Pain to possibility.
To acknowledge is to take back your power.
To shift from pain to possibility.
By radically accepting your circumstances,
You are aligning with your highest authority.
Your emotions are messages on what needs acknowledged.
You release the need to control them or suppress them.
Instead you simply notice,
Hear,
And honor them.
Because you know that what you deny will amplify,
What you resist will persist,
And what you acknowledge will inform your healing.
If you are feeling worried,
Afraid,
Overwhelmed,
Stressed,
Or wound up,
Set aside what you are doing for just a few moments and practice this exercise.
Begin by slowly,
Gently expanding your lungs for four slow counts.
And then we hold at the top for four slow counts.
And with a sigh allow your shoulders to drop.
Mindfully relax each muscle in your body and exhale for four slow counts.
Continue to breathe in this pattern softly without effort as you listen to this recording.
There are seven steps of radical acknowledgement.
Seven steps from pain to possibility.
Begin by selecting a struggle,
A thought,
Or a feeling that you would like to work on today.
For this exercise,
Practice one at a time.
Step one,
Create space to thoughtfully attend to your pain.
Do not try to change it.
Do not try to amplify it.
Just be in the moment and notice and acknowledge.
Step two,
Remind yourself it is what it is.
Remember,
An unpleasant reality is just what it is.
By trying to change it,
You can create resistance and this could amplify and instead create space,
Acknowledge,
And tell yourself it is what it is.
Step three,
Acknowledge your story.
There are causes of your current experience.
Challenge your experiences and your reasoning for the way you feel the way you feel.
Your feelings are the result of your story,
Your prologue up to this point.
You cannot change your past.
You can only be in this moment.
Step four,
Stay in your body.
It is easy to try to separate our thoughts from our mind,
But remember,
Your body has a story to share too.
If you find yourself detaching from your body,
You can use your five senses to come back.
Sight,
Smell,
Taste,
Touch,
And hearing.
Thoughtfully attend.
Just notice it is what it is.
Your story is part of why you feel the way you feel.
Be in your body.
Step five,
Allow the emotions to arise.
Panic,
Sadness,
Restlessness,
Anger,
Despair,
Confusion,
And any other emotions and sensations that emerge.
You are safe.
Your feelings cannot hurt you.
Allow them to come in waves.
Notice as they approach,
As they amplify and peak,
And then watch as they dissipate,
Like waves from the sea.
Step six,
Show your mind and body respect and attentiveness by saying out loud or in your thoughts,
Thank you for sharing your suffering.
What do you need me to do for you?
As you notice the feelings,
The sensations,
The thoughts,
Say out loud or in your thoughts,
Thank you for sharing your suffering.
What do you need me to do for you?
Step seven,
Possibility.
Notice that your symptoms are somewhat changeable.
It can come in waves.
The physical symptoms can change.
Perhaps your heart speeds up and slows down.
Perhaps part of your body may become restless and then that may migrate to another part.
Or maybe the tingling in your fingers moves to your toes.
Notice the changeability as it amplifies and shifts like a dance and remember that something that is changeable can be changed.
Acknowledge where you are right now,
But then also remember that there is possibility for change.
Even though you're not there yet,
Anything that changes is changeable and it can be so easy to desire to rush that process to get to the end where the change has occurred and we can look back and reflect on where we were.
But where you are right now is where you are and acknowledgement is the key for freedom.
So resist the urge to rush the process.
Allow your thoughts and your selves and your experience to speak.
Acknowledge the pain so that you have possibility.
And our last moments together,
Pause to acknowledge the work that you have done,
That you have taken the time to deeply heal,
To take back your power,
To align with your highest self,
Your whole self.
I honor you.
I respect you.
And I thank you for spending this time with your mind and body today.
You may remain here for as long as you like.
And when you choose to emerge,
May you feel calm,
Confident,
And centered.
And dear soul,
Always know you are worthy of joy,
Of hope,
Of peace,
And love.
This is just the beginning.
Amen.
.
.
