Aug/Sep 2020 Aspire Magazine FULL Issue Aug/Sep 2020 Aspire Magazine FULL Issue | Page 27

system has become known as the “default
network.” When you are awake and doing
nothing, the baseline resting state of your
brain activates this default mode which tends
toward negativity. This is because one of its
functions is to be vigilant to environmental
threats which creates a background for fear
and anxiety to thrive.
Being in default mode can be helpful when
you need to remember a skill such as riding
a bike or driving a car. However, most of the
time, it engraves negative impressions that
keeps you stuck in the past and from living in
the present. It also tries to protect you from
any pain by always having an automatic
reaction. Fortunately, your brain can override
this default mode and become unstuck. It’s
capacity to learn and change itself is called
“neuroplasticity.” Through mindfulness
practices, you can make incremental
changes in your neural network. In fact, you
can actually change the neuropathways
in your brain that promote a more positive,
present, and dynamic way of being.
HERE ARE 10 SACRED
STRATEGIES FOR GETTING
UNSTUCK & FREEING
YOURSELF:
Practice Mindfulness Meditation:
Mindfulness meditation teaches you how to
notice your thoughts and feelings without
reaction. You become an observer of your
thoughts, feelings, and sensations without
judgment. Find a comfortable place where you
won’t be distracted. Take a series of slow deep
breaths. Now imagine your mind as a vast blue
sky and your thoughts as white billowy clouds.
Notice your thoughts move across your mind
as clouds move across the sky. Don’t try to
analyze, judge or get caught up in them. Just
pay attention to the thought until it leaves. Start
with five minutes and gradually build up to tenfifteen
minutes every day.
Notice Your Habitual Reactions:
Give yourself permission to pause when
you notice any habitual reactions. Once
you have a negative reaction to someone
or something, the brain defaults to the next
negative reaction when you face the same or
a similar person or situation. When repeated
habitually, these negative reactions can
turn into a negative, fearful, or depressed
mindset. If this person or situation makes
you feel irritated, upset, or angry, then,
you are stuck in that reaction and you are
responsible for changing it. Change your
habitual reaction by simply staying present
with whatever is arising in your awareness.
Change your reaction to a positive response
even if it’s just pausing or walking away.
Move Your Body:
Moving your body tells your brain that you are
unstuck. Taking your body for a walk shifts the
stuck energy to forward movement. Practice
WISDOM & SELF-GROWTH
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