Poem Analysis: "Spellbound" by Emily Bronte

Spellbound

Emily Brontë, 1818 - 1848

The night is darkening round me,

The wild winds coldly blow;

But a tyrant spell has bound me

And I cannot, cannot go.

The giant trees are bending

Their bare boughs weighed with snow.

And the storm is fast descending,

And yet I cannot go.

Clouds beyond clouds above me,

Wastes beyond wastes below;

But nothing drear can move me;

I will not, cannot go.

I've been looking up analysis on other poems, but I've been wanting to just read a poem at face value and let it marinate and then churn out whatever raw analysis comes to me. Part of me is afraid to share my thoughts cause I might be missing the obvious or intended meaning that's common knowledge to other poem fans. But anything more or less would just be deceptive or dishonest so I'll venture. 

First pass (froth to first quarter) initial observations

The first thing that stuck out, were the modalities. Visually darkening, cold sensation of wind on skin. Immobile. Then the metaphor of the tree, human-like but now from physical to maybe more emotional. "yet" as in still - also still. But then again I think the yet holds a quality of persuasion or on-the-fense kind of feel.

"Cannot go" 

From denial "cannot" to contemplating "connot," maybe okay with stillness. To the last stanza - a sense of stretching on forever. Fear couldn't move me if it tried. The surrender. The "cannot" go is not only acceptance but embraced now. I'm spellbound and I'd have it no other way. - - Or the writers frozen to death. You pick.

Second pass. (Spoken)

Poems are made for the fun of how they roll off the mind and then fall from the mouth! I LOVE the hard consonants! "M"s "N"s and Ts or Ds. Just say it out loud. Listen and feel for the natural break and pause demanded between: cannot, yet and will not (each ending in t) and the next word "cannot go." Also the hard double n. Other words spoken that I find myself hanging on to the consonants of, are: "nighT" "darKening. WilD, winds, colDly. Doesn't it just go with the theme of" cannot go". But then notice, nothing is truly bound really. No end of line ends in a hard consonant. They're all open, free flowing words. "Me blow, go, snow, below." even "*ding." has a tone of release to it. Yet only as an after thought.

3rd Pass feel and imagry 

Dark, cold, windy. A powerful restrictiveness. Bondage. Helplessness. 

Large, burdened. Vulnerable, oppressed, heavy, cold. Impending danger, fury, adverse. Halting, pause, contemplative. Frozen. 

Expansive high, cognative, dreamlike. 

Barren, open, potential, terrain. Here. 

Unwilling, resolute, immobility. 

It's just occurred to me that cannot, cannot might be less of a repeat and more of a double negative. Like I can't see myself doing anything but going. "Can't, cannot go." which would match the pattern of attitude change from go to maybe to stay. 

Final thoughts 1 of 2

I'd like to think that the author is just stepping out into the storm and the cold wind hits you in the face and you think, "Burr! I should run to my car and get out of this weather." But then you see how the snow beautifully bends the branches and it gives you pause. "Look, see the brilliant white color of snow." and the cold doesn't matter as much cause there's beauty of winter, right there. And even the bleakest elements, at this point, can't distract you cause you're spellbound and the expansivness is beautiful. And the bleakest drear outcome wouldn't get you to your car faster cause you just want to soak it all in, even if it freezes you. 

It could also be more symbolic of nature teaching us mortal lessons of our own humanity.

Our life is hard, circumstances won't change. We feel imprisoned. But even our biggest burdens, if we're open about them, give us a reason to stop and wonder... In the chaos and stress of impending doom, we're still here, still surviving, somehow made it this far. Maybe our dreams can still be realized. Maybe our futures are not doom and gloom but a blank canvas open and ready to create whatever dreams we want. And our stubbornness reframed to serve our future than our imagined prison. 

Final thoughts 2 of 2

But then again, my first impression, the one without analyzing it to death, and just letting it exist in its own poetic space... 

