What Hooks Us

As I sat in a meeting, I chuckled.  Not at anyone in the meeting, but laughing at being grabbed by an old pattern.   I was caught in the tangled web of shenpa.   Being away from the trigger was not enough to prevent myself from being hooked.  Unfortunately I had not addressed the underlying reasons for the reaction.  The sticky residue of reaction clung to me link those tangled tendrils of web. 

Shenpa is a Buddhist term for being hooked by thoughts, actions, and words in ways that cause us to shut down.  Often we are hooked in moments of distraction.  In other moments we are aware of shenpa but be unable to resist its powerful hook.  I was very aware of shenpa during the meeting.  I felt my heart rate revving and my angst rising.  Focusing on my breath, my reactions were diminished but not eradicated.  I could not extricate myself from the powerful web of shenpa.

How easy it is for us to get hooked by a word, a person, or a situation.  Instead of slipping into silence, shifting left, turning a couple of degrees, and sliding through a hole in the web, we meet the weave head on.  We may know that we know better, but feel powerless to stop being hooked.  The result is entanglement.  During the meeting, I became entangled in those sticky tendrils even though my objective observer was loudly counseling caution.

So, I chose my only recourse.  No, I did not leave the meeting; I remained.  Instead of beating myself up, I gently and lovingly poured compassion upon myself.  Although I was in turmoil, I managed to lessen the outward impact.  I felt the hook and minimized its havoc wreaking power. 

After the meeting in the quiet of my office, I engaged in full body listening.  Using all of my senses I found the residue left by the web of shenpa.  Intentionally, through a variety of practices, I released the hooks in my body, mind, spirit, and heart.  Some practices to consider

·      Focusing on your breath — inhaling compassion, exhaling shenpa’s residue

·      A brisk walk — allowing the breeze to blow away shenpa

·      Journaling — releasing thoughts and emotions powered by shenpa onto paper

Take time to name what hooks, decompress, and regain peace.  Once peace is regained, create a place of awareness where shenpa is embraced.  In this place, reframe reactions to it into compassionate response. 

Practicing not to be perfect but to be perfectly aware of what hooks,

Vanessa

Vanessa is an Intuitive, Community Builder, and Compassionista, and Author of Engaging Compassion Through Intent & Action

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More blogs: http://vanessahurst.blogspot.com