Being Happy and Enjoying
Life
by Nicholas de
Castella
Our problems seem to be external to us but it is
how we respond to what is happening within us that
determines the quality of life we live. Suppressing our
feelings causes stress and suffering. Wanting to feel
something other than what we've got means rejecting life
as it is.
1. See it - Recognise what you are
feeling
Sit in stillness and quietness, Come into
the present. Let go of thinking and breathe into your
body. Ask yourself "Am I feeling...
1. Happy: Excited Pleased Enjoying
Ecstatic
2. Sad: Melancholy Heavy Low Depressed
3. Angry: Annoyed Irritated Frustrated
Stressed
4. Scared: Anxious Frightened Worried
Terrified
+ Empty: Detached Numb Frozen Blank
2. Allow it - Accept how you are
feeling
Emotions are real. They are energy, our
life force, passion and enthusiasm.
Pushing feelings away causes stress and
unhappiness by having what we don't want.
The only way to get through emotions is to go
through them, not around them.
Stay with the facts. Don't awfulise. Watch out
that your mind is not generating the emotion by what
you are thinking, by running scary, sad or angry
movies in your head.
3. Let it out - Express it! Share
how you are feeling
Express the emotional energy - shout,
scream, cry, laugh...
Talk to your partner or in a support group where
your feelings will be honoured
We Honour emotions by listening, validating and
accepting them as real and OK
Remember we are not fixing the tractor, nothing
is broken!
Sharing your feelings reduces the sense of
overwhelm and isolation
4. 'Be' - Live in the Now, Practise
'Mindfulness'
Let go of the past and the future and be
fully present with what is here, now
Take time to feel the extra ordinary nature of
this earthly experience
Remember: You always have enough strength to
respond to what is present now.
5. Acknowledge and Appreciate what
you have
What you focus on tends to expand so make
time to bless what you have
Remember the glass that is half empty is also
half full!
Practise praise and appreciation instead of
criticism
Acknowledge and Celebrate your victories
6. Be Kind and Gentle with Yourself
and Others
Allow yourself to be human and make it OK
to make a mistake let go of punishment. Know that you
are always doing the best you can.
Love the soft animal of your being.
Nicholas de Castella, President of
The Australian Breathwork Foundation has 12years
experience as a Breathwork practitioner. Founder of Power
of Presence Seminar (formerly Passionately Alive Seminar)
and author of 'Keys to Emotional Mastery', he conducts
Breathwork practitioner trainings, facilitates weekly
support group meetings and runs a private practice in
Clifton Hill, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
Ph 613 9739 8889.
Email:info@eq.net.au