Choosing to rewire

Shenpa’ is the urge, the hook, that triggers our habitual tendency to close down. We get hooked in that moment of tightening when we reach for relief.
To get unhooked we begin by recognizing that moment of unease and learn to relax in that moment.
Shenpa is usually involuntary and it gets right to the root of why we suffer. Shenpa thrives on the underlying insecurity of living in a world that is always changing.
Maybe we start with remembering the all-worked-up feeling and get in touch with that. Be quiet and place your mind on your breath. Hold your mind in place with great openness and curiosity toward the other person.
It takes loving-kindness to recognize; it takes practice to refrain; it takes willingness to relax; it takes determination to keep training this way.
I recently saw a cartoon of three fish swimming around a hook. One fish is saying to the other, “The secret is non-attachment.” That’s a shenpa cartoon: the secret is—don’t bite that hook. If we can catch ourselves at that place where the urge to bite is strong, we can at least get a bigger perspective on what’s happening.
As we practice this way, we gain confidence in our own wisdom. It begins to guide us toward the fundamental aspect of our being—spaciousness, warmth and spontaneity. - PEMA CHÖDRÖN

This is a Buddhist perspective on rewiring, or re-habit-uating as explained by Pema Chodron. As we rewire our nervous system with our practices, we become more aware of the arising of Shenpa. This sensation may feel like our Escape Artist, Brick Wall Parent or Scared Child (see our Wholeness Companions).

At first notice of an internal contraction, we can choose to sit with our Grandmother and avoid getting hooked. This is already success! Next, when we take the time to let our Old Friend show us the source of the hook, we get to the cause. Finally, when we tend to the need we welcome integration.