Much of what we work with in Kundalini Global is in waking clients up to the possibility that they can change how they feel.ย
Realising that you donโt like how you feel is the first thing. Often, those who come to yoga may have got to that point. Choosing to change how you feel is what comes next. This can start on the mat. Over time it can be taken off the mat and into how we experience both our internal and external realities.ย
Realising you donโt like how you feel and making a choice to change is the beginning of exploring neural plasticity.ย
You could have a moment where you think โIโm feeling really stressed, my partner is really irritating me. You may, from there, act out:ย
โCan you please fuck off and leave me alone?โย
You could slam a door and go and sit in your room and think โthe world is against me. I hate you allโ.ย
Or you can begin to notice and take yourself on.ย
Over time you might start to think โthatโs interesting, I donโt like how I feel!โย
Carolyn Cowan, Kundalini Global founder and therapist, often invites us to consider a specific question here: โHow old do I feel?โ
โHow old do I feel?โ is a question to come to at the beginning of neural plasticity, at those moments of noticing that youโre triggered, overwhelmed, offended, horrified.ย
Making a Separation
When you become aware you are on an interesting and transfomrative path because youโve made a separation.
Previously you got triggered and you were in a child state of being – feeling 7,5,3 years old. And in that state you were behaving like a child. As neural plasticity kicks in you can say โthatโs interesting I feel about 3. Is that valid? Do I want to behave as a 3 year old right now?โ
Because thatโs what we do.ย
โThatโs interesting Iโm upset.โย
โOK, I feel anxious and I feel stressed. What could I do? I could stretch, I could breathe. Any number of things I could doโฆโ
The ability to recognise the chid state is where the neural plasticity is starting to work.ย
Take Over The System, Take Care of The Child
The core of what we work with in Kundalini Global is to show you how to take over the system. We go in and say to the 5 year old or to the 3 year old or however old you feel โyouโre good, and Iโve got you and Iโm going to take care of youโ. To think โIโm not going to let the 3 year old make that decision. Iโm not going to have the tantrum in the supermarketโ and so you can say โweโre going to breathe and weโre going to stretch and twist. And Iโve got you and youโre safe.
Neural plasticity is actively understanding that you can change how you feel. Activating neural plasticity is starting to be able to say โIโm not going to do that, Iโm going to behave differently. Iโm going to take the child. Put them behind me. Protect them. The child doesnโt get to make the decisions. Iโm going to behave differentlyโ.
Lessen The Overload
In behaving differently you lessen the overload. You lessen the overload to the brain.
When we make the choice to change how we feel again and again, we end up with a very differently functioning brain in the long term. ย
We end up being able to regulate and to self reflect rather than self obsess.ย
When you come along to a Kundalini Global class you could begin to pay attention to the individual practises that work well for you: a breath, a stretch, a prayerโฆ and perhaps you could consider holding on to a few of them to work with, to play with when you notice that you donโt like how you feel and can make the brave, conscious, decision to make a change.ย
