An Alchemical Approach to Crafting Your Journey in 2024: Embracing Dissolution
After the intense heat of Calcination we explored going into February, we now enter the stage of Dissolution, a more gentle, yet equally transformative call to surrender and let go.
Dissolution challenges us to release the grip of ego and embrace the fluidity of change. This can be difficult since the ego is a very strong muscle. But, if we can work towards a more supple muscle, we may be able to let go of outdated beliefs and patterns to make space for growth and renewal.
Many of us come to therapy to get clarity on our patterns. Outside of therapy, we can continue to take time to foster self awareness in an effort to build a healthy, conscious relationship with ourselves. Through the practice of mindfulness, we can cultivate this.
Mindfulness can be a cognitive, somatic, and behavioral practice that fosters present-moment awareness and acceptance coupled with more conscientious behavior. This can cultivate greater self-awareness and the ability to emotionally regulate which can lead to reduced stress, anxiety, and depression.
Drawing wisdom from and paying homage to the ancient teachings of Buddhism, the practice of mindfulness originates from the Satipatthana Sutta, a part of the Pali Canon, the collection of scriptures preserved in the Theravada Buddhist tradition. The Sutta teaches practitioners how to cultivate mindfulness in four main areas: mindfulness of the body, mindfulness of feelings, mindfulness of the mind, and mindfulness of mental objects. These practices are considered essential for developing insight (vipassana) and achieving liberation from suffering (nibbana). The Satipatthana Sutta is highly revered and widely studied in various Buddhist traditions for its profound teachings on mindfulness and meditation. One need not be familiar with nor dedicate themselves to Buddhism in order to familiarize themselves with and gain benefit from the practice of mindfulness. It is a way any of us can orient ourselves to our lived experiences and is accessible to all.
To honor Dissolution, here are some suggestions of ways to practice in the four areas noted in the Sutta:
- Bring your attention to each part of your body, observing sensations without judgment. On the in breath, breathe in expansion and spaciousness. On the out breath, release any tension, allowing it to dissolve into the earth.
- Practice some gentle yoga, focusing on postures that promote surrender and release, such as forward folds and twists. With each movement, breathe deeply and allow expansion in the body. Let go of any tension in the body as you breathe out.
- Take a brief moment to check in with yourself either in formal meditation or not––you can be sitting at a desk, waking up in bed, standing in line at the store, or walking to the car. How do you feel and how do you know how you feel––are there sensations in the body that inform you or is it a state of mind? Or?
- Try a Nurture Positive meditation.
- Bring your attention to each part of your body, observing sensations without judgment. On the in breath, breathe in expansion and spaciousness. On the out breath, release any tension, allowing it to dissolve into the earth.
- Practice some gentle yoga, focusing on postures that promote surrender and release, such as forward folds and twists. With each movement, breathe deeply and allow expansion in the body. Let go of any tension in the body as you breathe out.
- Either in formal meditation or not, take note of the nature of the things that you think about. Do you think about things you want and desire? The things you don’t like? What’s the quality of what you’re thinking about––is there calmness, agitation, clarity, confusion? Is there joy or equanimity when the thoughts appear or are you distracted or restless (for example)? And what is your attachment to your thoughts? Do you feel that your thoughts are you? Do they signify your you-ness? What if you treated them like any other sensations that come and go, like a brief cramp in a toe that goes away.
As we navigate the currents of Dissolution, may we embrace the practice of letting go. With Springtime upon us, allow this letting go to make space to plant seeds for growth. Do you want to learn mindfulness to assist with this? I can teach it to you––quickly.