Reclaiming Yourself

I know a lot of people who have experienced great trauma and loss in their childhoods. Everything from the death/murder of a parent to nasty divorces, sexual abuse and schoolyard bullying. In those tender years of physical, emotional and spiritual development - we are often bombarded by the cruelties and mindlessness of others. If left unaddressed - those situations can leave people feeling helpless, vulnerable and often times victimized.

For folks whose "injuries" happen when they are children or even at a time when they just didn't know how to deal with those big kinds of tragedies and hurts - their wounds often get carried into their adult years. They can find themselves in their 30's, 40's, 50's and beyond still fighting off the boogieman of their youth.

I think it's important that as adults we proactively gather tools that will help us reclaim ourselves from our feelings of victimization. Those empowering tools might vary from person to person. Some might choose traditional psychotherapy - others might spend consistent time on their yoga mat. For others it's a daily practice of prayer or meditation.

My meditation teacher Eknath Easwaran says that we all have innate resources - that we can draw upon so that we can find "our strength in the storm". The storm for you might be something you can't let go of from 20 years ago, or an unkind remark from a coworker or relentless traffic on 93 South. However, it can be hard to access those resources when your mind is racing and impatient or agitated or distracted by fear. The key is - learning how to slow down the mind.

One of the fastest, easiest and cheapest (it's free!) tools that I know of to stabilize the mind is the use of a mantra or mantram. By simply repeating a word or short phrase to yourself in your mind (silently) you can gain access to reserves of patience, calm, confidence and strength. The more you use it the more powerful it becomes.

Just like yoga - use of the mantram has been around for thousands of years. Some of my favorite Spiritual rock stars and inspirations like St. Francis of Assisi (patron saint of the animals) and Mahatma Gandhi both used Mantras to steady their minds. St Francis used the mantra, "My God and my all" - while Gandhi repeated, "Rama, Rama."

Anybody can use mantra - it's not a religious practice. It is a mental practice that has quick and long lasting benefits that effectively diminish old hurts and help us to wisely navigate new challenges. By slowing down the mind - we can often view things from a different perspective. This will allow us to experience that calm, centered place so we can draw upon our inner knowledge and make choices that will move us towards our healing.