Release Tension in 5 Steps

Perhaps something happened today or this week that brought up some feelings of tension, unease, and stress.

Here is a simple process to follow to release those negative feelings. You can keep doing this until you feel as light as you’d like to.

With each step, take your time. Let yourself relax into it and lead from your heart rather than your head. It’s best to just do it and answer honestly rather than “think about it”.

• Sit for a moment and stop everything. Can you let yourself feel whatever you feel however you feel it just for a moment? Welcome any sensations, thoughts, images, sounds, or memories. Just stop everything and let it all be as it already is — only for a moment. We spend a lot of the time trying to run, avoid, and push away feelings. As we stop and allow all to be — even just for a moment — the feelings begin to settle and dissolve just as muddy water begins to settle when we stop stirring it up.
• Are you happy with this feeling or do you want to change it? For a moment, just let yourself dislike the feeling and want to change it as much as you do. Could you welcome the resistance? The more you don’t want the feeling, the more annoying it will be. Would you rather feel frustration or peace? If peace, then could you let go of not wanting the feeling?
• Are you this feeling, or are you aware? Just let yourself be aware of any remaining sensations, images, or stories. With awareness, you see that this feeling comes and go — it is not what you are.
• Are you willing to let it go? If not, could you embrace the unwillingness? There is nothing wrong with anything being the way it is — unless you think there is, then misery becomes your experience. Would you rather experience misery or feel lighter, happier, and freer?
• Could there be more to life than this feeling? When the negative feelings arise we can get lost and forget what’s beyond the feeling. So could you notice what’s beyond the feeling? Calm is already here now. If you are willing to notice the calm then you will. If you are more interested in the stress then that is what you’ll notice more of.

So just follow this process and see how you go. It doesn’t matter what words you use to answer these questions. What matters is your own willingness to let go and be happy. In the silence of your heart, peace awaits you.

If you’d like more support in letting go and being happy, you are welcome to subscribe to my free letting go newsletter here.