developing new pathways

Hi there eKa Circle

I just love that the healing program “pathways” that I run was set up so many years ago long before I knew what I am about to discuss today. On a company name shift I asked my husband to come up with a new title for my program and the word “Pathways” was given to him in dream state. A classic example of the Spirit setting up a faith foundation to be unpacked at a later stage.

So it used to be taught by leading professionals I recall that one could not grow new brain cells after adolescence. This is why I didn’t fully understand the humour in the name Pathways that the Spirit had given me for my program- although I was fully conscious of the ancient pathway and the witness to people changing miraculously using these techniques I am about to share. Can people rewire their brains??? Absolutely yes, consider it to be much like computer programming.

Any new activities train the brain to create new paths.The pathways get stronger with repetition especially when done in a playful state with joy. Here is the great news to anyone that suffers traumas, triggers or loops that they have now recognised and outgrown. YOU CAN REWIRE the brain! Pathways regulate your emotions, feelings, thoughts and reactions. NEW highways in your mind mean that you can reboot for compassion, gratitude and joy instead of anxiety, fear & anger. Phew don’t you love it when neuroscience finally catches up to spiritual teachings? You literally are in charge of what you meditate on! There is NO BETTER time than now to learn something new and be creative with it.

Here is a great example. Someone struggles with road rage. A trigger goes off and they find themselves almost out of control. The cycle is clear to them but the control just does not seem to kick in the heated rage of the moment; the neural pathway has taken over. NE or norepinephrine is responsible for fear or anger. The emotions that trigger fight or flight under the category “stress.” If you have become conscious that you have a road rage trigger one must use intellect, discipline and accountability to create a new neural pathway.

Here are a few tips for the road rage example:

• Own the behaviour without self judgement.
• Practise meditation, prayer and deep breathing before you leave to drive anywhere.
• Make sure you are not overtired or hungry where possible.
• Plan the trip in your mind before your leave as a peaceful trip without incidence. The subconscious mind does not know the difference between imaginary and real.
• Leave home a little earlier.
• Plan a happy song list- avoid any songs that you have had on previously during a road rage incident.
• Play a road trip game count cars or spot certain numbers on number plates- be creative, take details in and make it fun.
• Where possible take a different route each time you go to the same place.
• Let people in on purpose and say out loud to yourself something positive “this feels great, I am not bound by time, I will not be late.”
• Congratulate yourself for the safe arrival without incident and recognise that you can do this.
• Give thanks for the lesson as you are now learning to implement this technique into anything that triggers you.
• Hit repeat.
• Seek accountability.

The process of creating new neural pathways is never the path of least resistance. This involves challenging your belief systems and the ego. The beliefs play a central role in maintaining stress or happiness. These beliefs are not necessarily right or wrong, they are strong opinions at best. Beliefs however are rarely based on factual evidence they are generally birthed out of interpretations of facts. This is why children growing up in the same family unit will all have very different memories and interpretation of their childhoods experiences. The surrender of the belief is what is necessary to create a new pathway process. Interpretations get us into trouble because they rarely include another’s perspective. No doubt the other driver in a road rage incident would agree with this statement as would each onlooker witnessing. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see that political, religious and cultural interpretations have gotten us all into trouble.

Stress is always the path of least resistance. The analytical brain is influenced by the emotional brain and with repetition and intensity the pathway formed overrides any attempt at positivity. Any change that isn’t supported by the nervous system is not lasting change though.

Tips to assist the nervous system:

• Somatic therapy- even simple things like touch, grounding, sound
• Focus on positive emotions intentionally while doing a task (especially an irritating or boring task)
• Visualisation
• Repetition and practise
• Mindfulness meditation
• Breathwork

I may state the obvious here but try this. Next time you are doing something that triggers you or something that you hate start telling yourself how much you love it. Step into how it feels, what is looks like in detail, the smells, the sounds- use every sense. I’ll use mopping the floor as a simple example. See the tiny bubbles, smell the essential oils in the  wood of the floor, the scent of the detergent or the oil that you are using. The sound of each little creak of a floorboard and the slop of the water in the bucket. Pop on your happiest music and tell yourself “I love mopping today.” We love mopping tomorrow we love, love, love to mop. Use every sense possible. Repeat the process and watch your attitude change. Your belief system toward mopping will follow what you tell it to (or whatever else you apply this method for.) This technique pretty much works for any application I have found! Isn’t that exciting?

It is all just a mindset; and you have the power to create a new empowered positive emotional pathway using what I have just shared! This is neuroplasticity the brain’s ability to be rewired to what you plug it into. We absolutely can step out of fear mode.

love & light

M + E

You can read more on MINDSET on the ekacircle.passion.io app here

If you would like any assistance or accountability with this process please book a pathways session here