Today, as I was walking, something came up in my mind, something from the past that I wished I had managed differently. They were feelings of shame and guilt and a lot of regret.
And I observed how It affected my body.
I felt stress around my middle back.
I felt an increase in acid in my stomach.
I found that my stride, which till then had been very flowing, suddenly seemed heavy.
This is what stress does to us.
We could be eating the best food, and living in the best environment, but unless we are in a good environment in our mind, our bodies will still undergo the impact of that stress.
That is why we must learn to manage our stress, to process our pain. And to let go of feelings of regret, shame and guilt with self-acceptance and self-love.
Personally, I find the practice of Metta very powerful in regaining my emotional balance. But other forms of meditative practice or inner work techniques are also helpful.
The important thing is to acknowledge the stress and address it. “Moving on” without doing this necessary work will leave the imprints of the stress on your body and mind … and they will show up in undesirable ways that you won’t be able to ignore.