Have you ever found yourself unable to get out of the rut of a negative frame of mind? According to author Joe Dispenza, emotions can become addictive because your body becomes conditioned to memorizing the emotions associated with your core beliefs. Dispenza writes, “These emotions, which are nothing more than the chemical records of past experiences, are driving our thoughts and are being played out over and over again. As long as this continues, we’re living in the past.” It is true that when you are habitually experiencing the density of a negative emotion, it’s more difficult to take in lighter, more positive experiences in the here and now and to have them stick.
So how do you break the addiction? I’ve found a two-fold process works best. That includes undertaking techniques for processing the negative emotions held in the body-mind, as well as techniques for anchoring in more positive self-states. The goal is “affect regulation.” This doesn’t mean becoming emotionally flat-lined, but becoming better able to modulate negative emotion and having a range of emotional experiences beyond the emotion that has become so habitual. It means becoming more responsive and less reactive. When you can do this, it’s easier to stay heart-centered, and to receive the gifts of each moment.
What would it be like if You could shift in this way?