How To Know If You Are Out Of Alignment
You know that feeling when your heart drops along with your cell phone when it breaks. We've all been there at one point of our lives. I had learned this new trick from a girl friend of mine, to put my phone inside of a cup so it magnifies the sound of the music playing, as a speaker would. The only thing is that I forgot that the cup was full of water. So my phone stopped playing immediately and I'm not going to lie, so did my heart, for a split of a second!
I was without a phone for 2 days, and was starting to have withdrawal symptoms. Since the phone that drowned was still under warranty, the new phone was supposed to be delivered within the next 24 hours. But somehow the FedEx delivery person kept missing me, and since signature is required upon delivery, they would leave me a note on my front door that they would attempt to deliver it the next day. I told my boss at the time that I was going to be working from home just so I could be there to accept the delivery of my new phone. I was sitting there all day waiting for the door to knock, but it never did. And then I got that brutal notification that they attempted the delivery but I wasn't there to sign for it. So I would have to spend another day without a phone. I was outraged, furious screaming at the top of my lungs, all by myself “LIES, LIES LIES!”. I was there all day waiting for the delivery, and no one showed up, I did not hear a ring, a buzz, a knock or anything! Alert the authorities, someone has got to pay for my suffering! I was screaming so loud, that I paused for a moment, because I got a little scared of how angry I got. I rarely do get angry, especially in this intense way. I thought to myself, who is this person? Where is this coming from? All because of a cell phone, a failed package delivery attempt. What is happening here?
This is called being in a limbic state. It is the reptile part of the brain that is designed to protect us from danger. When we are in that state of fight, flight or freeze, all logic and common sense goes out the window. Our need to be right, which is a need that is connected to our emotions, is usually higher and stronger than our ability to see what is true, which is an ability connected to our conscious awareness. This impulse seeks immediate gratification and suffers long term consequences. It can impact your relationships at home, at work, and can even derail your career and bank account. It makes you vulnerable to sabotage from others, and may create a negative buzz about you.
We live in a day and age where ignorance is pretty much a choice at this point. Everything is searchable and Googlable. But all the sophisticated technologies, strategies, systems and instructions will not work unless you do. Unless you are in a clear and balanced state of mind.
You are more vulnerable to get out of balance, when you have experienced prolonged periods of stress, overwhelm and worry. It is very important not to take the limbic system lightly. Learning how to manage the chemistry in your body, and cultivating enough awareness to notice the signs that you are being triggered is something that can be developed, and is available to everyone. Having a strong practice to fall back to - systems and rituals - set in place to sustain you will help you bounce back quickly to a balanced state. It allows you to easily shift from a sympathetic state, fight flight or freeze, to a parasympathetic state, calm, clear and relaxed.
Being a certified yoga and meditation teacher, I had a consistent meditation and breathwork practice throughout the years, which allowed me to pause in the middle of my rage episode, and recalibrate. I was able to take a moment to pause and check in with myself, who is this person? Where is this coming from? All because of a cell phone, a failed package delivery attempt. What is happening here?
During mediation, the mind follows the ebb and flow of the breath, and the breath shapes the mind. When you slow down the breath, the mind begins to follow, and when you control the breath, you control the mind. When you control the mind, you are able to clearly see what is true and control your emotions and need to be right. So the breath, mind, and emotions interweave and work together to bring you into a state of homeostasis, which is a state of harmony, relaxation, and calm.
When the mind is calm, it becomes still like water in a lake, and when that water is very still, only then are you able to see clearly to the bottom of the lake. Meditation is one of the 8 limbs of yoga, and the definition of Yoga is "yoga is the removal of the waves that disturb the peace within the mind". ~ Yoga Sutras of Patanjali.
As a leadership trainer and coach, my focus is on high performance. Since I am also a certified yoga and meditation instructor, I am able to provide clients with a wealth of knowledge, wisdom and unique skill-sets that significantly add value to their leaders and organizations. I utilize a “from the inside-out” approach, and work tirelessly to help people not only become successful at what they do, but feel inspired and fueled along the way. My mission is to help people transform and reach their fullest potential, and I accomplish that by incorporating powerful neuro-plasticity practices and high performance habits into my offerings.
If you are still wondering what ended up happening to my phone, I actually went to the FedEx location and picked it up myself. The manager came out and asked me if I wanted to file a complaint, I smiled and I smiled and said “nope, all is good”.
Schedule a free consultation call with Maha to discuss your training and/or coaching goals and create a custom strategy that fits your specific organizational needs.