Chaos and Uncertainty: Steppingstones on the Spiritual (Healing) Path

Unconditional Healing with Jeff Rubin

None of us openly welcomes chaos and uncertainty into our life. Even hearing those words can send a shudder through our bodies. Yet, eventually, they will come unbidden for all of us. This solo episode comprises a talk I gave right before the USA presidential election of 2020 at the New York City Shambhala meditation center when chaos and uncertainty reigned from a global pandemic and a polarized electorate in the United States. When we face adversity in our life, we often see it through a purely external lens, as if the difficulty was attacking us solely from the outside.

In truth, our internal reactions to chaos comprising the mental, emotional and spiritual dimensions of our humanity, are the only elements over which we have control. And they are critical in determining whether chaos and uncertainty destroy us or strengthen us. When seen through a spiritual lens, adversity presents an opportunity to explore ourselves without our psychological masks on.

In this episode I discuss:

• The etymological origins of the word “chaos” and its emotional implications
• The notion that uncertainty is a neutral concept, filled with possibility rather than doom
• How chaos and uncertainty act to disrupt our self-identity and how that disruption can have specific benefits
• Several specific ways for dealing with chaos and uncertainty constructively

Towards the end of the episode (at 33 minutes: 45 seconds), I lay out a specific four-step practice (called the 4 S's practice) for managing difficult emotions, drawing upon the Neuro-Emotional Technique and the Traditional Chinese 5 elements system. There is an accompanying video for this practice found here or at the top of every page of the Unconditional Healing website. It's worth viewing as there are physical gestures accompanying the practice.
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