The Buddhist Way Of Letting Go Of Your Past Trauma
Wounds & Emotional Trauma
We all have wounds growing up into adulthood. Those wounds might be big or small, depending on how we give meaning to them. Some people experienced trauma since childhood and couldn’t let go. They do not realize the trauma they bury in their minds will keep attracting similar events to them till they manage to let go.
We are the one who holds the knife
I believe it is the law of nature that we can’t find everything pleasing to our ears, eyes, or senses all the time. There are always someone or some events that displease us. Some events may leave scars. The more we think about it, the deeper the wound. So how about we learn how to deal with our trauma without letting them consume our joy and happiness?
Are we afraid of the picture we draw or the story we tell ourselves?
What I found out during my practice of insight meditation is that emotional injuries will recur whenever we revisit the story of how they happened. The more we think about the event, the more bitter the sorrow or pain. Mostly, we add more details to the original event every time we think about it, and we end up agonizing ourselves even more.
Observe your breathing and body sensation
So how about we change our strategy? How about we reassess just the feeling that arises at the moment? Leave out the story. We can assess our sensation toward the event without thinking about any details of the event at all. We might want to leave the emotion behind and stay focused only on the feeling that arises. Then, we can observe how that sensation develops. Does it stay? Does that feeling grow stronger or weaker? What does it mean to you? What part of you is hurt by the event? Why is that? If that feeling persists, why? Do you have anything to do with it? If the sensation grows, does it have something to do with you exaggerating the story? Did you add more details and more interpretation to the story than necessary? After leaving out your interpretation, judgment, and the details of the story, how do you feel?
Be aware of the sensation and observe the sensation without exaggeration or connecting to the story.
No exaggeration or extra meaning to the event
The technique to let go of your past trauma is to analyze it as it is. Only focus on how you feel, not what you think. Avoid going into the details or drowning yourself in the story or the drama. You can stick to the feeling and dive deep into your sensation. Observe it with no judgment. Stay equanimous. You will not be able to rid yourself of these miseries that haunt you for a long time; however, it is a good start. Keep practicing and see how you feel. Without giving more fuel to the event, do you feel better?
Try & Share Your Experience
Try the technique and kindly share with me whether it helps relieve your pain. Remember. People hurt you once. It’s you who keeps stabbing yourself over and over again with your thoughts of the event. You cannot control how others treat you. But you can choose to act or react. You can choose to keep hurting yourself or liberate yourself by empathizing and letting go. The choice is yours.
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