The element of water describes the embodiment of a dimension of consciousness responsible for feeling into one's awareness. When we are able to consistently feel into the many thoughts, desires, and sensations that we experience, we gain clarity about the true nature of things.

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This clarity comes from nonduality, or the awareness that expands beyond a dualistic reality.

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This is because perceiving reality exclusively through a dualistic lens is inherently distorted and forms the basis of all limiting beliefs.

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When we can feel beyond these numerous thought/behavioral patterns, into the desires driving them and the feelings we are looking for/avoiding, we can clearly see what we truly want in life. We can easily perceive the feelings we are invalidating through our many defense/coping mechanisms. We can easily feel into the pain and suffering that we have been avoiding and start the healing process.

 

Nonjudgment

 

Nonjudgment is the core concept behind flow. As you have already learned, nonjudgment is also the core concept behind mindfulness.

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As you have started to release defense mechanisms and the limiting beliefs driving them, the emotions that you have been suppressing will start to surface fully. It is extremely important to greet these emotions and sensations with nonjudgment. The more you judge and resist these emotions, the worse they will seem.

 

Vulnerability

 

As you feel into these emotions and their full intensity, you will likely encounter flashbacks into your past. Certain memories will come up with very vivid details. If the details are extremely vivid, it means that the memory is still emotionally charge. Feel the emotions stored in that memory. You should be able to see how these memories are linked by similar emotional patterns.

 

You will start to encounter deeply held emotions that may seem like a lot. Remember that the eye of the storm is the calmest. Go directly into the intensity of those emotions. Surrender to those feelings and follow the emotional story all the way through no matter how long it takes. It will start to seem like there is a conflict going on between two distinct versions of yourself.

 

Experiencing Both Sides of the Duality

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You will find that these emotions form a story.

 

It starts with a deep heartbreak and/or a lot of resistance/blame. Guilt may be a big theme here.

 

This is followed by an intense coldness and a sense of hopelessness. Guilt will likely peak here.

 

After this will be a kind of calmer, more melancholy sadness. The guilt will start to fade.

 

This will then transform into a kind of "I miss you" kind of sadness. A sadness from a place of acceptance of the situation yet still wishing things could have been different. The guilt is now fading as a new openness forms.

 

Then we get into the raw emotions where flashbacks should be common. This is where the part of you relating to this pattern is surfacing fully with the rest of its sadness.

 

As you feel through these emotions and memories, you will finally encounter a peaceful acceptance and understanding of the entire story so far. You will start to experience a bit of hope that things can be different, that it is not too late to choose a different reality.

 

Finally, this part of yourself will be greeted by the "positive" duality of emotions. It is extremely important to experience the entire duality of emotions and be present with the entire story. That means going into the deepest, most intense feelings until all that is left is love for yourself. You will start to realize how you never needed to reject or suppress or judge this part of yourself. It was always lovable on its own. All of the ways you sought out love outside of you in relation to the current pattern will start to come back to you. You will start to realize the love was always inside of you. As this love comes back to you, you will experience passionate love, followed by warm love and peaceful love.

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Embodying the Element of Water

 

The element of water represents flow. With flow, we can feel beyond duality itself. This especially applies to the defense mechanisms based on our dualistic judgment. Instead of living a life based on unconsciously suppressing our feelings, we create a reality based on feeling into all feelings regardless of how they feel.

 

Key Question: What feelings do I avoid throughout the day? How is it mirrored by the feelings I keep looking for outside of me?

Key Words: Flow, Judgment, Nonjudgment, Duality, Nonduality, Guilt, Sacral Chakra

Symptoms: Numbness, feeling like you are never good enough, feeling that you need to hide parts of yourself, depression, confusion, an inability to form fulfilling relationships, hip tension, sex/porn addiction

Goal: Feel all of your feelings regardless of how they feel or how much you are trying to suppress/resist them, experiencing both sides of the duality in the emotional story.

Key Ideas:

• Feeling pain/discomfort is essential in order to start the healing process. You cannot heal what you cannot feel.

• The emotional story you experience will describe the relationship between two seemingly separate parts of yourself.

• Being mindful of desires allows the underlying emotions driving those desires to surface

• The eye of the storm is the calmest. Go directly into the intensity of the emotions.

• There is great power in sensitivity.lity!

Other Tips:

• Create a sacral chakra playlist that outlines the emotional story in order to help you tune into these emotions despite your resistance to them. Find an example here.

• If you are struggling with deep emotional issues or traumatic experiences, consider talking to a conscious coach.

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Next Section: Earth - Presence