Protect Your Peace From Negativity

Dear Choose Happy Community,This teaching reminds us that our brains and nervous systems respond to negativity as a form of stress, but we’re not powerless. Through self-awareness, we can recognize what’s affecting us, gently calm our stress response, and reconnect with the part of ourselves that is creative, peaceful, and clear.You can’t always control what you’re exposed to, but you can choose how you care for your mind and heart. The more you return to awareness, the more space you create for clarity, healing, and genuine inner peace.Here’s one of our favorite quotes from the video:“ I looked it up: What neuroscience says is that if we are exposed to negativity, and so this would be sort of like a stream of negative thought or a stream of negative speech, the brain actually registers that as a low-level threat. And so to just kind of have self-awareness, and to practice self-awareness - ‘How does my brain and how does my nervous system respond if I’m exposed to negativity?’“And so I also respectfully acknowledge that I know there are people who serve as caretakers, for teenagers or for children or for elders. And then sometimes the people that we’re serving as caretakers for, are expressing negativity and they almost can’t help it. But it’s really great for us to have some tools so that we are aware, ‘Okay, this is actually triggering a cortisol response in my brain, and if that gets turned on and I don’t turn it off, that affects cognitive function. It affects the part of my brain that is able to learn and is able to remember. It also can affect my immune system. It can affect my sleep. It can affect my ability to be present and to connect with other humans. It can affect my relationships as well.’ “And so, for so many reasons, there’s an amazing gift that we give ourselves if we just say, ‘I’m giving myself the gift of self-awareness. I’m aware if I’m around a person or if I’m exposed to a stream of information or energy that is focusing consistently on negativity, here’s how my brain reacts. And it’s great that I know that because then I also have available tools so that I can choose to down-regulate that stress response, and I can choose to reconnect with the part of my brain that helps me to learn and remember and sleep and connect with creativity, connect with the ability to learn and to grow and to expand.’”We also shared this video on YouTube, but wanted you to be able to have it on your Substack video player as well, in case you prefer that.Having it on Substack makes it easy for you to see any other podcasts, videos, articles, or full meditation services that might be available in the Expansion Within Expansion by clicking here.If you have heard this teaching before, we invite you — as Swami so often invites us — to hear it as if you are hearing it for the first time. Often we receive these teachings right when we need them.In loving service,Awake Yoga MeditationEverything available to a paid subscriber. Are you one yet?This is a free post made available to everyone. If you are not yet a paid subscriber to Choose Happy with Swami Nityananda, consider becoming one today to receive exclusive audio talks, articles, meditation service replays, access to the archives, and so much more.Podcast Episodes*: All EpisodesDarshan Articles*: All ArticlesFrom the Founder Series: All Series • Mantra Series • St. Francis Prayer SeriesLive Meditation Replays: All Services • Index of All Services by Series • Sunday Meditation Services • Tuesday Darshan Meditation Services • <a target="_blank" href="https://awakeyogameditation.substack.com/t/friday-meditation-se