I see a bleak scene of winter. A traveler hurries along to stay warm, but despite their best effort, ends up slowing and eventually freezing to death, a victim of the powerful spell of winter. Oh, and they like it. 

Or one who is progressively captivated by winter and gets so distracted that they end up freezing to death. Too Macabre?? 

What do you think?? Comments welcome! 

Awake: The Beautiful Spectrum of Mental Wellness (Part 2 of 3)

A chain wrapped around my waist, then harnessed to a pair of comfortably fitted handcuffs accompanied me as a prepared to sit in the caged back of a county sheriff's truck for transport. "They didn't always have us do this." the Sheriff explained. "It's just precautionary now." This wasn't new, and I expected it, having done this once before. The ride was comfortable, but I just kept thinking, "What am I doing? I feel fine now. Why did I agree to this? There's nothing wrong with me. I can't believe I fell apart in front of my therapist. My family needs me. I can't believe I'm doing this to them again. I'll be out of here in 4 days - let's get this over with."

There were two units. I had assumed that I'd be joining the first unit like I did. People primarily dealing with overwhelm and thoughts of self harm. A pretty normal feeling group with perfectly functional social skills. But I wasn't. I was put with those whom on my last visit I thought they seemed like they weren't all there. "The Crazies". Was I a crazies now? For the first time, I started to feel uneasy, less trusting, more... paranoid. A few deep breaths... was this going to  get to me? Would I lose it, like them? This environment cannot be healthy or productive.

The Roomie,

I went to my room and laid down for a minute - observing my roommate across from me. Dark tanned skin - scarred expression in his eyes. The initial tension I felt lessened a little as I realized he was probable more anxious about meeting me as his new roommate than I was him. After a few moments of silence, Roomie broke the ice. "What are you here for. You seem pretty normal." "Shake up the meds a bit, hopefully. Focus on some new coping skills maybe. I feel pretty normal, but how about yourself? You seem perfectly normal to me, I think we're all a little anxious just being here." I replied hoping to win some common ground. "Oh, no man. I'm not normal. I'm scared. I'm really scared. Do you think I'm gunna be safe? Am I safe in here??" he asked frantically. "I've been here once before, yes. You're safe. Do I seem pretty safe to you? Do you feel like I'm a pretty safe person?" I probed hoping to calm. "Oh. Yeah," he said a little spacey, "I am safe, huh? Yeah, you seem like a good guy." "Absolutely. See, I can tell already I'm going to like you as a roommate. Me and you man. We're going to get through this." I reassured, "No problem." "No problem." he repeated, then laid back down onto his pillow. I wandered back down the hall to the commons area and spied a table where a woman was shuffling some papers.

Susceptible Sensibility (SusSen)

As I crossed to sit down at the table next to her, I saw a picture of the Timpanogas Temple and said to here while sitting down, "Hey, my brother got married in that temple."  "Oh yes. I love to see the temple. I'll go inside some day..." she wandered and stared off. "I forgot that. But I remembered it again. You helped me remember that again. Thank you." "I'm Jake," I smiled "What's your name?" "I'm Sussen. I see your garments, that means your a member too, huh? I was looking at the temple. Do you see my baby," She opened a little book. "This is my daughter, she's almost one. And here she is..." As she proceeded to share with me the entire contents of her little book.

Sussen would seemly change moods on conversation topics at the very mention of a word, or by observing an emotion. Almost as if she was a sponge and absorbed or mirrored whatever emotion was going on around here. Not to just anyone however, just to people she decided was in her circle of trust. I hadn't fully realized we'd established this link until later that week when I was having an off, stubborn moment.

Babbling Barbara

"Do you know that king? We must NOT let the parley happen in Washington. Do you know about 2564? They're letting the beggars purchase the vote of the parliament with golden horses hay. The injustice is paramount, and we cannot let them triple book the concert tickets!! What are you doing about it!?" Nothing you see?! Do you know the King?" - Barbara  Okay, so this might not be word for word what she said, but a lot of the repeating/common elements and words are there and it might as well have been what she said word for word for all the sense it made. More than anything during my stay, it was Barbara's attempt to be apart of the conversation that cause all but myself and maybe one other to stay in the room. Her babbles became the best trigger to practice coping skills to.

