Chapter 5, part 7, Being present isn’t about blocking out emotions.

Later I will be writing a full chapter on emotions because… well… it’s bloody important, and it is our emotions which dictate how we perceive our reality.

Being present is not just about being calm and relaxed, and although in Yoga and Meditation classes you may be told to accept incoming thoughts (and emotions) before letting them go, this isn’t necessarily what you do outside of these environments. Well… It is and it isn’t…

Being present to the world is only one element, you also need to be present to your emotions as well. This means paying attention to when they arrive and acknowledging them when they do. At times the emotions that are brought up are from small incidences that happened throughout the day, yet why have they come up again? Why did they have a lasting impact? And why has such a strong emotion attached itself to this one event? These are all important questions.

There is no point in stressing about these emotions or why they are lingering. Acknowledgement and acceptance are the key factors here. You can accept them and let them go, but, be open to the message they may be conveying and don’t fear (if you’re in a safe mind space to do so) what the mind might want to bring up. Essentially, giving your mind permission to bring up your baggage (if it wants to and you feel safe to do so) is key. You don’t need to search for it, it’s there and it’s waiting for you to be ready, and when you are, look out! You’re up for a wild ride.

I say the above because this is exactly how my journey worked. Seeking to resolve my past and being mentally ready to do so are two different things. The mind will stop us from going too far if we are not ready, which is why people might suggest further meditation. Stressing about finding an answer does not aid that answer to come faster either, you should have already learnt this lesson from your school exams. Yet, being open to an answer coming, doing a little thinking, possibly research (depending on the situation you are relating this to) and then letting it go will release a cause set in motion. This actually works spiritually and psychologically. I will describe how this works in the next chapter.