Sometimes we have feelings about our thoughts, other times we think about our feelings. Sometimes we think about our thoughts, other times we feel deeply the feelings we have.
A lot of the time we forget to connect thought and feeling, yet the two can and do often work together, and often better than thought or feeling alone.
What do I think? What do I feel? What do I think about my feelings? What do I feel about my thoughts?
How often do you connect with your body when you think? Is your thinking solely based in your mind or do you listen to your body as well? Do you think as you feel? Do you feel as you think?
How do you “feel as you think”? Here are some possibilities to experiment with which if you have practiced meditation may already be familiar to you, yet very often meditation is undertaken as a session rather than as a way of “being”. Having greater connection with your body helps encourage calm and relaxation all through the day rather than only during your brief meditation sessions.
How to feel as you think
Before thinking:
1. Be aware of your breath
2. Be aware of the life inside you
3. Become calm and relaxed
4. Then think
As you think try to maintain a connection with your breath or body. If thoughts take over and you forget the breath or body you can always stop thinking and reconnect. Tune back in to the body or breath then recommence thinking.
The connection varies in strength; in the gaps, where you are not thinking you can have greater and deeper awareness of body or breath.
When you prepare yourself to think from a relaxed state you will notice you are more aware of your surroundings; more aware of the present moment. You will also notice your thinking is clearer, you are not only aware of surroundings, the present moment, your breath and body, most importantly of all you are aware of your thinking. Being aware of your thinking helps you question and clarify your thoughts. Questioning and clarifying your thoughts also helps you question and clarify your actions.
Experiment with connecting with your breath and body and combining it either simultaneously or in alternation with your thinking. A good practice exercise is to try connecting with your body or breath whilst watching the television to help deepen breath and body awareness.
On a more personal level and as a side exercise here is a deep and probing question to ask yourself when you try the body, breath and thought connection:
If today were my last day on this planet would I spend my time doing what I am doing?
You may find that by connecting with your body rather than solely identifying with your thoughts you feel calmer and more relaxed and better able to process your thinking.
Feel as you think to help clarify your thoughts.
Try it.
See what you think about it.
See how you feel about it.
Submit your review | |