worrying, reliving the past, or planning for the future.
Along with these usually negative images (like reliving some recent unhappy moment, such as an argument with your partner) are usually negative emotions, such as: anger, anxiety, fear, and unhappiness.
And when all your planning and scheming does not lead to a good resolution, even the best laid plans then turn to more worry, more anxiety, or feelings of futility.
All of the above have one thing in common - being lost in thought and images.
Recognizing this fact, we might try eliminating thought; but that doesn't work because what is wrong stays wrong.
Then we might try replacing negative thoughts and images with positive ones.
We might keep repeating positive aphorisms to drown out the negative, but the negative is still there.
Usually under some stranger's guidance, we might imagine being in some calming mental scene.
But soon we sense that it's a sort of escapism. But even more importantly, if you are perceptive you will see that you are still lost images. Immersion in more images is not the solution; getting lost in images is the problem.
So we are back to the central issue: being lost in thoughts (that eventually become negative) and daydreams (that eventually become nightmares).
But how about if you could be aware of what is going on in your head without becoming immersed in it?
In other words, if you could take a mental step back and observe thought without falling into it, you could watch without being subject to it. Instead of being subject to the negative thoughts and images, you become the calm observer.
In a nutshell, the simple hand warming exercise gets you started on this path of calm observation. It is very spiritual and very practical. You quickly discover two very important keys to regaining calm control over life. You discover that you DO HAVE some control over feelings. Second, you discover that you don't have to fall into excessive thoughts and emotions. You can take a mental step back and watch them.
So give the little hand warming biofeedback exercise a try. What have you got to lose?
You might even find yourself taking the first steps on the spiritual path.
Click here to listen to the exercise
At Shedding Shackles we are devoted to helping people find the good life by conquering stress. We want to be patient with our loved ones, we want to be reasonable and kind, but it is hard to do when we are subject to negative emotions like anger and resentment and all the negative images they draw to mind. With the help of hand warming biofeedback and meditation, many people can learn to stand back and bring calmness and reason to bear to life's issues. A wealth of benefits accrues, including better relationships with one's family and loved ones.