Ever been plagued by inner conflict? Perhaps resentment burning a hole in your system, or self-righteousness blaring like the radio that refuses to turn off, which of course is an outward expression of anger or fear. These strong emotions and the thoughts that go with them consume so much of our precious life force and can rob us of restful sleep. 

I regularly practice clearing my energy of conflict. What this takes is a willingness to be still, to observe the mind, to investigate thoughts and see what is at the root of the disturbance. Without this investigation we are caught in a whirlwind of unconsciousness, which can leave many of us feeling quietly desperate wondering why our life feels so overwhelming, why our relationships are not working, or why we are so drained of energy and motivation. In this state of being, many of us turn to distraction, preferring to watch Netflix, shop, socialize… anything to take our mind off the disturbance. What this does is delay the inevitable, it suppresses the tough emotions, so they actually get to fester inside ourselves, like the bacteria that thrive in anaerobic conditions.

Emotions that are suppressed take on a life of their own, making us volatile, erratic, unstable and sometimes cruel to others. 

What I have found is that underneath inner conflict lies an inability to be present to and listen to myself. If I am in conflict, I am not listening to myself. I have lost the thread of my inner teacher. I have bought into a story or attachment. 

Perhaps I feel wronged in some way and my mind keeps playing the victim, my emotions flare in indignation or anger. If I hang out here too long, like every time I re-share the story with someone else who will listen, then the energy I am holding begins to create disharmony in my field and my frequency lowers, my mind becomes incoherent, and I no longer have the capacity to see things clearly.

The solution: Get still, allowing the negativity to quietly express itself. Watch which thoughts about the situation at hand elicit the strongest emotional response, and investigate a little deeper into those thoughts. 

There is a term often used in the yoga tradition: Correct Your Intellect. This means cultivating the capacity to correct the way you are perceiving a situation. Misperception is considered one of the major vrittis, or mental disturbances. Often when we are consumed with resentment or anger, our capacity to see clearly is hindered, we see what we want to see, we focus on what we want to focus on and although others around us may see where the problem lies, we cannot. 

The yogis understood this issue that is common to all humans. Only those who have dedicated themselves to self-honesty, and training their mind, can perceive with absolute clarity. The rest of us must work at it and be ready to catch our own unconsciousness. 

Here are some great classes to do on Glo: