In June 1998 I was sitting at a restaurant in Ankara with a curious and somewhat provocative Turkish professor. I was in Turkey for an environmental research project that I had just started as part of my PhD. The subject of my research may seem far away from the work that I am presently pursuing as part of MindShift Coaching. However, in hindsight, the strings and parallels are now fascinatingly clear. The professor, who sensed my apprehension regarding my still unfolding research topic, asked me in a very straightforward way: “But what do you really want to do?” I took a deep breath and squeezed out from deep within: “The only thing I know is that I care about people and I care about nature”.
That statement still holds true today. In fact, only some months ago when I officially launched MindShift Coaching, I again surrendered to the same insight, that: “If I want to feel 100 % true to myself and express myself completely, in 360 degrees directions, I need to listen to all my callings. I need to act upon both my care for nature and for people. Thus, for this reason, I have come to pursue two pathways in terms education and career: one in the environmental field and one in the psychological field. Most of the time, the two pathways have been acted upon in sequence one after the other (as I held the underlying belief that I had to choose between the two). Finally, almost a year ago, I came to the realization that I must have them both in my life, as two companies working in parallel, because whichever “side” I choose, I will always feel incomplete without the other. (The name of the other company is Green Strategy.)
Going back in time to 1998. What happened after the dinner meeting in Ankara was that I made the conscious decision to follow my research path in the environmental field by focusing on the environmental consequences of large dam projects and irrigation schemes in Southeast Turkey. What hereafter emerged as part of my doctoral research, was the study of cause-effect linkages between large dam projects and their environmental consequences within the river ecosystems. I realized that, in order to understand, prevent and minimize dam project’s negative environmental impacts, we need to target the underlying root causes. (Dam projects cause various significant changes in the river’s ecosystem, by blocking, storing, diverting and regulating the natural water flow of the river, which ultimately impact the ecosystem on a physical, chemical and biological level.)
Now, imagine the analogy between a natural ecosystem and our bodies. The water in the river system is like the energy in our body. If we block the energy flow in one part of our body, we will have an accumulation of energy in that part of body and possibly drain out the energy in associated body parts “downstream”. However, our body’s well-being and rejuvenation are dependent on a natural flow of positive energy throughout its system; the life energy “wants” to flow freely within our bodies. (Just like water gravitates downwards within a river system to transport and distribute nutrients, organic matter and oxygen to all living entities within the ecosystem.)
Therefore, if we wish to restore the natural health and wellbeing of our bodies, we need to clear the energy blockages that have been created. There are many different techniques you can use to clear your energy blockages and enable a free flow of energy throughout your body. A highly effective method, which is increasingly recognized and adopted worldwide, is Emotional Freedom Technique or EFT tapping. EFT tapping particularly addresses emotional concerns, mindset challenges and physical conditions, both everyday character (e.g. anxiety, stress and phobias) and more severe traumas (such as Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome).
EFT tapping combines the Eastern traditional wisdom of the human body’s energy systems (called meridians) with our modern Western theories on human psychology and talk therapy. Essentially, by tapping with our fingers on certain points of our body, where end-meridians are located, while at the same time focusing our attention on and articulating our deep or sincere feelings, thoughts and physical experience around the issue, we can clear out any negative emotions that have been trapped as energy within our energy system. (Learn more about EFT-tapping here.)
Another well-proven technique that is used successfully to clear emotional, mental and/or physical issues is the Clear Belief’s process, which has been developed by Lion Goodman. This technique reaches even further into our subconscious mind (compared to EFT tapping), by working with mental images and body manifestations (which speak the language of the subconscious mind). By communicating directly with the subconscious mind, the Clear Beliefs process is capable of targeting and releasing deeply held limiting beliefs that has kept us stuck in an undesirable condition (often since early childhood). By clearing out underlying disempowering beliefs, we can address, let go of and heal the actual root cause of most of our emotional, physical and mental challenges in our lives.
To summarize, to restore a healthy state of any living system, may it be our bodies or a river ecosystem, we need to recognize and effectively clear the blockages that are in the way for its natural flows of energy and elements to take place. Thus, while a physical dam hinders the natural flow of energy, water, nutrients, sediments and organisms within the river ecosystem, any unpleasant human experience can cause energy (in terms of stressful emotions, thoughts and beliefs) to become stuck within our bodies thus hindering an optimal well-functioning of our own bodies. Thus, by intentionally clearing out any blockages, we allow positive energy to flow freely within our bodies, which helps to restore our overall health, joy and prosperity.
