Wellness

81 posts

This is the Wellness category for www.steveleasock.com that considers topics about body, mind and spirit.

Autonomy as a Stepping Stone in Life

Typically, we dissect our experiences in attempts to categorize something as good, bad, right or wrong. However, let’s stretch our horizon to engulf the unconditional totality of living. Yes, a million and more years of evolution overshadow any given experience. And, our species interaction with life is mostly a redundant series of mind-induced behavior repetitions. Nevertheless, we have the potential to experience life in a conscious state of autonomy. This word recently fascinated me. The word itself in reference to psychology is useful as a further stepping stone on our inner journey of self-discovery.

autonomy

Autonomous derives from the Greek word autonomos where auto means self and nomos means to govern (Wikipedia). Therefore, let’s use the word autonomy as a portal to a life of active, conscious presence. How do most people behave in reaction to daily activities, especially in difficult or stressful situations? Everyone wants to go off the grid and live on an island. Likewise, what is the predominant dream of people around the world? Everybody wishes for prosperity and freedom to live according to their desire. But, this desire is usually in accordance with a given societies image of success and happiness. However, there is a deep-rooted flaw within such attempts to find peace and salvation. What is this painted image of illusion that makes us dependent on the mind in the hope of finding happiness? Continue reading →

Patience on the Path of Life

Let go and just allow. This sounds so easy. However, to simply flow with life and to just live is difficult for most people. And, this resistance is the result of a million plus years of mental and emotional barriers that suppress conscious awakening. Thus, most of our behavior is repetitious with slight detail alterations. Our unawareness to these mental processes keeps us in an endless loop of uncertainty, frustration and often fear. We can express this conditioned state of being as follows. We do not really know how to do what we do any other way then how we do it. Just for fun, repeat the last sentence three times really fast. 😊

patience

Let’s determine a common ground. Letting go is not truly difficult when you practice active patience. However, a given level of conscious awareness is beneficial. Additionally, the experience of serenity is an inner experience and not an outer activity. We can illustrate the unity of conscious awareness with any experience through the following examples.

Firstly, focus on being and not wanting, having or doing. Primarily because the isness of your being is everything. You place your hand in cool water. How does this feel? A consciously aware person becomes the water in that moment through the act of unconditional being. Another example is walking through a field. You smell wild flowers and reach out to caress the nearest flower. The conscious beingness within you knows that essentially you are this flower. Ultimately, the act of being and knowing encompasses the moment without needing to think about the experience. Therefore, any thought or emotion within here and now is unnecessary baggage that the mind attaches to the experience. Continue reading →

Depression and Mind Repression

The world suffers from a state of global depression. I reflected on depression after a recent email correspondence. There are the medical aspects of depression. A person can experience unhappiness and anxiety due to biological factors that are genetic and chronic. Nevertheless, the majority of people experience self-inflected misery. This behavior irregularity undermines a person’s state of being. The assumption is that situations and people cause us despair and sadness. And, there is a tad of truth to this statement strictly from a practical viewpoint. Thus, most people are likely to believe themselves to be the thoughts in their head. A person will literally lose his or her true identity due to influences of the mind.

depression

Hence, depression results due to unconscious reactions in daily experiences. A disoriented person misinterprets thoughts and emotions as something that defines them. However, another person, a thing, a thought or situation cannot truly express your state of beingness. The expression of life that manifests through you is your responsibility.

Let’s use the following example to illustrate. There is an accident. You experience bodily harm. The ailment or injury is real. There is pain. Are you the pain that is felt in that moment? No, of course not. The pain is strictly of the body. Therefore, whether you have anxiety, frustration or suffer is your choice. Continue reading →

Mirror, Mirror on the Wall Who Am I?

The mirror from the story Snow White is well-known to most people. The evil queen wanted recognition as the fairest person of them all. And, this behavior suggests that the queen had gone mad due to what she saw in the mirror. But, the evil queen did not see her true self. Neither, with or without a mirror. Furthermore, what she saw in the mirror was strictly of the mind. These mind interpretations obscured the innate presence, stillness and beauty within the queen. The queen’s dilemma happens to us each day because we look but do not truly see.

mirror

Okay, let’s expand on this topic. What happens when you stand in front of a mirror? What do you see? You probably answer this question with the obvious answer that you see yourself. This is what the mind has taught you to see, think and believe. Nevertheless, I ask that you look beyond what the mind’s interpretation of your reflection. Therefore, look deep within yourself. Likewise, use the reflection of yourself strictly as a passage to the inner self. Now, ask yourself again. What do you see? Realize that there is a depth to your beingness that is not obvious at first glance. Continue reading →

Synchronicity and Acceptance of Life

Synchronicity. We often use this word in spirituality topics. Therefore, let’s start this conversation with definition examples to consider.

