Navigating the Inner Landscape for a Fulfilling Life
Ana Narcisa
The world is challenging us all the time. As a result anxiety and depression are the most common diseases in the world and they keep increasing. These are the latest data numbers:” “Depressive symptoms grew from a base of about 193 million people worldwide to 246 million, which is about 28%. Anxiety disorders grew from about 298 million people affected to 374 million, which is about a 25% increase.” But it doesn't even have to be the outside world who challenges us because our inner world already does that. Science says that we have about 60,000 thoughts a day, of which:
- 95% are unconscious
- 95% are repeated from yesterday
- 80% are negative
As a matter of fact, they are interconnected. Think of your inner world and by that I mean, your thoughts, emotions, perception as the main structure of your house. If that is solid, so will be the rest of it,but if it's not it will easily break.
So what can we do about it if we are biologically premade to think negatively? Should we just resign and face the facts and numbers ? Well from my own personal and professional experience I can tell you there is a way of not getting trapped by this mental virus.
And that antivirus is an everyday holistic self care practice.
The same way as the body needs to be trained to be fit and healthy, the same applies for the mind. As much and regularly as you train it , the healthier it will be. And you know that quote .”Mens sana in corpore sano”. If you also combine both, imagine the effect it will have in your overall health.
The negative thinking it is build in our subconscious mind as Echkart Tolle explains it very well in it´s book: “A new Earth , awakening to your life´s purpose”. He refers to it as a field of energy that surrounds us and is part of the so-called ego, which means the complete identification with your physical form. But the same way as you are not only your body, you are not only your mind. All the philosophical and spiritual teachings refer to it as being the one that observes that negative thinking. So if you're not that, it means that there is a solution. Happily the latest research can predict this thought behavior in order to avoid depression. As long term repetitive negative thinking can lead to anxiety and/or depression.
Nowadays I don't deal with depression any more but that was my condition for almost all my life and I thought that was the normal state of living. I was completely identified with my thoughts, believing every single one of them as being true and my life was often a nightmare as It was difficult to live with my own mind. I was in a complete war with my own thoughts, as they were my enemies. This led to an extreme so I finally asked for help and I went to a doctor where I ve been diagnosed with anxiety and depression . Afortunately , something was awakened inside of me and beside any advice I didn't start medication, I decided I was going to be ok by myself because I didn't want to be addicted to a drug and become even worse than how I was already.. That's when I deepen into meditation, to separate myself from the thoughts I had. When I managed to be ok, I decided to help others as well and since then that is part of my mission .That's the reason for this blog. (This doesn't have to be everyone´s case. Maybe some do need medication depending on what state they are at that particular moment)
Having said that, what can be done?
At Holofy, we have developed from our own personal and professional experience a 7d journey that comes with an every day video explanation of a practice together with a journaling notebook designed for any person leading with any level of stress, anxiety, negativity, depression or that wants to go deeper into their already self care practice, or to know other perspectives and tools.
We believe that just because it is common, doesn't mean it is normal. And that we don't have to take it for granted instead of looking for a solution. And we know that a natural remedy is possible as well as a short way instead of spending years and years in therapy and often not getting anywhere. Just a clarification: To not be misunderstood, in some cases it may be necessary and this journey is a support. We never recommend leaving your treatment and/ or therapy if you are having one. As we already stand for in Holofy, every person is unique and has unique needs. We just intend to make it easier for you.
Then what's in the 7d journey and why?:
- Presence meditation
- Reprogramming
- Conscious Breathing
- Intuitive Flow Movement
- Affirmations and Heart Coherence
- Gratitude and Manifestation
- Community and extra tools
So let's start with the Presence Meditation. Why we consider it important and why is the one we start with.
At Holofy, we consider that the doorway to positivity and calmness is calmness.
And is not something to achieve but rather to unlock, to release what is already there. And for that you first need to slow down and become more present. Which ultimately means to return to your natural state.
On the first day we will also dismitify what meditation is and what is not. In this sense we clarify that meditation is not necessary to have the mind completely in white but rather to be able to observe your thoughts, how they travel in the past and the future and bring yourself back to the present moment as often as possible. Having clarified this, we will teach you exactly how to observe your thoughts, how they come and go and not to get catched in them. This tool, and precisely this type of meditation, because there are more of them, is tackling the 3 ways for freedom and an illuminated life as buddhism culture refers to. And these are ( no resistance, no judgment,and detachment) For us this is equal to: Positivity. So as you can see, straight from day 1 we give a tool that only with this one you are already equipped with a great antivirus, returning to the analogy of our mind being a program.
But if you want to go deeper, then on the second day we go one step further and we teach Reprograming your thought pattern. After opening the door to the calmness dimension we can take steps towards it and access at the same time the positive dimension. Here you will learn 2 things:
1) That after observing your thoughts there is something you can do with the negative ones besides not getting catched by them and that is: questioning your thoughts: Just because you are thinking a thought doesn´t mean is real. You are the observer, you are not the thought.
2) The correlation between a thought and an emotion , how they influence each other
In the third day after you have learned how to reprogram yourself and you have seen the correlation between thought - emotion we will put the body into movement in order to release that blocked emotion because that is what emotion means ( energy in motion) and when this energy is blocked the result is an imbalance that can take shape of a physical , mental or energetical illness . So on the 3rd day we will show you how to return to your natural state of flow, releasing the blocked energy. As a consequence you return to calmness, and you realign yourself with life. When you are aligned with life, it feels like magic taking place and positivity unfolds naturally.
Therefore you will learn through Intuitive Flow Movement:
1) Emotional awareness by locating a negative/unpleasant emotion in the body and
2) Release it instead of ignoring or suppressing it.
On the 4th day you will learn how a breathing technique that will allow you to calm your mind at any place and anytime and live in presence throughout the day .After learning the Calm & Conscious Breathing we encourage you to try again the practice from the previous day IFM, this time incorporating the CCB and notice the difference.
On the 5th day you will access the second level of a positive mind through Positive Affirmations and Heart Coherence. If you want to know how they work we Include here the science behind it as well as here the study regarding heart coherence. And in order to really be effective we will show you a structure to apply when creating your own affirmations and we will also share our own personal favorite hacks.
On day 6 we will tackle Gratitude and Manifestation. Here you also have science proof behind it and the same as in the previous tool we will share with you from our own collective experience only what worked and we will tell you why sometimes it doesn't work so you can take a short way and you don't have to go through the process of trial and error.
Day 7 is for celebrating , for sharing your experience with the community and also we will give you our favorite extra tools and the ones from our favorite holistic facilitators.
Thank you for allowing us to walk this path with you.
Let's finish with a quote by Eckhart Tolle:
“You find peace not by rearranging the circumstances of your life, but by realizing who you are at the deepest level.”