I met all types. A brilliant high functioning autistic, a warm charismatic gay guy who'd speak often about his busy husband, yet supportive nature of his illness, and who helped see him through additions I can only imagine ever having to overcome. A strong willed mother of 6 who wouldn't open up and even talk until nearly 40 days into her treatment, but loved her Lord Jesus. A nearly 400 lbs 6 foot tall woman coming off of a destructive and violent manic high, confused and refusing to take her meds, slamming other tenants doors, yelling all night. An individual who, to my count had at least 5 different personalities, names, identities. "Jake, I'm switching now." She'd say to me. But I only met one of two male twins embodied inside her.

One day, earlier on in the treatment. I didn't feel like putting on a happy face. I missed my family and I wasn't happy about how long I'd have to be there. Sussen came over to sit down next to me, noting the difference in my countenance. "You can beat him." She said, "I did... I  forgot that. You can beat him to." She then got emotional and defensive for me and my mood change, and started to get terribly upset. A staff took note. She started hitting walls and complaining about a banana in a fruit bowl, supposing that was in fact what she was angry and wanted to leave. "I don't like that banana! It doesn't belong here. I beat it, and he can beat it too." The staff had no idea, but I knew exactly what she was upset about. She saw someone she knew as a happy person, fighting with depression that I had allowed to be there, and she didn't want it there. I didn't realize how much my choice in mood could affect those around me. Not normally, but to a sensitive soul who can notice these things, there is a very real change that takes place in our aurora. A destructive and repressive presence, even if it's only in the form of an emotion.

But something unexpected happened to me, the more people I met and got to know. I no longer saw them as "crazies". They just weren't anything to be afraid of. Many of their more extreme behaviors only lasted while they were not medicated properly. Medication and therapy helped all but one of these individuals tremendously. This center was involved in a great work!

Awake: Shake Off the Awful Chains (Part 1 of 3)

"'Doubt your doubts before you doubt your faith.' ...Doubt my doubts... doubt my doubts, (sobs) doubt my doubts," Jake repeated obsessively as if those words - what he reasoned only moments before, would now, somehow help guide him back into intelligible conversation with his therapist.

"I don't know, he's never done this before." Josie manages to sputter out between her own tears in fear. "Jake, you just keep repeating yourself...  Jake? Jake?? Jake!! Breathe! Breathe Jake!! Breath... That's good take some deep breaths."

"I stand on the edge of a chasm..." his voice rises, eyes closed, gripping his wife's hand, still seated right next to him " ...a great chain... ...four dark figures behind me, pulling me back into a pit...  Twelve ancestors before me - fighting for me with bright shining chords...  Twelve in front.... four behind... pulling...  Four behind... twelve in front... four behind..."

"You're not making any sense, Jake." The therapist verbalizes.

Jake didn't mean to scare anyone. He felt... trapped. The debilitating depression came out of absolutely nowhere this time, or if there was a cause he couldn't remember it. In point of fact - things were going great! Better than they had been for a very long time. A job he loved. Time to himself engaged in reading good book after good book. A healed/healing friendship! Well, there wasn't any fainting or anything, hello Ammon, but there was plenty of joy to be had in reunion. He had even been called to serve in the Lord's Church as a Ward Choir Director - a particularly long desired calling!! All was right in his world!

Little did he know, having perpetually felt well rested, that working swing shift had cut his nightly sleep to five or less hours a night for months. Not uncommon, but detrimental for some people with specific mental illnesses.

He had ignored the occasional prompts that went off in his head to have his mood stabilizer levels checked like he'd learned from the book that he had read, among other sources.

