3 Questions to ask yourself when things get overwhelming

During last Sunday’s service with the TRUU community, Aaron Brown shared the following process for greeting yourself with gentle curiosity when things start to feel overwhelming. Begin by recognizing that your inner world is asking for some of your attention. Find some space to sit quietly and give yourself that attention using the following three questions:

What is here?

 — Open with nonjudgmental awareness to the inner landscape of your mind and body. Let your thoughts (which you might experience as streams of words or pictures in your mind) and feelings (which you might experience as sensations located at particular places in your body) know they can each get a turn, but you want to sit with them one at a time. Focus your attention on one thought or feeling and simply study it as you might a passing cloud or a flower you’ve noticed on a slow nature walk. Allow it to be what it is. Be curious about its properties.

What is true?

 — If the thought or feeling feels particularly urgent or uncomfortable, ask yourself what is true about it. Byron Katie (at TheWork.com) offers some very useful tools and worksheets to support this process, including her 4 questions: (1) Is it true? (2) Can I absolutely know that it’s true? (3) How do I react—what happens—when I believe the thought? (4) Who would I be without the thought?

…And what else?

After you’ve spent some time with a thought or feeling and you feel like it’s growing lighter, open to another thought or feeling. Welcome each one as you would an honored guest. Let your innate curiosity guide you as you continue to sit with each one.