Having Emotional Tools in your emotional tool box not only help you when you find yourself in a challenging situation, but it all so contributes to building your emotional intelligence and capacity of heart.
An amazing tool to have in your toolbox is the Stream Kayak Principle. This tool will help you gain perspective and ease anxiety, stress, worry, and pretty much any emotional discomfort.
We will go through this principle in this week’s live video but you can also find lots of information in The River of Life Handbook and Awakening to Your Story the book.
You can download a free copy of the River of Life Handbook at this link: http://awakeningtoyourstory.com/product/awakening-to-your-storys-handbook/
You can also purchase your copy of Awakening to Your Story the book at HERE:
Here are the nuts and bolts of the Streak Kayak Principle.
Life is a river that flows in one direction, down stream. On the river of life each person gets a boat. It’s one boat for every person, because this boat is your consciousness. You have everything that you need to navigate your life right there in your boat or consciousness.
Life Downstream: When you are conscious and working in harmony with the river you feel like life is happening for you, like you are fully supported, and like you have everything that you need.
This is the optimal and healthiest way to engage and create with the world around you. When you are in your boat and floating downstream you are in a place of inner alignment. Your heart, mind, and humanity are all moving harmony.
From that place of alignment your essential truth is louder then any limiting belief you might have picked up. Your thoughts echo what is possible. Your focus is on what is right, good, and working in your life. It’s as if you are scanning your life to find those experiences. It will always feel better to be in this place of inner alignment as you flow with the life force around you.
When there are rapids or boulders ahead of you on the river you have everything that you need right in your boat to help you navigate your way through. If you find that there is trouble in the water and you get knocked out of that inner alignment for any reason, you always have the power to get back into your inner alignment. Your boat/ consciousness will always want to point down stream and find harmony with the river of life. It is however up to you, the captain of the boat, to decide how the boat interacts with the river of life. In other words you determine your level of consciousness and how you move through the life before you.
Dealing with Trouble In the Water:
Life is full of challenges and when don’t have an understanding or relationship to your consciousness things can get hard really fast. On the river of life there are three common places where people find themselves struggling on the river.
- Paddling up stream
- Having two people in one boat
- Being stranded in the water
Being able to identify when you have found yourself in these positions allows you to not only take your power back, but it also helps you find a way back to that optimal position and inner alignment. We are going to look at the side effects, language and when to use the analogy in your life. Again the free handbook is super easy to download and walks you through exercises for each troubled area so that you can actively work your way back to your inner alignment.
Paddling Upstream: When you fight against the current of life.
Side Effects: Physical and mental exhaustion, a deep feeling and need to validate the struggle. There can be a feeling of emotional pain, irritation, or having an emotional short fuse. When left unattended can lead to bitterness & resentment.
Language: “Can you believe?” “I’m so over it.” “Why isn’t this working?” “This is so draining.” “Tell me I’m wrong, you can’t because that’s how bad it or they are” “I am struggling with…” “I am worried about…” “I have tried so hard to…” “I have to make this happen.” “What if I can’t….”
When To Use It: When you feel like life is a fight or struggle
Two People One Boat: When there are two captains of a boat designed for one.
Side Effects: False state of comfort, dependence on another person to fulfill roles that only you can truly fill, neediness, loss of identity or other aspects of your life, or a false sense of security that is dependent on the other person.
Language: “You complete me.” “Be this so that I can feel that.” “Do this so that I can have or feel that” such as “Love me so that I know that I am worthy of love.” “Be with me so that I feel happy.” “Love me so that I know I am loveable.” “Protect me so that I can feel safe.” “Be with me so that I can feel complete.”
When To Use It: When you try to control or fix things for others or expect them to control or fix things so that you feel ok in your own life.
Stranded In The Water: When there is no boat in sight and you struggle to keep your head above water.
Side Effects: Anxiety, depression, feelings of hopelessness, agitation, restlessness, worthlessness, thoughts of suicide, overwhelming sadness, struggle to keep your head above water, or never quite being able to catch up.
Language: “I don’t know what to do.” “I feel like I’m drowning.” Everything is going wrong” “I’m not sure I can do this.” “Nothing I do matters.” “I can’t take it any more.” I’m not… enough.” There is an inability to stop any negative voice in your head.
When To Use It: When you feel overwhelmed and like it’s all too much and you can’t keep your head above it all
If you know where you are on the river of life then you have the ability to consciously find your way back to your inner alignment, your boat, harmony, and feeling fully supported.
Using this principle as a tool you can consciously identify where you are in your emotional environment. If you are paddling up stream and fighting the current of life, you can put your paddles back in your boat and let it turn around. If you are stuck inside someone else’s boat or you have someone else in your boat then you can kick them out or find your way to your own boat. If you find yourself stranded trying to keep your head above the water, you have the power to find your boat and get safely nestled inside.
The River of Life Handbook walks you through exercises for each situation but for the purposes of this post and video I want you to understand that with or without those exercises YOU have the power and autonomy over your consciousness.
You have a superpower called metacognition, which allows you to witness your thoughts. That’s right you have the ability to be awake and aware of your thoughts and even understand the patters behind them. You don’t have to take direction from them instead you witness them and use them to help you navigate the river of life. You have power over your mind it doesn’t have power over you.
You also have a superpower called breath, which when used as a superpower, can change the biological response you have in your body. Breathing is something we do all day but when you focus on your breath and you use it as a tool, it becomes a game changer. There are lots breathing practices or types of breath work out there. Because of it ease, simplicity, and power my favorite is square breathing. This is where you take a deep breath in for four counts, hold for four counts, exhale for four counts, and hold for four counts. It’s a wonderful reset for when you are out of emotional alignment but it is also a great fortifier when you are in emotional alignment.
Once you have identified the trouble in the water, then making the conscious choice to activate both superpowers metacognition and breath will help you slow the struggle down so that you can navigate your way back to your own inner alignment.
No matter where you are on the river of life, you absolutely have the power to get back to your own boat and place of inner alignment. Use this tool often; stay curious about where you are in relationship to your boat and the river. Take out all judgment about where you are because it only hinders your ability to actively navigate.
I am here if you have questions, and know that until next time I am holding a place for you where your inner alignment is undeniable.