Why was it that when he went off of the anti-psychotic drugs in search for a more compatible set that a mood stabilizer was kept and anti-psychotic dropped?

This is bipolar and psychosis we're dealing with, but though he had, at some level registered these things at one point in time or another, they were all far from his mind now. He was spent.

All he was trying to do, was communicate. To keep fighting, but when he realized his efforts were fruitless, and... bag of cats crazy sounding... it was his last straw.

"That! What just happened in your eyes!" the therapist noted in surprise. Jake, now calm and feeling destitute, turns to look at Josie. "Where did you go, Jake? This isn't you. It's like you're not there when I look at you." Josie says with a hint of sadness. He looks away.

"Jake's not here. Come back later..." He says flatly.

Jake had given up. If all was going so well in life, and this illness still had the power to rob him of every happiness in a moment... what was the point? The cycle was set. All the books and knowledge on the topic said it. There is no end; no cure to the cycles - only hope for stability for a year, two years, maybe 10, and then it would strike again. But hope never lasted more than a couple weeks at a time. An even deeper depression would come eventually. He had fought to the very end of this battle, and he was at the point of amotivation - when motivation slumbers. It was time to seek help from a behavioral hospital... again.

----------------

Hello. My name is Jake and I struggle with bipolar two accompanied by psychosis. This is my story of how I shook off my depression, awoke to hope in myself and expanded my empathy on a wide spectrum of mild to severe cases of mental illnesses. Stay tuned. We've got this!

Meditation vs Hypnosis: What's the Difference?

True or false? Hypnosis is for hippies while meditation is for millennials.

Although this statement may get a laugh and be closer to how many see the similarities between the two mind therapies, it's closer to pop culture gossip than it is to the truth. Very tongue in cheek.

There's actually a bigger difference between the two than most people might want to take the time to understand, so I'll try and keep this simple. The following statements are much closer to the truth in my opinion and fairly rounded understanding.

• Meditation uses conscious thought as it's medium, while hypnosis works directly with subconscious thought.
• Meditation is non-striving, while hypnosis strives to obtain a specific result.
• True meditation is an unbiased observation of mind, while hypnosis is a controlled reprogramming of mind.

Panning For Gold
Consider the difference between conscious thought and subconscious thought through the lens of panning for gold. We can only consciously hold on to information for about 90 minutes - usually less. At that point, our pan is full of sediments and overflows, being unable to retain any more information. If we find something meaningful to us, it slips into a sort of reserve, (pouch) to be reevaluated and either be kept or discarded at the end of the day into our subconscious (Vault) when we sleep. From pan to pouch to vault.

A problem arises however, when subconscious, automatic processes do not match our desired values. To our mind, there is no such thing as a bad habit. Every habit serves to protect and benefit us. But if something in our conscious mind or logical mind says that a behavior is bad and should ideally be changed, then the two minds are in conflict. So, change it, right? Well, that spot in the vault is already filled with an automatic process and cannot be easily changed.

Hypnosis is kind of like a trick which in theory bypasses the pan to change one's association with a specific pattern of belief or behavior and sneaks it into one's pouch. There's still a chance that in sleep it will still be discarded, but with persistence and skill one's mind will say, hey that's better than what I have in the vault, lets toss the old association and replace it with this new one.

Meditation is more like observing the sediments in the pan swirl, and see more clearly what is of value before it automatically gets slipped into your pouch. A way of life - of seeing more things at face value and less risk of vaulting less desirable automatic programs.

Guided Meditation vs Hypnosis
This is where the line blurs. Often, in meditation, it can be difficult to stay intent on observation only. One often experiences attachment to a passing thought, image, sound, feeling, or emotion. Chase a distraction. Get lost in thought. This is a deeply programmed and embedded habit of our minds. And so, often we find it easier to stay on track if we have some kind of guide. Guides can be very helpful in reminding us to focus on the breath, use visualization as our anchor, or whatever technique is being implemented to our formal meditation session. Hypnotherapists or hypnotists, largely find it less obtrusive if they call their hypnosis "guided meditation". Consider a progressive relaxation - in induction technique used by hypnotherapist to relax the mind and skip the pouch process. The nugget is not being evaluated, it's already decided upon, so why not skip the pouch and vault it.

