As long as we are identified with our body, dealing with negative emotions and states is very challenging. For it feels to us as if we ARE those states. When they happen (and they are bound to happen) we must resort to stratagems to get out of them. There are many of these things. Some people talk them out with a therapist. Some people meditate, pray and visualize. Some people listen to uplifting music or read uplifting spiritual type literature. Some people do breathing exercises or chanting. There are many more techniques not mentioned here. All of these are good as a means to an end.

But all of this becomes unnecessary once we understand that we are not the body and not its feelings and sensations. Once we identify with who we really are – Immortal Beings of Light, one with the Divine and in perfect union and harmony with the universe – we are lifted above the body. Oh, it is there and we are very aware of it, but we look at it in a whole different way. We soon see that the body is of the animal kingdom and behaves and responds very much like that. Now, we love the animal kingdom – we are not making war on them – nor are we making war on the body.

If you had a pet horse that you love to ride. You feed it and take care of it. You are very patient with its foibles as well. It might rear up and whinny if it hears a strange sound. It might buck if it sees some other dangerous animal. But you, the rider, are not identified with it. You might soothe it, calm it down, or just enjoy its antics. You’re not trying to stop the horse from being a horse – you’re just observing it from a higher level. It can be an enjoyable experience.

So it is with our bodies, its drives, habits and eccentricities. We can observe them from a higher level – from this immortal part of ourselves – and they lose any power over us. If the horse is bucking, the rider will know what to do. The horse will eventually calm down. In the meantime we are happy.