This is a very simple technique that I find helpful.
Whenever there is an energy – an emotion, feeling, craving, reaction or contraction – and there is some resistance to it…..
Make it as strong as you can for 10 sec.
Then let go, relax, breathe for 10 sec.
Repeat once or a few times as needed.
What happens? That is something to explore and it’s new each time. For me, the initial energy tends to seem less scary or problematic. Sometimes, it also softens or releases.
How or why does it work? We don’t really know, and we don’t really need to know. At the same time, here is a few possible answers that stand out to me:
Facing what we fear. When I make it as strong as I can I get to see that it isn’t as scary as it initially seemed. As long as I resisted it and kept it at a metaphorical arm’s length distance, it seemed scary to me. When I enter it and tried to make it stronger, it seems less scary. It’s a troll bursting as it’s hit by the rays of the sun.
What we resist persist. At least in this area of life. If I try to make a certain experience go away, either consciously or more unconsciously, it tends to stay and sometimes strengthen. When I instead intentionally try to make it stronger, I go against the impulse to resist, and that seems to allow it to relax and soften. (Of course, doing in order to make it go away is an expression of resistance so that doesn’t really work….!)
Some additional points:
Reinforcing my belief about it. When I resist an experience, I act on a belief that it’s scary or problematic, and that reinforces that belief. Going against it, I get to see that it isn’t as scary as it initially appeared.
Seeing how it’s created. When I try to make it as strong as possible, I get to see how I can make it stronger. Perhaps by tightening certain muscles, look at certain images, repeat certain words. I get some insight into how it’s created. Or I get to see I can’t do it. Either way, it’s helpful information.
I read about this amplify/release technique in one of Joey Lott’s books. And I have written about it before on this blog.
Update April 4. As I keep exploring this for myself, I see that it feels easier to amplify the sensations for 10-30 percent. It doesn’t have to be “as much as I can”. It’s more about the intention, and over time it’s easier to do it just a bit. Seems to have the same effect.
It’s been very helpful to do this more regularly over some time, and go through the different areas of the body that has chronic or recurrent contractions.
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Initial draft……
This is a very simple technique that I find helpful.
Whenever there is a emotion, feeling, craving, reaction or contraction, and there is some resistance to it…..
Amplify it as much as you can for 10 sec. Make it as strong as you can.
Then let go, relax, breathe for 10 sec.
Repeat once or a few times as needed.
What happens? That is something to explore and it’s new each time. For me, the initial energy tends to soften or release, or at least it doesn’t seem so scary or problematic anymore.
How or why does it work? We don’t really know, and we don’t really need to know. At the same time, here is one possible answer that stands out to me:
What I resist does persist, at least in this area of life. If I try to make a certain experience go away, either consciously or more unconsciously, it tends to stay and sometimes strengthen. When I intentionally try to make it stronger, it’s the opposite of resisting it. And that may allow it to soften or release. (Of course, doing it in order to make it go away is an expression of resistance so that doesn’t really work….!)
Also, when I make it as strong as I can I get to see that it isn’t as scary as it initially seemed – especially as long as I resisted it. It’s a troll bursting when it’s hit by the rays of the sun. This also reduces the resistance.
When I try to make it as strong as possible, I get to see one of two things. Either, I get to see how I can make it stronger – by tightening certain muscles, look at certain images, repeat certain words. Or I get to see I can’t do it. Either way, it’s helpful information.
I read about this in one of Joey Lott’s books. And I have written about it before on this blog.