Relax and Release 2.0

by Rob Smith

By now most of us have at least tried some of the techniques described on this site. In my opinion, two of the most important are ‘noticing’ and then doing R & R (relax and release). If you have any questions about these practices, please click on the “Files” link on the upper left side of this site and you’ll see the documents that describe them in detail. 

My goal in writing those two documents was to make Mickey’s techniques (he says he doesn’t teach techniques, but of course he does) simple so that as many people as possible can benefit from them. While what I wrote is my interpretation, and not strictly ‘from Mickey,’ I believe it stays true to the intent of the original material (and also to the teachings that inspired Mickey). In any case, it’s now time to add something to the “Relax and Release” practice; but don’t worry, it’s still going to be simple….. and it will be even more effective, in my opinion. 

Let’s call this expanded practice “Relax and Release 2.0” since it keeps the original practice while bringing in a ‘new element.’ This new element is "gratitude". Now, I can hear you thinking (and I’m not even psychic :~) “There’s nothing new about gratitude!” Yes, this is, of course, true. Virtually every spiritual tradition I am aware of describes the importance of gratitude. Just so we’re all on the same page, I’m defining ‘gratitude’ as a feeling of appreciation for, or towards, someone or something. I realize there is more to gratitude than that, but I do like to keep things simple. :~) 

And, not surprisingly, I have recently seen a good bit of scientific research that affirms the many psychological and physical benefits of feeling gratitude. I won’t go into this here, but it’s ‘out there’ if you are interested in this sort of thing. 

So, what does gratitude have to do with the “Relax and Release (R & R)” practice, and how do we incorporate gratitude into this technique? Just as a reminder, we need to do R & R because we have stored inside ourselves a LOT of what we can call ‘negativity.’ We have done this (and by ‘we’ I mean virtually EVERYONE) because when we experienced something we didn’t like, or didn’t experience something we DID want, rather than ‘process’ this energy/feeling we shoved it back down inside of ourselves. And, if we do this enough, it will surely cause all kinds of ‘problems’ or ‘issues’ in our lives. Now, this is not our fault, as we just didn’t know any better. So, please don’t blame yourself for doing this!

And when this energy tries to come back up, we don’t let it, which of course causes even more problems. Hence the need for practices such as R & R which allow this energy to flow through us naturally and easily. And, as we get rid of more and more of these stored energies (known as ‘samskaras’ in Sanskrit) we become more of what we are in essence (which is peaceful and happy).

Now, here’s where gratitude comes into the picture. I’m going to assume you do NOT want those samskaras inside you, as they keep you from feeling peaceful and happy. So when something happens that ‘pushes one of your buttons,’ this event or person is doing you a FAVOR. You may now be thinking, “Rob, you have lost your mind! Who would WANT to have their buttons pushed??” Well, guess what? You are NOT going to get rid of that particular samskara unless you become AWARE of it, and the way you become aware of it is when one of your buttons get pushed. 

When you realize that this is how the process of freeing yourself works, you can then take the next step and actually feel grateful for the person or situation that ‘triggered’ you. After all, you are now aware of some of the crapola inside you that needs to be purified before you can live your life the way you want to. Yay! And, just as important, feeling gratitude will create even more ‘space’ between you (your higher Self) and the samskaric energy that is trying to be released, which makes the practice even more effective.

So, let’s integrate all this into ONE three-step process and ‘keep it simple.’ 

1. ‘Notice’ that one of your buttons has been pushed.

2. Feel gratitude towards the person or situation that triggered you. (I do realize that this will most likely be a bit difficult at first, but practice makes perfect!)

3. Finally, do the R & R practice you’re already familiar with.

That’s it! Please give this a try and let me know how it works for you! 

Peace & Love,
Rob