Perhaps Descartes could have said
‘I think, therefore, I think.’
I’m no philosopher, but what I believe Descartes is saying, is that by becoming aware of himself as a thinking entity, he becomes aware of being aware.
Where do thoughts come from?
Am I having this thought?
Or is this thought having me?
Most of us are aware of ourselves thinking. We may have things on our mind, things to work out, struggles and challenges we’re trying to resolve. In this type of thinking we are choosing to contemplate a subject. We have some choice over the subject. We sit with a cup of tea and begin to think about a particular subject. We are trying to work something out.
But what about when we are lying awake at three in the morning thinking? Are we choosing to do that? Or has the thought captured us so much it has become an alien invader that can randomly enter our awareness at all times of day or night without permission. We could say that this thought or series of thoughts has its own theme. It has taken on a life of its own.
Then what?
‘The physical body responds to fear whether real or imagined.’
This idea I picked up during my training in Osteopathy. It’s true, the body, via the hormonal system, particularly the adrenal hormones, responds to anxiety inducing thoughts. When we watch a movie, for example, with tension or horror in it, our body will follow the plot whether we want it to or not. We don’t need to be stressed out of our heads to have this experience. Most of what we accept as ‘normal’ life is stress based. We get used to it. We accept is as normal. And if we think a little deeper about it, it’s probably true. Life is stressful. When has it not been?
The question is, as we become more aware of ourselves as thinking feeling humans, as we start to see how we think and what we think about and how it affects us, can we come to terms with the fact that if ‘we’ can’t/don’t have some choice over what we think about and how we spend our time, who can? The onus of responsibility is ours to weigh up.
Yoga is one way of working consciously into the conundrum of mind stuff.
How relaxed can you be? How relaxed do you want to be?
Asana – Pranayama – Meditation.
Asana – releases tension from the muscles.
Pranayama – improves respiration, increases oxygen in-take and aids elimination of Co2.
Mediation – develops concentration, allowing us to relax more consciously and more deeply.
It is in profound relaxation that real healing occurs.