This morning I had put the oven on to heat up the last gluten free hot cross bun for a late morning snack. Thinking I could respond to a few emails while I waited, I went into my office, sat down at the computer and noticed a couple more emails had come in. I got totally engrossed in reading the emails and responding that I completely forgot about that last tasty leftover from Easter weekend. Before my conscious mind registered the smell of my hot cross bun reaching the point of no return, which is an even shorter window for gluten free products I find, I received this little nudge from my subconscious interrupting my conscious mind and telling me to get to the oven. To my delight, I opened the oven door and found the perfect golden brown finish and glistening raisins just ready to be savoured. I inhaled the sweet goodness and gave thanks to my subconscious mind that didn't give up on my snack but instead counted down from a timer that it had constructed from previous hot cross bun warmings. What an amazing function and to think this is going on all the time.
Think about it, consciously that is, what part of us knows how high to lift the leg when we climb stairs? What is it that remembers all of the facial muscles to move in expressing joy? Why do we react to certain situations in the ways that we do? All of these decisions, memories, processes, etc. are going on behind the scenes and are carried out at such incredible speeds, there is no time for judgement or pondering, that is the role of the conscious mind.
If we are only aware and conscious of a very small amount of mental processes, just think of how much else is actually going on. Wouldn’t it be great to know which of these are positive, in that they support the way in which we consciously want to live our lives and which of those are negative; sabotaging or contradicting the conscious choices. Think of the conflict within our body that these negative thoughts or patterns could create. So how does one change and address this potential conflict. The first step is in being aware of these subconscious thoughts or patterns and bringing them into the conscious mind so that they can be re-written and amended. Observe the responses you have to situations and different environments, what are your triggers, which situations make you uncomfortable, angry, resentful, guilty, or just feel poorly overall. Ask yourself, Is this a rational and appropriate response? If the answer is no, then it is likely influenced by a stored response or experience in your subconscious. This is a chance to re-write the response and identify the pattern that exists.
Counseling, hypnotherapy and art therapy are excellent tools for assisting in this exploration. A professional in these modalities can assist in the identification of subconscious patterns or beliefs and facilitate their restructuring in a way that will best serve you. In working with reproductive health and fertility, it is so important to address the mind, especially the subconscious, in addition to the physical body. It is a recommendation in the treatment plans that complement the acupuncture and Chinese medicine here at Yinstill. The mind and body are talked about as separate entities but they are very much interconnected. The thoughts, patterns and beliefs will influence the physical body. Getting them to work together is vital to overall health and fertility.
As I finish off the last bites of my hot cross bun, that was perfectly cooked, I pay homage to my subconscious mind for continuing to monitor my snack even when I was consciously distracted. It was a great reminder of just how incredible the subconscious mind truly is and to spend time each day to observe the multitude of patterns and processes that are taking place every second of every day.
