“At a certain point, we need to grow up; we need to look inside ourselves for our inner guidance.”
~Adyashanti
I was speaking to a friend the other day who is often caught in a mindset of lack. His mind seems to love reciting all the things that are missing from his life, especially a relationship with a woman.
But this time something different happened. Instead of being taken down this sad and lonely road of lack, this golden phrase appeared: “Wait a minute!”
“Wait a minute”— it completely woke him out of the dream of lack and brought him into the reality of the present moment.
- Then he began to question:
- What is present?
- Is everything okay right now?
- Do I have to wait for a partner to do the things I want to do?
It was a spontaneous and fresh offering of universal intelligence showing him the way to freedom.
Accessing the Inner Coach
For a while on my journey, the phrase that arose was, “Go in.” To me, that meant to let go of all the thinking in my head and bring my attention down into the body to welcome sensations. Then I sat with great peace, just being this space.
Saying, “Go in,” short-circuited the swirling thoughts every time, and eventually they stopped taking hold.
Someone else I know says, “Go back.” This phrase tells her to let her attention fall away from the world of people and situations—and the world of her own thoughts and feelings. She stops feeding her anxiety and trying to figure out what others need.
She comes back to herself…to the space behind her eyes…to the breath…to being grounded in this now moment.
Help for Discovering Your True Nature
These phrases are a sign that your inner coach is alive and well. It’s the voice in you that knows your personal “I” thoughts don’t serve peace and happiness. It’s the one who is already awake to the magnificent aliveness of your true nature—beckoning you home.
Your inner coach guides you from contraction to creativity. Another friend was stuck in a grabby, fear-based thought pattern. All she could see were scary outcomes with no satisfying solution.
Then, “Hey, wait!” appeared. She took some moments in stillness, and then became aware of a number of practical solutions to the problem she was wrestling with, and the fear disappeared.
Programmed habits often hold on tightly because they’re highly reinforced. We’ve been thinking them and acting on them for most of our lives.
This is why we need skillful means to awaken out of them. And your inner coach is one ally in this process.
What About You?
What is your inner coach saying? How is it helping you? And if you’re reading this by email, please click here to go to GailBrenner.com and to comment.
Thank you Gail for this clear description of choosing the inner coach. I have just recently noticed doing this and I don’t know what words I have been using. Maybe just a gentle stop and drop. It’s a surrender isn’t it? But I appreciated this confirmation.
Stop and drop – I love that, Anne! Yes, this is absolutely about surrendering. Surrendering all attachments to the mind and melting into Being.
Always a pleasure!!!!
Nice post. I love the idea of a two or three word phrase that you can grab on to like a strap in a subway car.
I love that, Phil – something right there to grab onto!
I especially like the part about programmed habits and how they can have a tight hold.
This can apply to most areas of your life.
Even if you are mindful of these thoughts taking hold it takes constant practice and being aware.
Yes, being aware is essential, Brenda. That’s why an accessible practice or tool is so useful.
Very nicely articulated and as a Rolfer i can 100% relate to this. Somatic embodiment, coming out of one’s head and reconnecting with ones bodily sensations, is a sure way of lowering anxiety. Metta, I am very grateful.
A kindred spirit! I also think it’s essential to be connected with the body. Thanks for your comment….
I say to myself “be present”.
Beautiful reminder, Brenda…
We are all blessed to have our own inner coaches we can turn to. We just need to believe it is there and available to us, and we need to learn how to best tune in when we most need to. The answers are always there.
Yes!
You wrote this so simply & beautifully: it’s a work of art, with such helpful and essential truth.
You are such a blessing to the world!
Also, wow, the photo looks like a different angle on the same lake and mountains in my FB page background image (from South Island, New Zealand)!!
The words “be quiet” made sense suddenly. Be quiet……….Be quiet…….Be quiet , notice , Be quiet……….
Aaahhhh…..yes….be quiet….