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“Of course, you can’t force your mind to be silent. That will be like trying to smooth ripples in water over the flat iron. Water becomes clear and calm only when left alone.”
Alan Watts – Art of Mediation Alanwatts.org
A Tough Subject
This week I wanted to write a primer on one of the toughest subjects to approach from both mental health and a Zen Philosophy. How to recognize and understand our emotions.
Much of what I have learned since I started my own journey with Zen Philosophy has been through the teachings of Alan Watts, and you can see I reference his speeches frequently on this website.
The quote I specifically chose to attach to this post is one of the best ways I have found to describe a process that we should all attempt in our lives. Often our emotions are trying to tell us things and because we don’t like how these emotions feel we often try to forcefully burry them.
I challenge you this week, either when you are feeling anxious, sad, angry, happy, or what I found the best… racing thoughts just as you are going to bed. Stop trying to control your emotions, let your thoughts and feelings flow freely and just listen to the direction they take you.
As you build this skill you will start to better understand the root causes of your emotions, both good and bad and if like me you have struggled with things like anxiety, you can start to let go of being afraid of these feelings and finally start to understand why you are feeling them and how to make positive changes.
Alan Watts Archery Everyday Informational Meditation Nature Psychology self-reflection Starter Youtube
