There are many different kinds of stress, some mental, some physical, some positive and some negative. Negative Mental Stress is triggered by a thought that is either untrue or does not resonate well with the vibration of your energy field. However, the effects are not only mental, they often trigger emotions and create a biochemical reaction in the physical body. In my opinion stress is the number one killer in the world today. Stress can effect everything from physiological parameters like blood pressure, cholesterol, cortisol levels and brain wave activity, to inflammation, digestion, immunity and productivity to name just a few.
We are not our thoughts, yet so often, not only do we buy into the negative stream of thoughts that our minds produce or come in contact with but we become incredibly attached to these thoughts that wreak havoc on our lives, like our lives depend on them when if fact, it is just the opposite. In other words, the reality is that our health is dependant on our ability to challenge and release thoughts that are untrue, that no longer resonate, or create stress. The more quickly we can return to equanimity after a negative thought arises or is produced, the better our health will be.
"The Work" by Byron Katie (www.thework.com) is an exceptional way to sift through the myriad of untrue thoughts that we have moment to moment. When we engage long term in "the work" we come to realize that very few disturbing thoughts that we have are rooted in Truth and moreover, that without those thoughts that limit us, stress us, and create untruths in our lives that seem to take on a life of their own, we can actually be much happier and more free. Byron Katie's philosophy is based on "Loving What Is" and when we do that, we immediately decrease our stress levels because we end our resistance to reality, stop living in the past, and cease trying to control outcomes we have no control over.
Creating stressful thoughts is a choice and so is releasing them. What have we got to lose by releasing them except a construct of who we are that makes us stressed out and miserable? Can you release your stressful thoughts and live in the mystery of the unknown?
