how to observe your emotions | Katie Hess LOTUSWEI

Your awareness is the one reading this caption right now. That’s your observer.

When you put your observer to work, everything changes.

The greatest secret that no one ever tells us is:
The observation is the dissolution.

What this means is that there is an element of awakening that is actually quite effortless - like the moment when the knots untie themselves, without any real effort of our own.

That is because the observation is the dissolution.

What this means on a practical level: it means that anything we put our attention on - changes. Instantly, as well as over time. If we watch a child playing, when that child becomes aware that they are being watched, their behavior shifts. When we observe something, it shifts.

When we observe our body (just observe! without any intent to change anything!), it already starts to change. It relaxes. It moves toward ease and balance. It slows down, releases tension and unties its knots over time.

When we observe our minds (without judgment!), and we simply watch, with openness and curiosity, we see the incredible array of thoughts arising in our mindstream. The speed of our thoughts can be like a waterfall, waves of an ocean, a rushing river, a trickling creek, a quiet lake. Whatever speed or velocity of our thoughts, it is the observation of our thoughts that will change how those thoughts are arising.

When we observe our emotions, they too also start to shift and change. We might feel irritated, angry, confused, sad, uncomfortable or happy, joyful, appreciative or neutral or flipping between all different kinds of emotions in one hour. The amazing thing is that's there's nothing that we have to DO, other than just quietly watch those emotions, in order to speed up their dissolution.

THE SIMPLE TAKEAWAY:

The observation is the dissolution. Simply by watching, noticing, being curious, staying with ourselves and observing, our knots untie themselves.