Just knowing something intellectually doesn’t make it so to our subconscious mind. We know there is no power in worrying, but we can get caught in a whirlwind of worry when life is pressing on us with difficult circumstances. How can we get our subconscious to release the roots of our worries?
Uprooting Worries
For several months I have been working with a spiritual tool that is subtle, but packs a big energy shift. It came to my attention through Andrea Conway, a spiritually-minded business coach. It was she who first introduced me to the early 20th century, metaphysical writer, Florence Scovel Shinn. Shinn’s writings are practical in nature. She was definitely a spiritual entrepreneur. She self-published her first book, The Game of Life and How to Play It, in 1925. It is considered by many to be the cornerstone of her work.
In chapter 6, Casting the Burden, Shinn explains that it is the superconscious mind within, a higher power than ourselves, that can take a burden and dissolve it “into its native nothingness” (love that term!). She draws from Old and New Testament passages in the Bible that convey this instruction to cast our burdens. What captivated me is that she goes on to say that we are violating a spiritual law if we carry a burden. We are not meant to live as burdened beings.
Her writing style and examples are obviously of a different era, but her method is intriguing. If you are curious, read the chapter and conduct your own experiment. The chapter offers additional background, examples, and suggestions. And don’t be concerned if the burdens that surface don’t seem rational; we carry many kinds of burdens.
Experimenting with Casting
Here’s what I found when I started practicing casting my burdens.
At first, I used this method during my meditation time. From the still place within, I asked my subconscious what burdens it was ready to release. First came the obvious, big-ticket, current worries. For example (using Shinn’s wording/word in a way that’s true for you):
I cast the burden of …
- selling my house
- finding a new home
- undertaking a long driving trip
- figuring out my future livelihood
… on the Christ-consciousness within (the superconsciousness/higher power/Source), and I am set free.
After just a few days of doing this, to my amazement, old unnamed burdens from the distant past, or burdens I didn’t even know I was carrying, began to surface spontaneously, often with tears springing to my eyes:
I cast the burden of …
- not being able to heal my mother and keep her from dying
- closing my heart when I could have opened it
- shaming myself for past, perceived career failures
… on the Christ-consciousness within, and I am set free.
Casting Throughout the Day
Now, anytime I realize I’m holding a burden (your body communicates this if you are paying attention), I immediately cast it with a prayer of gratitude. Sometimes silently, sometimes aloud. The relief and accrual of peace are truly a gift. Thank you, Florence!
Paying Forward a Delicious Bonus
As I was writing this post, a dear friend sent me a poem about letting go (Oh, how I love Divine Timing!). It appears many places online and the author it is attributed to varies. Nonetheless, I know you will find it quite powerful. Stand up and read it aloud for yourself … and cast your burdens, Dear Ones!
Until next time,
“Don’t let your mind bully your body into believing it must carry the burden of its worries.”
-Astrid Alauda