These Times Are A Changing

These Times they are a changing…what are they changing? Us — me & you!

We are in a wonderfully amazing, fiercely terrifying, possibility-filled time. Yeah, there are times that I jump past the wonder and amazement through the possibility and right into fierce terror. These times might be chaotic, but do I really need to get caught in the snare of my fear? 

With that question, I mentally/

emotionally back up to get a clear image of what is happening. I remind myself that this is my wisdom year. It is not every year I celebrate my croning! This is my year to explore the wonder, breathe deeply into my core, and exhale wisdom into the moment. There are times when I feel that I didn’t get the message about being the wisdom keeper that I shared with everyone else. 

Then I remember that shenpa is part of each of our journeys. This is the word that Buddhists use for what catches us. I ask myself, “What catches you?” The answer is simpler than getting untangled from the result! When I am not aware, the list of triggers to my reactions is endless. When I am aware, I can see those snares and sidestep them.

So, ask yourself: “what catches me?” If you aren’t quite certain, spend time paying attention to what is triggering you. There are no wrong answers to this question. Each answer echoes in what is impacting you in the moment.

Why is identifying your shenpa important? If I have learned nothing in the past six decades, it is that I need to identify what catches me before I can go forward.  Unless we — you and I — identify the stuff that lures us into a sticky web of reactions then we are going to continue to walk right into it. 

What is that thing that catches you? Name it. Then do a deep dive to the root. You might discover an aggravation, anger, fear, or something totally different. To neutralize the shenpa, you’ve got to name it! That naming starts at the root where you eradicate the tangle of shenpa.

Mindfulness — being aware in the moment stops you from getting caught in shenpa and reacting. In those moments that you just are not present and get caught, don’t beat yourself up! Afterward find a time of silence. Reflect. Identify what tangles you. Remember, knowledge is power. Power helps you to navigate what catches you in the moment. That navigation leads to a life of transformation.

So, these times are a changing. I hope that you and I are changing in ways that make us more resilient and aware.

Van Hurst, ms, is an intuitive-coach-catalyst. As a contemplative coach, she uses mindfulness practices and intuition tools to create strategies for navigating the mundane and extraordinary. The result of time with Van? Creating a blueprint for your life through a deeper connection to your intuition and contemplative nature. 

Van is a professional speaker & author who weaves inner wisdom into all she touches. Her books are available @ www.wildefyrpress.com. Her most recent book, As Natural As Breathing: Being Intuitive, is available on Amazon. Contact Vanessa for life coaching, intuitive consultations, keynotes, and programs.

Website / LinkedIn Profile / Facebook / Twitter: @fyrserpent / ©2022

Unhooking What Catches You

We all have triggers — seemingly inconsequential  thoughts, words, and actions that send us into tailspins of reaction. How do we stop our self from getting caught in the whirling madness? And, once caught, how de we extricate our self from the barbed hooks of shenpa (what catches us)? 

Not too long ago I found myself in a situation that really had me caught. No matter how I twisted or turned, I found the hook of shenpa embedded deeper and deeper into my being. Yet, I could not seem to stop twisting and turning. Mindfulness techniques worked for a little while — after a bit the angst resurfaced. Reaction edged closer and closer. 

During some quiet time I remembered reading an article about a person who had spent a year living as if that year was the last year of their life. Then I remembered the five Reiki principles. Each one begins with “just for today.” Combining the two created a hybrid approach to my shenpa causing reaction dilemma. I decided to enter any potentially reactionary situation with the thought that “this time is the last time I will experience (fill in the blank).” 

What did I discover? The aggravations and irritations did not magically disappear. They were just as profound as before. What changed was my relationship to them. When I felt the trigger simmering, I answered the question “how would you respond if this is the last time you experience (fill in the blank)?” My want to react diminished. I have to say that it was easier to let something go with that mindset. There were fewer places that the grappling hooks of shenpa could dig in. 

What was really different about my experience was my awareness in the moment. I was able to focus on the impermanence of what was happening. In this circumstance — the one that I developed the hybrid approach for —  I realized that I had been cleaning up after others. Frankly that was neither my responsibility nor the compassionate action. I was enabling “bad behavior” to continue and then getting upset that nothing changed. 

If you are asking, “how can I focus on more response and less reacting,” here are my suggestions:

• Set you intent to respond instead of react
• Consciously breathe into the moment
• Be aware of the symptoms of reaction (physical, mental, emotional)
• Acknowledge what catches you
• Let go of what has you caught
• Breathe into the moment

It takes awareness and practice to notice and let go of the shenpa that catches you. Don’t give up if you are caught more than you are freed. It is all about being in the moment and living your best life.  

Vanessa F. Hurst, ms, is an Intuitive, Coach, Catalyst, who uses mindfulness practices and intuition tools to create strategies for personal and relationship transformation. She is a professional speaker & author who weaves inner wisdom into all she touches. Her books are available @ www.wildefyrpress.com. Contact Vanessa  (vanessa@intentandaction.com) for life coaching, intuitive consultations, keynotes, and programs. 

Website / LinkedIn Profile / Facebook / 

Twitter: @fyrserpent / ©2020