AAO: Arrive at Origin Workshop

DAY 4: Relieving Your Stress

On Day 3, we discussed how our problems are processed by our minds when we sit in silence. By allowing all our thoughts to flow freely and be processed fully, we can eventually reach a state of thoughtlessness.

On Day 4, we focus on relieving the stress we carry and letting go of the excessive effort we put into managing it. When we sit in silence, we often become more aware of the mental and emotional weight we are carrying. This stress may not always be obvious, but it affects us in many ways, building up over time without us even realizing it. The goal of Day 4 is to help us understand how this stress accumulates and how we can release it, freeing ourselves from unnecessary tension and mental clutter.

When you observe silence, you will begin to notice how many thoughts are rushing through your mind. For example, you might start thinking about why a person said something to you or acted a certain way. This process helps you take all those rushing thoughts, process them, and let them settle down—just like sand settles after the wind blows.

However, this is where the next step of the journey begins. As you continue this process, you may suddenly experience changes in how you feel. For some people, stress may change into a form of anger, which is a high-energy state. Stress often feels like a physical weight, but we don’t realize how much it builds up over time. It might seem small at first, but we end up spending the whole day managing it. This shows us how sensitive we are to stress and energy. We often can’t handle even a small amount of stress, yet we accept it as a normal part of life. Over time, we absorb more stress without realizing it, until we find ourselves in a new stressful condition.

On Day 4, the participants were given the opportunity to let go of the excessive exertion they put on themselves, allowing them to release this built-up stress.

How can we let go of the excessive exertion we put on ourselves?

To do this, we need to break down the “who”—the “Artificial You”—who thinks it knows everything and constantly tells us what is right and wrong. This “Who,” which we believe to be the “Real You,” needs to unlearn the concepts that we have been taught and that define how we understand the world around us.

Most of us have been taught to rely on ready-made solutions to our problems. But these solutions don’t always help us solve the problem. When we’re confused or upset, we tend to search for answers from as many sources as possible. In desperation, we begin accepting any answer that comes our way. Everyone else around us seems to have a different perspective and a different solution. This leads us to ignore our own inner wisdom and understanding, which can be found through observation and trust.

Experiences of the Participants

By Day 4, the participants had become more comfortable with silence and reached a point where everything seemed peaceful and more in control. While some felt a little distress or unease, overall, their journey was moving toward “thoughtlessness,” which is a sign of progress.

Note

Your face is a great indicator of how much stress you are carrying. When you sit in silence for an hour, you may ask yourself, “What did I do for an hour?” The answer will be “nothing.” This “nothing” might feel uncomfortable at first, but in reality, this “nothingness” is the true answer to the question of our existence. When we realize and accept this “nothingness,” we can begin to free ourselves from stress.

By observing silence, we realize that living with stress is not acceptable. We begin to refuse to believe that “stress is a part of our daily life,” or that “it’s normal to live with stress in today’s society.” The next step in our journey is to gradually return to our purest form of energy, so we can release it whenever we encounter stress.

(Portions of this text have been taken from the lectures delivered by Dr. Alka Chopra Madan in her weekly Zoom meetings.)

You can book an appointment for online or offline sessions with her.

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