As I learn to keep opening my heart to the power of love in my own personal journey of health and evolution, I continue to observe greater results in my clients' experiences. I strongly believe the difference has been made by my commitment every morning to mentally rehearse how I'm going to BE in my day.
What thoughts go with the person who is being that? What words? What actions? And perhaps most importantly, what feelings? If I can fast forward to the end of my day, lying in bed, reflecting on how my day went - if I was able to review myself and assess how I did as my Being - how well I executed being present, being patient, being loving, being kind, being helpful, being creative, being honest, being powerful, being graceful - how would I feel as I reflected on a job well done?
It's THAT feeling I bring into my morning mental rehearsal, coupled with my intentions, before my day to day activities have even begun. I bring the end result into the beginning.
Do this regularly, and you will experience the amplified vitality of the power of mental rehearsal in your day reflected back to you.
Thoughts, Actions & Feelings = Being
When I am BEing my best, when my thoughts, words, actions are congruent, I feel whole, honest, loved and loving.
If I want to be loving, but I'm thinking in a judgmental way and feeling resentful, I'm incongruent.
If my intention is to be kind and act in a kind way but I'm feeling angry, then I'm incongruent.
If my intention is to be powerful but my thoughts are that of a victim and I feel hopeless, I'm incongruent.
Incongruence = Misalignment, Disease, Incoherence
Congruence = Alignment, Ease, Coherence
If I decided that my greatest me would be someone who believes I am helpful, that what I'm doing has purpose, that who I'm Being is worth it, that showing up with my full attention, on time, and prepared is the greatest me, then I would mentally prepare for my day by taking myself through my day before I'm actually in it. Beliefs = Thoughts.
I would try on different scenarios that might prove challenging and run myself through them differently, successfully, congruently so that I can prepare my brain and body with the results I want to experience before the event even takes place. Behavior = Actions.
It's not just visualizing it being done - to feel it you actually have to associate yourself into the picture. You have to step into that person and walk as them. Like anything worth doing, you have to get your feeling body into it. You have to get your heart into it. Because doing anything without love isn't congruent with your truest nature. Period. Associating = Feelings.
Thoughts + Actions + Feelings = Being
Beliefs + Behaviors + Associating yourself into it with your Heart = Being
Your Body Doesn't Know the Difference
So many mornings we wake up and unconsciously just move through routine without spending time creating our day, getting clear on what we want and how we want to feel, who we want to Be.
Research shows that according to epigenetics, our genes respond to our environment. Our body doesn't know the difference between our inner environment (imaginal) and our outer environment (three dimensional).
Said differently, we can make our genes respond by disconnecting from our outer environment to go within and just think about being at the beach - feeling the wind, smelling the salt air, hearing the ocean waves. We can prepare our bodies to run a marathon by practicing physically and then also practicing mentally by loading up all of the sensory experiences that come with running before the event even happens - the taste of sweat, the feel of heat, the sound of our feet. When the time comes to compete, we're extra prepared and primed for the event because we spent time giving our brain, body and heart a taste of the future.
As long as we engage our senses, eyes open or closed, our body will respond.
There is so much power in preparation and in attention. There's so much power in believing that it's possible. There is so much power in using the mind to mentally rehearsal creating your destiny.
Real life execution
I do this with my kids a lot before we go into the grocery store, the library or a restaurant. If I don't stop them before we go in, they may just barge in without thinking that it's time for a lower volume or that we're transitioning from running to sitting. So I create a huddle up to bring in mindfulness, to break their state, to run them through the scenario of what we're about to go into.
I bring their attention to what we're about to do and then ask them how they're going to BE - not because mommy wants them to or because society says they're supposed to but reminding them that they are awesome people and how do awesome people Be in grocery stores, restaurants and libraries? Essentially, I get them to be aware of their heart.
Their energy changes, we clap and we're ready to execute. They do really well... until they forget. It's easier to forget than to remember... but it's always right there for us and the more we practice, the easier it becomes. We always get another chance to try again.
We do this in yoga class, too. Before we push up into plank my teacher has us see, feel or imagine the act of pushing up first. We rehearse it, we feel it, we imagine keeping form so mind and body are fully engaged. Otherwise, our attention could be elsewhere, like on limiting thoughts like "this is too hard, I can't do pushups, I never get this right" and then we're running through the motions with bad form, grunting, and shallow breathing.
