Being. It begins with being aware that there are three aspects to what is referred to, as me: my body, my personality and my inner-self. My body and my personality [where ego can be found] are the ‘human’ aspects of me, while the inner-self is the ‘being’ or ‘spiritual’ aspect of me.
For most of my life, I was unaware of this third part of me … my inner-self. Consequently, I felt like a victim much of the time. I felt unloved, unwanted, unappreciated and unacknowledged. In turn, I felt unlovable, unworthy, inadequate and powerless. I lived in fear. I worried constantly. My nervous system was habitually in the sympathetic [fight-flight-freeze] state, flooded with cortisol and adrenalin, the stress hormones. My parasympathetic [calm] nervous system was suppressed, which meant dopamine, serotonin, GABA and acetylcholine, the feel-good neurotransmitters and hormones, were shut down. This eventually led to me develop the symptoms of PD.
Had I known about, and understood this third aspect of me, and it’s connection to the divine, my life would have been totally different. Instead of living in fear, and accumulating faulty beliefs and emotional pain, I would have lived in awareness and trust. I would have understood that life and all experience has a purpose, which is to guide us to divine love and Being. I do understand that this, for me, was the whole point. This was my purpose. To learn this.
My challenge is living from the perspective of Being when my physical body is so challenged. As I’m sure you can appreciate, it’s not easy. Living with the symptoms of PD has a way of making me feel like a victim, reinforcing the beliefs I grew up with. What is more, because my neurotransmitters are messed up, I have difficulty with focus, including focusing on my breath and staying present.
Challenges aside, what is required, is present moment awareness. I need to be diligently aware, in the moment, of when I am in a negative mental state … when I’m lost in thought. Otherwise, I don’t need to do anything. I don’t need to think … unless I’m creating or problem solving … I just need to Be: Be in the present moment; Be accepting of the present circumstances; Be an observer of my breath, my surroundings or the task I am performing; Be aware of my inner aliveness; Be aware of Presence.
I have often said that my journey with the symptoms of PD is first and foremost, a spiritual journey. My decision to reread A New Earth was my inner-self’s way of reminding me of this, and it has given me a renewed sense of purpose and enthusiasm with the health challenge I face.
A New Earth was published in 2005 as a follow-up to The Power of Now.
For those of us experiencing the symptoms of PD, joyful contentment is the key, above all else, to returning the body to homeostasis and restoring good health.
I thought this might be a good time to summarize my recent experience and strategy in overcoming anxiety. I’m still in the process, but I have made progress, particularly in my learning and understanding of anxiety and how to overcome it without taking pills [which is always an option].
Lately, my attention has been very much focused on overcoming anxiety, for two important reasons. First, it is very challenging, mentally, particularly as it relates to experiencing panicky feelings. Second, it affects all the other symptoms I experience, significantly. When I am in a state of anxiety, my gait is stiffer, my balance is worse, I’m very unsteady on my feet, my movements are slower, my voice is rhaspy and my driving is less steady.
I would like to share with you my meditation experience and approach! Having said this, I would like you to know that I am no expert in meditation, nor am I a superior meditator.
Worry! In my experience, it is the most challenging issue we face in living with, managing and overcoming the symptoms of PD … and many other conditions, I suspect!
FredPhillips 