Posted on April 12, 2008 - by Lance Ong

Disassociative Technique for Stress Relief

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There may be moments in life which are hard for you. Heavy responsibility and multiple pressures from the outside make it difficult to cope. The high tension puts us in panic mode and we become frustrated as we scramble in a haphazard attempt to do our job. Prolonged stress response seriously damages your health. Your hair falls out, you might go bald; you become old and haggard-looking; your perfect California body becomes a sack of potatoes. How sad is that? To age not because we partied ourselves to death, but because we worried ourselves to the grave. Mental stress is an enemy you have to learn to defeat.

Stress Release Technique: Disassociation

Before you attempt this technique, spend a few minutes to quiet your mind. You can do this by sitting in a relaxed position with your arms on your lap or by your side. Close your eyes and begin breathing slowly through your nostrils. Focus your attention on the breath. Anything else that comes to mind, let it go and bring your attention back to the breath. You will find that as you continue this process for a few minutes your breathing becomes shallower and shallower, the thoughts entering your mind slow down, and you feel calmer with more peace in your heart. Now you are ready to use the following technique:

1. All you have to do is imagine you have died. When a person dies, there are no more worries and responsibilities to handle. The soul is free to travel to heaven and continue into its next life. Now I’m not asking you to die… just imagine it. See your body lying there lifeless while you feel your soul floating upwards to connect with the heavens.
2. See all the memories of your life drop way down below you. From this higher viewpoint, you can see all the events of your life which have shaped you. Your past, present, and future form one continuous line of memories below you.
3. Float even higher and you can connect with the Spirit of God and gain wisdom by looking at your life situation through ‘Heavenly Eyes’. Capture this feeling of inner peace and remember the insight gained.
4. Bring it back into your body by gradually floating down through the galaxy, stars, and clouds, into your city, your home, and back to your body.

Our whole life is designed to help us grow to develop spiritual qualities. Naturally, we will face situations which test our patience, endurance, and willpower. A person cannot stop these challenging life situations from occurring… we have no control over that. But what we can control is our own emotional state (our feelings). Many people allow themselves to be swung about by the rollercoaster of life. But some people are able to ride that rollercoaster and feel calm on the inside because they realize that the events we experience are the situations which God, Buddha, or the Universe wants us to face in order to help us grow and gain enlightenment. In every adversity lies the seed of Satori [Zen Buddhism: a state of sudden spiritual enlightenment].

The key is not to REACT immediately when you face a challenge, but to first calm down and find your centre from which you can respond with clarity and confidence. Like was said earlier, when a person becomes frustrated, we tend to do things in a haphazard manner. That is called Reacting. When you realize you have a choice over how you wish to feel, you are instead Responding from a powerful position of calm control. Whether it’s your egotistic colleague or the ton of assignments blocking your way, keep a cool head when facing your opponent. Watch their movement and think calmly how you will respond to defeat them. Sure, they will try their best to scare you with their psychological tactics and throw you off your feet. And yes, you might fall. But a Master is one who stands up again and again despite being thrown a hundred times; a thousand times — as many times as it takes to learn the secret of inner balance and emotional control, regardless of whether they face a man, a giant, or a mountain.

May you become a Master, my friend.