8 Steps to Develop Equanimity

Developing Equanimity

Two weeks ago, I shared the story of the Farmer and the Horse which introduced the Power of Equanimity. Last week, I talked about applying this to the experience of fibromyalgia on a day to day basis. This week, in my final installment on the Power of Equanimity, I will offer further insights in to Equanimity and some tools to help build this spiritual muscle in our daily lives.

The Power of Equanimity

The power of equanimity is experienced when you can remain centered in a state of witness conscious no matter what is happening externally. Equanimity power comes from the understanding that everything flows from God, Source, Light, Consciousness. Everything is equal in the eyes of God, Source, Light, Consciousness.  Everything we experience is simply the play of consciousness. Also, the conviction that everything that is happening is coming to you to evolve your consciousness and open you to the greatest, grandest experience of your whole amazing self.

The Struggle . . .

As I go through my day, I watch myself reacting and responding to my moment to moment experience. As I coach clients, I watch the struggle they are engaged in to heal or fix their problems. I watch friends on a spiritual journey strain to get all their baggage healed so they can be in a place of bliss and joy (all the time) or to focus solely on the Light avoiding or pushing away ‘negative’ emotions, people and experiences.   People from many spiritual traditions are waiting for the day of reckoning when evil will be banished and only love will remain.

Is this really the point?

Every spiritual master I have studied with describes the experience of “enlightenment” very different from what I see so many striving for. I believe there are many aspects to the experience of “enlightenment” and I believe that one of these is the experience of Witness Consciousness. In a state of witness consciousness, you connect with a calm centered part of you that can be a neutral observer to all that is happening externally and even to all that is arising within. This can seem like a tall order, and maybe it is, but it is also something we can practically practice in our daily lives.

Surrender to Life

Perhaps the point is to simply surrender to life as it is. We often think of surrender as giving up. Yet the act of surrender is simply acceptance of what is and empowers you to consciously choose your response or sometimes not needing to act at all as the problem resolves itself. Often an exaggerated reaction stems from trauma held in the subconscious and is an over reaction to the actual circumstances. Part of acceptance is acknowledging the reaction and then inquiring into it to see if it is an over reaction or projection based on past experiences.

The Practice

How do we practice this in our daily lives? Follow these steps and you will be on your way:

1. Notice – when something in your life “triggers” you. That is when something triggers an emotion like fear or anger or sadness or a stream of negative habitual thinking, or a physical reaction.
2. Observe – your reaction with an air of curiosity.
3. Let go – of judgment towards yourself or the situation.
4. Breath – bring your attention to your breath and slow your breathing down and take deeper breaths.
5. Relax your body – notice if the body tenses up and focus on relaxing.
6. Feel – feel all that is going on within you, the emotions and the physical sensations.
7. Watch – watch the mind, emotions and physical sensations
8. Allow – let go of trying to change the external situation or your reaction to it.  Allow the experience to unfold and run its course. The experience will end and often situations resolve themselves, emotions move and dissipate. If you need to speak or act, your words and actions will come from a place of clarity and purpose rather than a reaction that only feeds the conflict.

Be Compassionate

Remember that this is a process, a practice. You don’t even need to do it right. Maybe most important of all is to love and forgive yourself for having the experience in the first place and simply create the intention to nurture the experience of witness consciousness. Over time, you will reap the results and can observe an amazing transformation within yourself and within your life.

Weekly Contemplation

This week, begin to observe when life triggers you. Once you get that, then practice the steps of opening to and resolving that which is triggered. Share your questions and experiences with me on Facebook or just respond to this email.

May you be at peace, 💗Bindu