Here you are,
In this moment,
In your body.
You are safe.
You are centered.
Take a deep inhale.
Let it go.
Welcome to a hit of hope.
There are things that can create a deep emotional response in us.
Or to put it another way,
There are sometimes external events that are connected to our internal reactions.
So an outside thing causes an internal feeling.
We can name those things triggers.
And obviously the pain and trauma associated with triggers can be immense,
Almost unimaginable.
And I want to honor the depth of pain that we as humans can suffer.
If you are doing the hard work of dealing with and healing from the difficult situations that have created those triggers,
May you find peace and grace and grit,
Lots and lots of grit.
Inhale,
Exhale.
There is another definition of trigger.
It's not only something that can set us off,
But it can also be something to initiate a change of state or a cycle of behavior.
And if we think of it this way,
A trigger can become a teacher.
It can invite us to initiate a change,
To do something different,
To get us out of a past cycle and into a way of being that will bring about better results.
Say for instance,
That a blue car is a trigger.
Now imagine cursing at every blue car as it drives past because so-and-so did such-and-such and you are so flippin mad you could eat a chair.
But odds are there you are cursing a stranger simply because that stranger just happens to be driving a blue car.
It could be a song or a smell or a word or a name or a bracelet or whatever.
And you might have every right to have that reaction.
You might have been hurt terribly.
And so why shouldn't you swear at the name,
The smell,
The song,
The word,
The car?
You can.
But is it in your best interest to swear at every chihuahua you see because it's the dog your aunt had and she said that mean thing to you that one time?
Inhale,
Exhale.
You can hate the trigger and get swamped by the emotional reaction.
Or what if every time a blue car passed you were to say,
Hello teacher,
May I be as spacious as the sky?
What if every time a white cat crossed your path you were to say,
Hello teacher,
May I remember to be soft and open to life?
Inhale,
Exhale.
Namaste.
