I’d been feeling a bit overwhelmed in keeping up-to-date with this blog. Once I acknowledged these feeling the power of positive thinking revealed a new thought, invite Ryan Weiss, my teaching partner and Life Coach to contribute regular posts. I did just that, he said, “YES,” and I’m eager to share his first, of what will be on-going posts with you.
I took a ridiculously difficult Vinyasa Yoga class mixed with Capoeria (Brazilian Martial Arts) at Pure Yoga in NYC recently. Though I used to be a professional dancer, I was surprised that this new style of class forced me to stretch through tightness I didn’t know existed. We were instructed to move swiftly through our hips and shoulders, rotating, stretching, leaving no ligament un-pulled. As a student of consciousness, I brought my attention directly to the pain, and asked the Uni-Verse to help me let go of the tension in my hamstrings, shoulders, neck, behind my knees, etc. I sat into the pain, felt it and altered my thinking about each sensation. This is what kept me in class, advancing my physical, emotional and spiritual wellness.
As I worked through the pain, I had a clear memory of the first moment I became aware of my thoughts. I was an eight year old camper at Camp Swig, a sleep-away camp in Northern California. It was around 8:00pm and I was being a naughty boy, skipping the evening program to play a secret game of Capture the Flag. In the pitch black darkness, I did not see a tall sprinkler head which had a sharp knife-like edge. I mean, SHARP. I felt the sharpness as it ripped through my shin. I remember the immediate sensation of pain. As I shined my flash light on my leg I saw the white of my shin bone, as I watched my blood pour down my leg.
The pain was excruciating. Yet, I remember my first thought being, ‘What if I could just choose that this pain does not hurt?’ At eight years old, I was shocked by this new idea. What if I could go right to the pain and just decide that my experience of this feeling is not painful. It was as if a miracle had occurred. The pain subsided rather quickly and over the next few days, my rather intense injury healed perfectly. As I continued transforming pain into flexibility and relaxation in yoga class, I became conscious that I have used this consciousness sporadically throughout my life and over the past year it has taken over.
What does this mean? Often, people will ask, “So you’re a Life Coach, eh? So you just teach positive thinking? Isn’t that another way of denying what’s wrong?” I love this question because I’m not certain I have never specifically suggested the power of positive thinking. Our power lies in acknowledging whatever experience is present and not being seduced by it. This circumstance is in our experience so we may be awakened to the Reality that it is not the truth of Who We are. It came so that it may pass – it did not come to stay.
With the support of the Uni-Verse we may rest assured that the pain is present so that we may transform it. From this deep knowing, perhaps now is the time for the power of positive thinking.
- I am POSITIVE that the Uni-Verse is on my side.
- I am POSITIVE that all I need to do is remove the blocks in my thinking by looking at the experience but not being seduced by it.
- I am POSITIVE that I am constantly gifted the opportunity to move right and move left so that I may find myself nuzzled up peacefully in the center.
Ryan Weiss is a Los Angeles native committed to living his inspired life by Coaching others to find their power, passion, love, and happiness. As a former Broadway performer and film producer, Ryan’s experiences lead him to the work of A Course In Miracles which transformed his life. He works with his Coaching clients to remove all blocks to living their inspired life vision, allowing miracles to flow. Contact Ryan at: CreativeCounselorForYou@gmail.com
