Carla Langmead: Making friends with vulnerability

Taking the plunge into anything "unknown" is never easy, and yet we do this every single day.

Not accepting uncertainty can become a huge problem if we aren't mindful, as is too much of not accepting things that are beyond our control.

Our fight or flight system can stay switched on when it often needn't be, and the releasing and constant flooding of hormones to keep us on high alert often harmful. I think of it like the friend who turns up with the best intention, it's just that the timing is all wrong.

Feeling vulnerable is always going to be present in our lives no matter how hard we try to avoid it; however, how we make friends with vulnerability is key I've found.

To turn uncertainty into an adventure is something I've managed to do through some very mindful practices. I've found that trying to avoid feelings that scare me is harder work than to actually face it. The irony is in the facing of the things we are running away from paradoxically can give us gifts of resilience and strength.

In recent years we have learned about neuroplasticity, psychoneuroimmunology, epigenetics, heart coherence and more. Information readily available to those who are interested to move past feeling stuck in their lives.

I recommend that people do their own research to understand this more. I'm no qualified scientist, just a long time explorer of energy and its relationship to wellbeing, and through my lived experience are now able to pass on this information to others in simple and practical ways.

I follow the work of scientists like Dr Bruce Lipton, whose research in epigenetics led me to understand that the subconscious mind, known as the habitual mind, dominates 95 per cent of our responses every day.

Why is this so relevant? Because if we are that clever that we can be programmed (and we are), then we are clever enough to reprogramme. It was learning this that sparked my interest and returned hope when I had lost it almost completely.

By following a step by step approach up this pathway not only gave me back my life, one of fun and freedom, but it continues to keep me exploring for more. Like any changes of habits, it requires my participation and any ongoing practice. If a thought refuses to budge then I have to have a long hard look at what I have to gain by not letting that thought go - "what's in it for me?" is a great self-reflective question.

Dr Joe Dispenza's work is another one of my go-tos for information and up to date research.

A recent workshop where Dr Joe asked 120 study participants to move into an elevated emotional state, specifically and intentionally practicing feelings of love, joy, or gratitude for nine to 10 minutes three times a day revealed that they could raise their immune system and reduce stress hormones with marked and measurable differences.

If that's how powerful our practices can be, isn't that worth a shot? What's the worst thing that can happen?

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