Which is better?
At this point I'm sure you can already identify this as a terrible question. They're two completely different animals. Different processes. Different purposes. If you want to expedite a habit change, consider short cutting with hypnosis. If you'd like to naturally improve the quality of your life in general, enrich your mental processes with meditation. Want to establish a habit of meditating, consider hypnositating!

If you're interested in learning more about hypnotherapy, visit https://hypnosis.edu/distance/ for a free foundations course.

If you're interested in learning more about meditation, visit https://palousemindfulness.com/ for a free self paced course in Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction - a clinical based form of meditation.

I've engaged extensively in both and believe them to be some of the highest quality free content and training on either topic.



BONUS:

Quick Meditation Experience: Resting Awareness
Take a few deep breaths, 5 minutes and imagine you're standing inside your mind observing traffic. See if you can identify the following vehicles as they pass. Internal and external counterparts of sight, sound and touch.

Technique: Noting

1. See (What do you visually see?) Label it "seeing" as it occurs to you.
2. Hear (What do you audibly hear?)  etc.
3. Feel (What do you physically feel?) 
4. Visualize (Are images passing through your minds eye?)
5. Think (Are you experiencing a thought?)
6. Emote (Are you experiencing a feeling?)

No need to get specific - just limit your labels to what you are experiencing in these 6 terms. Sleepy is a subnote of Emote, while seeing a persons face and labeling them "Joe" is a subnote of Visualize. Or in other words, you're attaching them to an association, and the purpose is non-attachment.

Spirit: A Matter of Science (Pun Intended)

Solid, liquid, gas!
Ice cube, water, steam.
Body, blood, breath.

Through this lens, we understand, in part, the three primary states of matter in this material world. Which has begged the question of many inquiring minds, what is in between these particles? Matter and non-matter? What is smaller than a strand of hair, a molecule, an atom, a photon, and so on? Although he was more of a theologian than a scientist, Joseph Smith Jr. received the following insight concerning "matter" dating as far back as 1843.

"There is no such thing as immaterial matter. All spirit is matter, but it is more fine or pure, and can only be discerned by purer eyes;" (Doctrine & Covenants 131:7)

So... Solid, liquid, gas & spirit then? Wait a minute!? I thought Section 131 was about the new and everlasting covenant of marriage?? What does spiritual matter have to do with eternal marriage?

This covenant of marriage is understood by members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as a saving ordinance, and must be "sealed by the Holy Spirit of promise" (see Doctrine and Covenants 132:18,) in order to be effectively "sealed up" (Doctrine & Covenants 131:5) Spirit, being the key word here. Yes, as far as I understand it, spiritually - purely - materially bound or sealed (perhaps even sub-atomically) -  This marriage, by refined science, purity and proper authority, quite literally seals two souls together eternally.

I love the image. I envision, were I to be permitted to see with purer eyes, a golden light swirling and forming bonds that encircling a couple at the alters of sacred Temples, locking their love eternally as one, never to be broken. Could a thousand ton wight crush a single atom? And if spirit be finer still, how then can something so small as death - unable to affect the spirit - ever hope to touch the literal bonds of the Holy Spirit of promise sealing two souls together? I argue even by petty reason that it cannot.

Like to dive deep Jake? Yeah... that's number five, lets take a couple of steps back, I get ahead of myself.