But if we see it first in our mind exactly the way we want to see it done and we feel it already done and all of our attention is on the present moment, then much to our surprise and delight, we execute with grace and precision.. or at least more than we would have if we hadn't rehearsed. I always feel so happy after this - I feel so strong - which is what I wanted to feel by coming to class in the first place. I created the result of strength with my mind and my heart working together and my body followed.
Athletes and sports teams do this. Musicians, dancers, actors all do this. Why not bring that same technique into the game that is our life?
Our brains are wired to predict
Our brains are anticipation machines, calculating machines, always trying to predict the next thing. The more primitive, less evolved parts of our brains don't like the unknown, but rather it likes what it knows. In fact it only knows what it knows. It's a record of past experiences. And each of those memories have an associated emotion.
So, we can draw on past experiences to resource and remember and we can also teach our brain new experiences just by imagining something with thought and feeling.
Can we create a memory of our future by rehearsing an event mentally and feeling how it would feel emotionally?
In essence, we're signaling genes by creating a future environment now through imagery and feelings and, remember, research shows that the body doesn't know the difference between an event with our eyes open and an event with our eyes closed. It responds either way.
My beloved regular clients who come in time and time again, know that they made it to a place of healing, rest, reprieve, retreat, inspiration, validation so their brains are already signaling to their bodies that this is gonna be good. It's working before the actual event even begins.
Their attention is on the anticipation of getting a massage/coaching session with an associated feeling of relief, increased vitality, and an elevated state of Being. By law of association and the brain's tendency to anticipate, they've already (probably unconsciously) rehearsed and taught their body that they're going to feel better; they believe it. They'll then prove themselves right.
Could they go there in their mind and run themselves through it and experience a fair percentage of that same relief? Smelling the oils, hearing the music, feeling my hands? Hearing my voice, feeling the intensity of inspiration and presence? Taking in the environment?
Conversely, if you can't get out of bed because your brain and body are predicting the load of tasks, problems, pain, lack of purpose, then you're already geared up for THAT experience. You've associated a feeling of drudgery or dissatisfaction or overwhelm because you're also running your brain and body through a known thought, action and feeling. You are anticipating everything you know that will happen in your day and how it will make you feel. You have once again (unconsciously) prepared yourself. And you'll then prove yourself right.
Like Henry Ford said, "Whether you think you can or you think you can't, you're right."
Take note that this is true of anything we mentally rehearse, associate or anticipate. Neuroplasticity says that anything the mind can do, it can also undo. It is wired for change.
We get to choose if we want to use this to create a future destiny or be victim to a past one.
Go Within
Arguably the best way is to disconnect from your outer world is by going within - closing your eyes and running through the sequence. Because you're only as strong as you feel.
So before you do your workout or give your speech or have a social engagement or go to work, rehearse how you want to Be first and then do the event. Create how you're going to Be first. Run through it. Be your own science experiment. Keep your attention on THAT. Can you be open to something new and novel happening that might take you by surprise?
Our minds are strong and it's often easy to think of what we want, but the emotions are less conscious and more automatic so it's very important to teach your body how you want to feel as well. The feeling is crucial. Remember, if you want to be healthy but you feel sick, you're incongruent.
Load up feelings that associate with the task of whatever you're creating - feelings of strength, peace, joy, love, wholeness, safety, trust.
You can't bypass the heart and have a wholesome, integrated experience.
And remember: this is happening all the time anyway, so why not labor to make it conscious, to become aware of it? Catch yourself where you're doing it already in a way that's not helping you or serving you. Dr. Joe Dispenza always says that whatever you're putting your awareness on is where your energy is.
The more awareness you have of how you're operating, the more access you have to change it to create more choice, more freedom, more energy.
Wouldn't it be worth it to disconnect and retreat on some level to think it through, to combine that clear thought with an emotion of the heart of what it would feel like to embody that now, like your desire/want/goal/prayer has already come true?
We are Creators! That's what we are. Creators who are always in co-creation with Universal Intelligence. Conscious creation is a super power that we all have if only we keep our attention on it.
I hope you'll embrace the power of neuroplasticity, the power of the mind and of mental rehearsal so you can feel and experience the power of yourself as a creator of your own destiny.
Loving you,
Sarah