When challenges arise, it’s easy to get flooded with emotions and want to lean into a “top-down” approach where we focus on our executive functions—finding solutions and tasks to fix the situation.
But it’s important to balance this “top-down” approach with a more “bottom-up,” intuitive, bodily one— trusting the deep, innate wisdom within us. Being aware of our feelings and engaging with them is a key part of personal growth. We don’t need to change our feelings or circumstances right away—we can simply observe them, which can lead to deeper understanding.
In this weekly talk, I share the three ways to practice—letting be, letting go, and letting in—and how we can heal and grow with a bottom-up approach. This method offers a clear path to personal change with self-directed efforts that can lead to lasting results.
I also offered a meditation on Calm Like a Mountain, Open Like the Sky, which guides us to come home to ourselves, in a safe place where we can observe thoughts, emotions, and desires — I hope you find it helpful.
Click here to join the free Wednesday Meditations – which are open to everyone!
Meditation: Calm Like a Mountain, Open Like the Sky
Talk: Bottom-Up Healing and Growing
Topics:
Essence of Practice
- Victor Frankl’s Perspective on Freedom and Response
- Establishing a Relational Stance to Life’s Challenges
Three Fundamental Ways to Practice
- Being with What’s Present
- Working with What’s There
- Letting Be, Letting Go, and Letting In
Applying Modes of Practice
- Transitioning through Modes
- Incorporating Practices into Daily Life
Human Freedom and Dignity in Practice
- Responding Skillfully to Adversity
- Maintaining an Orientation of Self-Help
Personal Journey to Practice
- Top-Down Determination
- Evolution of Self-Directed Change
