Thank you Dan (my given name is Karen, btw, and that's how I'm registered in the CF course 😉)
This (week 9) theme and the question you pose in the heading of this piece is possibly the most powerful central struggle of my life (and others' lives too, I imagine).
For me, the question has been not so much 'can I allow everything to be as it is?' but 'HOW? How do I shift from intellectually knowing it's possible to allow everything to actually allowing it?'
And 'How do I actually let go of the endless resistance, struggle, inner battle, inner-outer battles?'
I've dabbled in many approaches to learning to let go of resistance. But the parts of me that have strong values and beliefs about how the world should be and what's wrong with this person, that person, the world etc are persistent, resistant buggers!
I feel the Week 9 (of the Calmer Farmer course) that you gave on this theme is one I'd like to listen to over and over again, along with the feeling wholeness/green lighting practice.
As always, I'm hugely grateful for your wisdom and sharing of these deep inquiries and practices.
Dear Karen, thanks so much for sharing your reflections on the theme of greenlighting the whole ecosystem of our lives! You are quite right, it is the central theme for very many of us and the cause of so many of our struggles. The process of shifting from an intellectual understanding to an embodied knowing is always slow and gradual in my experience. We have to work with the softer edges of our experience first rather than the hard walls. Noticing that it's ok that our preferences don't match how the world is is a much easier endeavour when it involves the shop not having our preferred ingredient for example, than it is to accept that global conflict is as it is in this moment! Start small and slow and allow patience. Noticing the resistance to reality as it is can be extremely catalytic in and of itself. Notice how it feels in the body, where is the resistance felt? How does it feel? Can you allow for the truth that "there is resistance"? Rather than simply trying to be "accepting" - which never works very well - getting comfortable with the resistance as a first port of call allows your system to begin to relax the tension of separation it is holding, which in turn leads to becoming increasingly comfortable with reality as it is, even when it doesn't match our preference. But there is a lot of collective unlearning to do here so go easy on yourself as it's not easy! But at the same time try to be consistent in your practice of greenlighting if possible as that's how it will be most helpful. It will make a huge difference to your life over time!
Thank you so much Dan. Good advice to remember to start small and slow and be patient (and keep practicing!). Also, noticing, allowing or welcoming the resistance is simpler and easier than trying to move directly to accepting or allowing 'what is'.
Of course, it's my mind that tries to complicate this and make it harder than it need be (and has a tendency to forget how simple it can be and a tendency to be impatient!)
I look forward to phase 2 of CF, a longer, slower journey 🐌
Thank you Dan (my given name is Karen, btw, and that's how I'm registered in the CF course 😉)
This (week 9) theme and the question you pose in the heading of this piece is possibly the most powerful central struggle of my life (and others' lives too, I imagine).
For me, the question has been not so much 'can I allow everything to be as it is?' but 'HOW? How do I shift from intellectually knowing it's possible to allow everything to actually allowing it?'
And 'How do I actually let go of the endless resistance, struggle, inner battle, inner-outer battles?'
I've dabbled in many approaches to learning to let go of resistance. But the parts of me that have strong values and beliefs about how the world should be and what's wrong with this person, that person, the world etc are persistent, resistant buggers!
I feel the Week 9 (of the Calmer Farmer course) that you gave on this theme is one I'd like to listen to over and over again, along with the feeling wholeness/green lighting practice.
As always, I'm hugely grateful for your wisdom and sharing of these deep inquiries and practices.
My very best wishes to you and Johanna 💚
Dear Karen, thanks so much for sharing your reflections on the theme of greenlighting the whole ecosystem of our lives! You are quite right, it is the central theme for very many of us and the cause of so many of our struggles. The process of shifting from an intellectual understanding to an embodied knowing is always slow and gradual in my experience. We have to work with the softer edges of our experience first rather than the hard walls. Noticing that it's ok that our preferences don't match how the world is is a much easier endeavour when it involves the shop not having our preferred ingredient for example, than it is to accept that global conflict is as it is in this moment! Start small and slow and allow patience. Noticing the resistance to reality as it is can be extremely catalytic in and of itself. Notice how it feels in the body, where is the resistance felt? How does it feel? Can you allow for the truth that "there is resistance"? Rather than simply trying to be "accepting" - which never works very well - getting comfortable with the resistance as a first port of call allows your system to begin to relax the tension of separation it is holding, which in turn leads to becoming increasingly comfortable with reality as it is, even when it doesn't match our preference. But there is a lot of collective unlearning to do here so go easy on yourself as it's not easy! But at the same time try to be consistent in your practice of greenlighting if possible as that's how it will be most helpful. It will make a huge difference to your life over time!
Thank you so much Dan. Good advice to remember to start small and slow and be patient (and keep practicing!). Also, noticing, allowing or welcoming the resistance is simpler and easier than trying to move directly to accepting or allowing 'what is'.
Of course, it's my mind that tries to complicate this and make it harder than it need be (and has a tendency to forget how simple it can be and a tendency to be impatient!)
I look forward to phase 2 of CF, a longer, slower journey 🐌
With much appreciation,
Karen
And we look forward to you joining us! Many thanks!