Recapitulation: Keeping Your Heart and Soul Free from Toxicity

Having exerted the effort to release emotional toxicity from the past, you are now in a position to consciously avoid accumulating emotional ama as you move forward. Recapitulation, the technique of reviewing your choices and experiences at the end of each day, is a valuable technology for enhancing your communication skill set and keeping your heart free from toxicity. Practiced regularly, it will enable you to avoid falling back into old emotional patterns. Recapitulation is best performed at the very end of the day, after you have completed your evening routine, turned out the lights, and are ready to sleep. Begin by placing a pillow behind your back and, sitting comfortably in bed, close your eyes and meditate for five to ten minutes, using a mantra or following your breath. Once you feel settled, begin reviewing your day from the moment you awoke in the morning. As if you are watching a video on the screen of your awareness, notice the events and interactions that unfolded throughout the day. Pay particular attention when your body generates feelings of comfort and discomfort. Noticing which situations still have an emotional charge provides clues that you may need to pay more attention. See if there is something left undone from the day. You may notice while recapitulating that you were abrupt with someone because you were preoccupied. You may notice that you failed to give one of your children the attention they were seeking. You may have forgotten to return someone’s call. If you identify anything “left over” from the day, make a commitment to complete it the next day. Apologize to the person to whom you may have been rude; pay extra attention to your child; return your friend’s call. Don’t permit emotional ama to accumulate in your heart. When you no longer harbor resentment, grievance, or regret, you will be available to experience and celebrate all of the gifts available to you in this moment. Behind the curtain of self-pity and self-importance, love and knowingness patiently await. Your Next Action Step: For the next seven days, practice recapitulation just before you go to sleep. Spend five to ten minutes reviewing your experiences and responses throughout the day while attending to the feelings in your heart and body. If any discomfort arises as a result of noticing that you may not have been as open-hearted as you would like, make a few notes in your bedside journal so that you may rectify the transgression the next day. Observe how this simple heart-clearing technique influences your relationship with yourself and those around you. David Simon, M.D. is the Co- Founder, CEO and Medical Director of the Chopra Center for Wellbeing. Dr. Simon is dedicated to catalyzing the evolution of the prevailing health care system into a healing system that encompasses the emotional, spiritual as well as physical health of the individual. His new book Free to Love, Free to Heal: Heal Your Body by Healing Your Emotions comes out on June 25, 2009. Ready to start your journey? Post your intent and blog about your new journey of self-discovery and self-love. Just joining the series? Start from the beginning of David Simon's 2-week guide for healing your past wounds and letting go of toxic emotions through power of love-- for yourself and for others.