The simultaneous occurrence of events that appear significantly related but have no discernible causal connection.
An apparently meaningful coincidence in time of two or more similar or identical events that are causally unrelated.

synchronicity

Additionally, harmony, peace and accord are several synonyms for synchronicity. Therefore, let’s express the acceptance of any given moment as a manifesting flow of harmony. And, this is a plausible explanation for random experiences that seem to fall into place. Acceptance of what is, offers spaciousness and inner peace. Thus, you are in accord with yourself, the universe and life. However, confusion often arises as a result of mental and emotional interference. The mind insists that you can only experience harmony when everything unfolds in accordance with your wishes or wants. Consequently, imagine what happens when you don’t get what you desire or want. You complain and you blame everyone and everything for causing a lack of harmony in any given situation. Continue reading →

Spilled Milk Causes Confusion

Have you every spilled milk or experience some other mishap? This happens to everyone and usually many times every day. Nevertheless, is any experience really that serious? We can reassuringly answer this question with a no. But, everyone reacts differently. The unconscious or conscious understanding of life influences a person’s behavior patterns. Thus, I am not suggesting that you will not or should not react seriously to any encounter. After all, our experiences are relatively serious but not absolutely. However, I ask that you consciously respond, instead of unconsciously reacting when something happens.

spilled

Therefore, our conversation relates to the practice of conscious awareness during daily activities. Firstly, it is accurate to write that people take the details of most experiences too seriously. It would also be beneficial to accept the actuality of any given situation that the mind labels as serious. Spilled milk is a useful example for our discussion. Let’s consciously observe the aftermath of a glass of milk that spills. Let’s keep it simple. You pour milk. The glass tips and the milk flows unto the kitchen counter and floor. Let’s freeze this image. Ask yourself. What happens when milk spills? Please focus on the obvious answer because the easiest answer is the most likely answer 😊.

Yes, that’s right. The milk spills. Nothing more and nothing less. Any ifs, buts or whys will not change the fact that the milk has spilled. Furthermore, you cannot alter what has happened by unconsciously listening to mind feedback. (thoughts, feelings or beliefs) Continue reading →

Transference on the Path of Life

Transference suggests the movement, placement or replacement of something. We could simplify this word by calling it change. Furthermore, this flowing alteration can either be of mind or consciousness. The following insight is an inquiry into a spiritual (conscious) transference.

transference

Spiritually speaking, a word such as transference is only a pointer to what is beyond interpretations and definitions. This dimension, beyond mind details, ripples with energy vibrations that flow and manifest in our life experience.

This is also a realm of transference. And, we often do ourselves, others and the world more harm than good because of our misunderstanding of this void. We and everything manifest energy. However, most people are oblivious to the potential within this transformation. This is because the mind also induces energy. Therefore, these thoughts and emotions distract and confuse us during the journey of life. Thus, a spiritual bond to life and consciously living are an unreachable quest for most individuals. Continue reading →

Accident on the Path of Life

A recent accident caused bodily discomfort for me due to a concussion and inflamed rotator cuff in the shoulder. This might seem bad. But, please recall that the mind loves to label everything. And, the mind thrives on experiences that it can label as bad.

Instead, let’s not consider the accident as anything. Neither good or bad. Yes, there are factors to consider from a bodily standpoint. But, discussing or even treating the bodily discomforts does not require labeling the experience.

accident

The practice of non-attachment and non-dependency are beneficial. I wish to again emphasize the usefulness of this practice in all daily situation. Non-attachment and non-dependency are corner stones in the foundation of your/our conscious awakening experience. Please, reach out to me if there is any confusion about the practice and usefulness of non-attachment. Let’s share ideas and insight. Continue reading →

Are You Having a Lousy Day?

How is your day? Are you having a lousy day or a good day? What is the determining factor in how you experience what happens? The answer is looking back at you 😊 in the mirror. You are the one and truly only determining factor in how you experience any given moment.

lousy

We often scurry through our daily activities in a state of limbo unawareness. And, life literally passes by without us knowing why. Thus, situations and people seem to influence how we experience life. However, conditioning taught us to think and believe that things and people are responsible for how we live. But, what we have learned is not actually true. Therefore, you can change how you live. Deconditioning through awareness to how you observe living, offers enlightenment. Live life fully, don’t just exist. Let’s use the definition for limbo to expand our discussion.

Limbo is an uncertain period of awaiting a decision or resolution; an intermediate state or condition. This is how the majority of people experience life. Why is living this way so typical? Basically, because we are not aware enough to establish a change in our behavioral responses. Hence, the shadows of our behavior characteristics darken out the brilliance of living life. The act of being alive, in itself, is an incredible experience, regardless of temporary day to day downfalls. And, conscious living is quite easy to establish as baseline for living life. Continue reading →

Live Absolute in the Flow of Life

Are you alive and is this absolute? Please focus on your state of presence before the mind answers this question for you. The question is not as ridicules as it first seems. Furthermore, it is essential to go beyond the mind and its self-image before answering.

absolute

The mind dictates who you are and what you want in any moment. Is this true? It is if you live solely from the mind and conditioned reactions. Therefore, focus on your relationship to the mind. Does your mind often dominate your state of being? Be honest with yourself before you answer. Usually, the minds behavior is unnecessary for living life in this moment. Please don’t misinterpret this insight. Yes, the mind processes and functions in each moment. But, the endless train of thoughts and feelings coming from the mind are mostly useless in your experience of now. Therefore, this type of mind control does not nurture your sense of being alive. Rather, it restricts your sense of living. Please acknowledge that existing and living are not the same. Therefore, live absolute within the flow of life. Continue reading →