What we believe is our truth and unique to each of us. We all have patterns of thinking, unconscious beliefs formed from early childhood when we made up our minds about how the world worked. Some beliefs came from our parents, but mostly we observed, we felt, we interacted with our world, and learned the rules. What we didn’t know was that we learned our rules based on our interpretations of events. Like I said, unique to each of us.
And yet, not so unique. There are themes running through our beliefs that we have in common with all other people that connect us to one another. These common themes are the source of myths and fables. Joseph Campbell made it his life’s work identifying these themes in worldwide mythology. http://www.jcf.org/new/index.php?categoryid=83&p9999_action=displaybyseries. What other people believe can help us learn about ourselves. Their beliefs may reflect to us our own beliefs and help us notice what “we don’t know that we don’t know,” (as Werner Ehrhardt put it in the EST training http://www.landmarkworldwide.com/the-landmark-forum/landmark-core-programs?ic=%20core_prog_hp, ) That is, we can notice the hidden beliefs that run us.
Last entry I talked about practicing awareness of physical and emotional pain to clear your energy blocks. To get even stronger in this practice requires a daily habit of sitting quietly, as suggested, even if it’s only 10 minutes to start. This habit, like a muscle, will strengthen in time. We who have autoimmunity are pretty anxious people. We can try to heal our bodies to resolve our condition, but without this practice, or some form of inner awareness ritual that goes beyond simple relaxation techniques, we’ll be stuck with our old, still unknown, limiting beliefs.
These hidden beliefs are very powerful. They rule our interpretations of events, and in turn, rule our actions in response to those events. Without some form of conscious clearing, there they will stay, quietly, invisibly running us. This habit of ignoring our feelings, our pain, and under that our core beliefs is what helped us get into this autoimmune condition to start with.
Once we become aware of our ruling beliefs, what to do with them? We release them. Carol Tuttle http://www.amazon.com/dp/1587830299/?tag=mh0b-20&hvadid=7005833469&hvqmt=e&hvbmt=be&hvdev=c&ref=pd_sl_8swjq31h3c_e and Nick Ortner http://www.thetappingsolution.com/blog/ both suggest using EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique, or “tapping”) to help release old beliefs, and to create positive thinking in the form of self affirmations. Louise Hay teaches how to release old beliefs through awareness and affirmations, and relates the power of negative/positive thinking to particular diseases in our bodies. http://www.amazon.com/You-Can-Heal-Your-Life/dp/0937611018/ref=la_B000APL6J4_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1446595688&sr=1-1
I practice releasing beliefs by sitting quietly. This allows me to increase my awareness (Blog entry 10/20/2015, Mind Body Connection I: Keep Your Energy flowing.) and to notice how I am feeling and any pain in my body. This is my process:
I ask, “When did I first ever feel like this?” A scene from childhood might pop up.
Allowing it to come, I become curious and begin noticing the details of this scene: Colors, people, smells, what is happening.
This usually brings on a wave of emotion. (Let it come.)
I feel the emotions. They move through me, like energy, and I watch them leave.
I ask, “What did this thing that happened, this event mean to me?” “What did I conclude was true about life?”
I always have a sense of my belief by now, and the words to express it just appear in my thinking. (I write the words down in a notebook.)
If new to this process, your conventional mind (ego), the one that guards your unconscious mind and the status quo may jump in with all kinds of doubt. “This is crazy,” “Stop it,” “Shake it off.” Another option is to accept what your are learning about yourself. Doubt it or accept it. I have found what Carol Tuttle says is true. “If it’s coming up, it’s true for you.”
For example, let me share a recent belief uncovered: “I believe I am responsible for my mother’s happiness.”
Under that I found “My mother could and did reject my love.” This had nothing to do with my mother, it just felt that way to me. I made up my young mind to protect myself from this pain and fear of rejection by avoiding any situation that might risk my mother going away from me. Yes, I became “a good girl,” performing all feats out of fear of failure. (This, I have found out, is common thinking for many with autoimmunity. We are more than a bit obsessive and want to please.) Having said that, this is my example and does not have to be your belief. You have your own beliefs to discover. The point is once we can get in touch with our core beliefs from our subconscious minds, we can choose to release them. We can clean house of dark and unproductive patterns of thinking, and make space for mindfully chosen ones.
In her book You Can Heal Your Life, Louise Hay provides a script to release debilitating beliefs: “I release the pattern of thinking _____.” In this case I say, “I release the pattern of thinking my mother can and does withdraw her love.” (I often have to say this more than once, and tapping on EFT points accelerates the releasing process.) Then I sit. I notice the release of tension in my body. I breathe. (I write my script in my notebook just to make it crystal clear for me.)
When I am ready, I affirm the opposite belief. These are the positive affirmations we’ve heard so much about. “I am fine no matter what my mother does or doesn’t do.” “My mother does not have the power to reject my love.” I give my love freely whether it is received or not.” “I am fine no matter what happens.” “I am whole whether my mother can give or accept love.” “I am loved no matter what happens.”
But that’s just a warm up. The fun comes with the affirmations of pure delight. “I am a thriver, I keep going, I am changing my life. Health is my choice and I choose health every day and every moment. I am choosing health, I am healthy, and I am whole. I am love.”
One more thought. The law of attraction says, “As you think, so you create.” Find out how that affects your power to heal in Pam Grout’s excellent book E Squared. (She actually squares her energy with a raised 2.)http://www.amazon.com/E-Squared-Do—Yourself-Experiments-Thoughts/dp/1401938906/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1446764396&sr=1-1&keywords=pam+grout+e+squared A must read.
Please share below your experience with beliefs and affirmations. And thank you for taking on your health like nobody else can. Thank you for being the source of your own healing.