Have you been traveling on your spiritual path for quite some time now, doing all the so-called “right things” and still have some physical and/or emotional symptoms that are puzzling and frustrating for you?
Perhaps you’re meditating, working with thought transformation, shifting limiting beliefs, applying good self-care, loving yourself, reading and listening to inspiring uplifting material, etc. etc. etc. And maybe you’ve even changed your diet to a more vegetarian/vegan style.
You’re doing all these things and more. And yet you’re dealing with migraine headaches, or tummy troubles, a chronic disease of some sort, anxiety, depression, cancer, weight gain/loss, or any number of other physical and emotional symptoms.
And you’re left wondering why.
The answer is… The Stress.
There are always stressors in our lives. Stress is a constant in both positive and negative ways that impact us. Any kind of change is stressful, even really good change. But there is a certain kind of stress which I have noticed that triggers a physical or emotional response, and which is rooted in our unconscious beliefs. This is why we end up frustrated and confused about why, with doing all the “right things” that we’re doing, we are suffering this way.
The kind of stress that I’m talking about comes from events and circumstances that trigger our core issues. These kinds of stresses might not be a big deal for someone else but based in our particular past, given what we unconsciously believe about life, ourselves, others, and relationships, and our self-worth, we are not only triggered , but our unconscious beliefs and fears create a domino effect in the mindbody that leaves us with the physical and emotional symptoms that I’m talking about.
There are all kinds of things we can do to deal with stress and I do, and have done these for decades. And yet when certain family issues arose in my life that triggered MY core issues, that domino effect began, despite my best efforts. I meditated; this is when I created my well-known WHAT IF…? Quantum Questions; I systematically released my need to control people and circumstances and events; and I was dedicated to my peace of mind. For a long while as I worked on these things, I walked around feeling anxious and distressed, and awoke feeling that way, especially when these circumstances were new and the impact of them strong.
I did all the things I knew to do emotionally and spiritually and finally brought down my anxiety levels and was coping well, and then enjoying life again.
However, what this particular kind of stress was doing within my body, as it continued to trigger my core issues, was very damaging. I started gaining weight. I was exercising. I was eating in a healthy way. And yet I kept gaining pound after pound after pound. Then I learned how stress affects the insulin response in the body and how a dysfunctional insulin response leads to weight gain. I kept trying one diet after another, only to keep gaining weight, which was extremely frustrating and discouraging.
Also my mother became ill, and I moved in with my parents and helped to care for her until her death a several months later. Then I received a cancer diagnosis which fortunately, with minimally invasive surgery and 3 post-op preventive treatments, was quickly and successfully dealt.
The weight gain, my mom’s passing, and the cancer stressed me tremendously, and although I kept on coping, I went into a period that I call “The Slowdown”, which was characterized by low-grade depression, low energy and a lot of sadness.
As I began to look at the role of stress in our lives and for our bodies, I also started putting the pieces together.
You might not be gaining weight like I did; perhaps you have unexplained and frustrating headaches, recurring infections, stomachaches, sleeplessness, chronic fatigue, depression, anxiety, irritability, lack of motivation, etc. I simply can’t list all of the possibilities here, but you get the idea and you can fill in the blank with your stress-related symptom.
The point of all this is that until we begin to examine our core issues and dismantle the beliefs that keep us stressed, in flight or fight mode, and replace these beliefs with much healthier ones that support our peace of mind, we might not make much headway in resolving the physical and emotional symptoms that cause us to suffer.
The kind of stress I’m talking about might have started way back in childhood with traumatic experiences, neglect or abuse, or it may have started in adulthood with certain circumstances that arose beyond our control. I understand what that feels like since I have had experience that myself.
The good news is that we don’t have to keep on suffering. We can directly address those core issues and begin to shift of those beliefs and reduce our reaction to the stressors of our lives. What this means is that we can begin to get relief from the suffering we have experienced.
And part of this recovery is seizing life and making it into the life that we want, a life that is JOYful and spontaneous and fulfilling.
I hope that this perspective is helpful for you, encouraging, and optimistic. It is entirely possible to become more aware of our core issues, and to change the embedded beliefs we hold in a more positive direction, and then act on those new beliefs. It does take work. It does take paying attention. It does take devotion to yourself and your well-being. But with the proper guidance and support, it not only can be done, it can be life-changing.
As always, I hope you **::**SPARKLE**::**
Love you,Bless you,
Jan
Janice Masters, The Shaman Mama
P.S. If you are ready to heal this or another aspect of your life, please contact me for a short, complementary Begin Your Journey session to discover where you are right now, where you’d like to go, and how I can help you get there.
P.P.S Use this link to find all 3 of my WHAT IF…? Quantum Question books for your Kindle, on Amazon at the ridiculous price of just $.99. Gift yourself one… or all three, for the holiday! http://surl.li/mypoz
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