Beyond Any Trigger
Have you ever noticed that when we’re triggered, we tend to say things like “I’m so angry” or “I’m so hurt”. Then we tell the story to explain or justify why we feel so upset.
But what if not all of us is actually upset? What if our triggered parts are taking up all the inner real estate, leaving little room for our more awakened, powerful selves?
When I get triggered, I’ve learned to pause, feel my emotion, and ask myself, ‘Who, within me, is triggered?’
It’s never my most empowered self who’s anxious, irritated or doubtful. She’s the one doing the inquiry to see which part of me needs support.
I believe that each of us is a complex sum of many parts, and when I dig deeper, I can uncover the specific part of me that’s upset. Rather than relying on mental strategies to regulate my feelings, I harnessed my healthiest, wisest part, and meet the part of me that’s struggling with compassion and support.
Last week while I was at a retreat with Joe Dispenza, I had a night filled with anxious dreams. I woke up feeling exhausted and unsure of what was actually bothering me.
I closed my eyes, tuned into my body, got still for a few moments, then muscle tested various people and issues in my life until I uncovered the source of the stress. Then, I tuned in again to feel what the anxious part of me needed.
First, I surrendered the emotional overload by releasing the fear into the vastness of the ocean. This act of surrender opened up space for new possibilities.
Drawing on my healthy-self, the one who brings me to meditate every day, I tuned into the energy of trust and surrounded myself with it. I opened my heart, where I had previously been scared, and allowed myself to rest in the comfort of trust.
After a few minutes, I felt a shift, re-checked my original worry (by muscle testing again), and felt strong in my body. The whole process took less than ten minutes because I’ve done those steps so many times that my body-mind knows how to integrate them.
Knowing how to get beyond our triggers is a powerful way to maintain balance and wholeness. Lingering in anxiety, anger or sadness for too long can consume our energy and lead to imbalances and dis-ease.
Conversely, learning to support ourselves by embodying trust, joy, and gratitude lifts us into a state of wholeness.
If you’d like to learn more, join me at the upcoming Radiant Living retreat to explore:
Feeling ‘who’ within you is triggered so you can meet their needs.
Practicing ways of surrendering emotional overload so you can make space for new possibilities.
Learning how to access a source in nature or a higher power so you can connect to a high-frequency elevated emotion.
As always, I welcome your questions and feedback.