SWEET ABANDON IN A GLASS
Getting drunk is like taking a holiday from your mind. And doing this while having 'fun' with our friends, letting the hair down, so they say, it's the moments we live for, right?
But why do we need to do this? Why drink? What compels us to anaesthetise our brains with drink & drugs to have a good time? Maybe we do it to forget what our suppressed emotions are trying to tell us. It's so we can have a release from our demons to feel free. But what if these suppressed emotions are not inner demons at all but actually messengers that we need to listen to and hear what they say?
Meet Your Fears
Do we really have to get so inebriated or can we still enjoy just as much of a good time without the need to switch off our minds? I truly believe so, but we have to deal with these often strong emotions first and not to block them out if we are to really find out what they mean.
After having such a massive weekend of excess, the fallout came in my sleep on Monday night. All the anxiety and insecurities that I'm holding on to, seemed to came out in force to taunt me throughout the twilight hours. After what seemed like an age of tossing and turning - and as the last of the alcohol left the furthest reaches of my numbed mind, I peaked with a crescendo of anxiety as the darkest doors of my mind were flung wide, releasing my innermost fears. But rather than allowing them to overwhelm me, I met them face on and applied Yoga breathing techniques to remove myself from the torrent of abuse and self-loathing that was coming at me. After just a few breathes, I started to feel calm again, the feelings of doom subsided and I was able to mindfully observe these banshees passing harmlessly over me.
I've had these anxiety moments before in my life, but the greatest difference between then and now is that I took time to recognise and accept what this moment was telling me. I saw that these were just fears. It was very challenging dealing with these thoughts in the dead of night and frustrating having broken sleep, but I learned something new about myself in the process. I learned how to deal with the fear. If we don't confront our fears, they will only get stronger. It's a necessary process for our self development.
So, if you are caught in the dead of night as I was, treat this moment as your opportunity to better know these wailing messengers. Take notes of the emotions they attach themselves to at the time they happen and see them for what they are - just fears. They are not us. If we can later remind ourselves of what the fears were, we can address them in the light of day with a rational mind and that way, accept and work towards dispelling them.
After having such a massive weekend of excess, the fallout came in my sleep on Monday night. All the anxiety and insecurities that I'm holding on to, seemed to came out in force to taunt me throughout the twilight hours. After what seemed like an age of tossing and turning - and as the last of the alcohol left the furthest reaches of my numbed mind, I peaked with a crescendo of anxiety as the darkest doors of my mind were flung wide, releasing my innermost fears. But rather than allowing them to overwhelm me, I met them face on and applied Yoga breathing techniques to remove myself from the torrent of abuse and self-loathing that was coming at me. After just a few breathes, I started to feel calm again, the feelings of doom subsided and I was able to mindfully observe these banshees passing harmlessly over me.
I've had these anxiety moments before in my life, but the greatest difference between then and now is that I took time to recognise and accept what this moment was telling me. I saw that these were just fears. It was very challenging dealing with these thoughts in the dead of night and frustrating having broken sleep, but I learned something new about myself in the process. I learned how to deal with the fear. If we don't confront our fears, they will only get stronger. It's a necessary process for our self development.
So, if you are caught in the dead of night as I was, treat this moment as your opportunity to better know these wailing messengers. Take notes of the emotions they attach themselves to at the time they happen and see them for what they are - just fears. They are not us. If we can later remind ourselves of what the fears were, we can address them in the light of day with a rational mind and that way, accept and work towards dispelling them.
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