So far as I have observed, five unique forms of "Spirit" found in the standard works. They are as follows:

1.) The literal spirit children of God. (Intelligences)
2.) The Spirit of Christ (aka Light of Christ)
3.) The gift of the Holy Spirit (Holy Ghost)
4.) The gifts of the Spirit (Spiritual Gifts)
5.) The Holy Spirit of Promise (Confirmation of the Lord's acceptance of sacred ordinances/covenants)

I believe Joseph Smith Jr spoke well when he said "fine or pure" as principles of purity and faithfulness are paramount in spiritual matters. (Temporary Laws to govern things of impermanence - Spiritual Laws to govern things eternal)


1.) The Literal Spirit Children of God

Romans 8:16 of the New Testament states "The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:" Likewise from Ether 3.15-16 we, like Christ, have spiritual bodies that look just like our physical bodies in the flesh. Abraham speaks of our eternal spirits in these words. "Now the Lord had shown unto me, Abraham, the intelligences that were organized before the world was;..." "And God saw these souls that they were good...for he stood among those that were spirits" (Abraham 3:22-23) Further evidence of the eternal nature of our individual intelligences (what I imagine as the very essence or identity of our spirits, perhaps centralized in our hearts) is found in Doctrine and Covenants 93:29 "Man was also in the beginning with God. Intelligence, or the light of truth, was not created or made, neither indeed can be."


2.) The Spirit of Christ

Speaking of the light of truth, the Spirit of Christ can be understood as "the divine energy, power, or influence that proceeds from God through Christ and gives life and light to all things." (Reference)

"Which light proceedeth forth from the presence of God to fill the immensity of space—" (Doctrine & Covenants 88:12)

This, in it's most basic and literal form can be understood as a.) physical light - particles of photon produced by the solar energy of our very sun, but also in the reflecting light of the moon, and of the stars and even the b.)power by which they were made. More importantly, c.) the light of truth. But most commonly but not altogether differt on a subatomic structure - the very nature of what we call our d.) conscience. (Doctrine & Covenants 88:6-11) Yes, that's right, queue as coined by Walt Disney's classic Pinoccio, ♫ "Always let your conscience be your guide" ♫ Or as Mormon explains it "For behold, the Spirit of Christ is given to every man, that he may know good from evil; wherefore, I show unto you the way to judge;..." "...seeing that ye know the light by which ye may judge, which light is the light of Christ, see that ye do not judge wrongfully." (Moroni 7: 16&18)


3.) The Gift of the Holy Spirit

The Comforter (The Holy Ghost) which Christ, having laid hands upon his apostles in the meridian of time, gifted so that they might not entirely be without God (Christ) on earth after his crucifixion. (John 13:26-27) Different than our individual spirits, or that of the Light of Christ, which is power and influence rather than actual constant companionship of this third member of the Godhead. "The Holy Ghost shall be thy constant companion, and thy scepter an unchanging scepter of righteousness and truth;" (Doctrine and Covenants 121:46)


4.) The gifts of the Spirit

These spiritual gifts can be thought of not so much as the natural talents received by our mortal parents, but god-like abilities or blessings received and or enhanced through the companionship of the Holy Ghost. (see Doctrine & Covenants 46:9) Commonly referred to gifts, like those found in the Articles of Faith 1:7  and throughout the bible. "We believe in the gift of tongues, prophecy, revelation, visions, healing, interpretation of tongues, and so forth." are a few good examples of this type of spirit.


5.) The Holy Spirit of Promise

And back to where we started. The Holy Spirit of Promise, put simply is a confirmation by the Holy Ghost that acts, covenants or ordinances are accepted by the God, performed correctly, and honored faithfully. (reference) This Holy Spirit of Promise is essential, not only for eternal marriage, but any covenant, ordinance, or act in order for it to remain in affect after this life. (Doctrine & Covenants 132:7, 18–19, 26)


And so, next time you hear the word "Spirit" consider under which context it has reference.

But Jake, what about evil spirits, like those that chased the swine to their watery deaths in Mark 5:1–13 or along the same lines, those seven sons of Sceva, who without authority attempted a failed exorcism resulting in evil spirits attacking and wounding them, sending them out naked. Acts 19:13-16

Or even in general, the spirit of contention spoken of in 3 Nephi 11:29, or other like spirits of behavioral influence?

