This article is a personal perspective based on experiences, and shared in the hope that may be helpful to others on a spiritual journey.
We are all becoming aware that certain foods are full of toxins, that is, substances that negatively affect the smooth functioning of our physical organs. When we eat processed and toxin-bearing foods, the toxins are dealt with by our liver and kidneys. The load gradually becomes too much for these organs to manage, and health problems ensue. One of the ways to restore healthy functioning of the organs is to fast, intermittently or for longer periods. It gives the body and organs a chance to rest and recuperate so that they can process the excess of toxins in the body, and restore it to health.
However, most of us have never considered that the emotions we feel can be just as toxic to the mind, and literally prevent us from functioning in an optimum way. We live in cultures that have become used to venerating extreme emotion. It is as though we become addicted to the next emotional ‘high’ and go searching for that in movies, loud concerts, loud music in our cars, roller coaster rides, confrontational relationships, jumping on bandwagons of condemnation, to beat their drums with passion. We go to movies and consider it a good one if we have laughed out loud and cried real tears and felt anxious, fearful, and angry. We go there to feel strong emotions in a ‘safe’ place, and happy endings are always appreciated.
What if this addiction to emotion was really an indicator of the lack of proper spiritual health? Spirituality is never emotional. The development of spirituality slowly produces a balance of peace and the ability to enjoy the present moment, from a state of calm, inner well-being. It is being in the here and now, not wishing for a particular outcome, just watching and appreciating the game of life. It also means being equipped to deal with the more difficult situations with equanimity. A good analogy would be a football game. What if all the spectators just enjoyed the game, appreciating the skill of both teams and watching which team was playing in the best way and deserved to win? It is hard to imagine a stadium, full with 25,000 people peacefully enjoying the game. The agitation and extremes of emotion are based on attachment. Whatever we are attached to, our team, our car, our friends and family, will provoke strong emotions because we live in fear of the loss of them.
Even if we take the emotion of happiness, which is one of the most sought after states of mind; the happiness we seem to crave is that of some external show of a kind of euphoria, whereas spiritual happiness is an inner state of well-being and fullness. The craving of emotional ‘highs’ is why so much money is made commercially, because companies can feed the desire for ‘feel-good’ shopping, entertainment and the ‘buzz’ and ‘rush’ of extreme sports. However, when I am under the influence of strong emotions, I lose balance, I lose the centre of myself, and I do not function at my best.
To reclaim our balance and inner harmony, we need to go on a fast, intermittently or for as long as we can. This is not as easy as it sounds. To wean ourselves away from TV dramas, movies, and exhilarating sports, is a big task, and it is not for everyone. We need to have a great deal of patience and compassion for the self if we undertake such a thing. Even if we do not wish to let go of these kinds of emotions, we can at least begin to observe them. We can observe the emotion, and if it is throwing us out of balance, and replace the thought that is creating that emotion with something more peaceful. As we talk ourselves ‘down’ from the emotional extreme, it will start to diminish. We can see how we feel when we regain our equilibrium, and see which state we prefer.
If it is emptiness, the lack of real peace and love, that is the reason why we chase after the ‘highs,’ then it makes sense to learn how to fill the self. In the same way that an empty container can be dented, knocked over or squashed, once it is filled with water, it will be steady, stable and sturdy. It is through meditation and a connection with the source of all spiritual power that we not only detox, but we begin to refill the self with the power of peace, silence, and strength. What follows is a deep contentment, and inner spiritual joy, and an end to the craving for the uncomfortable see-saw of extreme emotions. The soul will become full of love, the most powerful emotion in the universe.
Bill Simo is a coach and trainer, and teaches Rajyoga with the Brahma Kumaris, based in Madrid, Spain.
