Triggers

The other day I had a visceral reaction to something that I read.

Yoga shows us that these moments say more about us than they do about the person or thing that our reaction arose in response to. In these moments, we can either choose to direct our attention outwards (maybe towards another person in anger), or we can turn our attention inwards and inquire into what is at the heart of our reaction (yoga says that these moments trigger us because we have a desire that has gone unmet). I actually think this is a really nice reframe for these moments that feel so sticky, because we can use them as opportunities for growth.

In my experience, if I dig deep enough, the desire that lies underneath is never actually about the other person or thing, it’s always about my relationship with myself or the Universe. And as soon as I unearth that desire, as soon as that thing that was concealed becomes revealed, my resistance or emotional reaction towards that other person or thing dissolves. That dissolution opens up space for me to see my next steps and how I can take responsibility for meeting that need for myself.