I'd put evil spirits into the 1st category, as these too are spirit children of our heavenly father who didn't keep their first estate, or in other words, chose to follow Satan before the world was, and rebelled against God's plan. (See Jude 1:6, Abraham 3:26)

And regarding spirits of behavioral influence I'll put in category 2, light of Christ, for we are free to choose good or evil, knowing how to judge for ourselves, and so able to choose how we are influenced to behave or act. See 2 Nephi 2:27

Conclusion

I hope the above ponderings have helped you feel the influence of the Spirit of Christ, and that by that good influence it may propel you to some good behavioral action. Have you been impressed with any thoughts, feelings or ideas by which you feel impressed to act on? Clicking on and studying further into any of the above links? Expressing gratitude to God or a family member? If so, I invite you to act on anything you've felt impressed to do, no matter how big or small. Doing so will only bring you closer to God, and even if only one person comes closer to God because of the time investment, how wonderful! It will have been worth both our whiles. God bless you, my supporters and readers. Thank you for making it this far.

I give one further invitation. If nothing else, I invite you to read Moroni 7, ponder its message, judge as you see good, and lay hold upon every good thing until you and I - that we all may grow closer to God.

My Mindfulness Practice

I observed a curious thought recently while meditating. What would it look like if I were to explain meditation using my own word?

The following are my insights.

Meditation, in my experience, is simply awareness of thing's as they exist via our 5 senses, whether experienced internally or externally, for five minutes or twenty. It's often suggested as an empty mind or thinking of nothing, but those descriptions miss the mark. It's more like getting out of first person and observing from 3rd person. Anything. Have a thought? Note it's existence. Feel an emotion? Acknowledge it. Hear something? Experience it. This is meditation.

A good way to start is by taking a. Few deep breaths and simply observe and note whats going on around you. In your head say, see, hear or feel.

For example, now I hear a fan clicking. I don't say "fan" I say hear. Currently I can mentally imagine the fan and see myself spin my eyes in the opposite circle. But I don't say blade, fan, or spin. Those are descriptions. I say "see" or "thought". If I feel at peace I don't say calm or peacefully, I say "feel".

In this way you can objectively train your mind to reach delta states while still being fully awake. So what if you find your mind wandering? As soon as you notice... "Thought"

Once practiced with see hear and feel, add thinking, emotion and visualizing/imagining. Give it a go and see what ways it benefits you. I've restored good blood pressure and ability to center myself before conversations. Share in the comments your experiences with meditation, and or your questions.

anx·i·e·ty

anx·i·e·ty
aNGˈzīədē

When you know what you want until you sit down

Then suddenly, you’re paralyzed, and you simply just cannot.

When you try to accomplish the things on your list

But they sit there untouched worse yet, not jot.

When you worry about your own worrying

And others see it as behavioral sub par propriety

But this is our reality, once truly seen,

Cannot be unseen - this is anxiety.

I used to think I knew what it meant,

To feel distressed, uneasy, anxious

But until it consumes you, and begins to run your life

You simply can’t know what we’re trying to express.

“Buck up. Perform. Find your why. Calm down.”

All nice in our heads, and certainly well intended

But at the end of the day, whether two, five or ten

Help us not a single one in ten did. (Yes, Yoda pun intended =)

It’s not that we don’t appreciate your help

It’s not that the things you say are not true.

Believe me, we wish we could start; we could stop.

But for us it’s like everything at once crashing through.

So, we go on a jog. We breathe in counts of ten.

We listen to music to calm our souls.

We literally take things one syllable at a time

Breaking it up into pieces to accomplish a whole.

So, when someone you love suffers from this debilitating disease,

Put them at ease, not by telling – breathe with them.

Suggest one simple next action, take the greater half.

And above all, what you think you understand, please don’t condemn.