ALIVE.NOW !

                                                    SJAF Home --- Emotional Freedom Service --- Alive.Now page
On this page:
Alive! Right Now
        A message for you on Emotional Health and Freedom!
Self-Help Practices for becoming more whole. 
        See or download practical materials from an EFS Workshop on "11 Essential Life-Practices for Becoming Whole".

See also the links below (on other EFS pages:)
--- EFS Self-Help Materials:  Love-Circulation Method --- Welcome Method --- Inħeles Minn Ġewwa
--- De-STRESS and Relax to become more free


Alive! Right Now - a message for you

The Now is our only contact with reality.  That should really be written: Reality. The everyday is wonderful.

I don't need to pump reassurance into myself.  I don't need to remind or convince myself that my reputation or my output is better than most people's, that my self is valid.

Why not? Because now is what Is.  I (whatever I is) is what Is. Other people are what Is.  Trees and rocks and dogs are what Is. What Is is wonderful (just compare it with non-existence), and so is to be celebrated, loved, regarded with compassion, forgiveness, delight.

Can I go there, sit there, sleep there, live from there?!

After setting up at least the intention, the courage and the trust to go there, then I will have the courage and sincerity to identify and face the behaviour-armour, the thinking-armour, the belief-armour, even the perception-armour, that I have developed in order to protect myself.

Pretect myself from what? ... Real and imaginary monsters.  Are the monsters other people?  No.  They are the armours of other people.

Identifying the armour... then, what?  Wait!  At the same time am I cultivating mindful awareness?  At the same time, am I cultivating serenity and equanimity through meditation?

With three parallel and simultaneous processes of developing mindful awareness, developing equanimity, and facing the armour, I am now ready to notice the armour.  How? With clear awareness, non-judgmental self-compassion, and self-forgiveness, of course.  After noticing, I can, want to, and will dis-identify myself from it.  This is not denial, rejection, or suppression.  Rather, it is a view from a place of sincerity, curiosity, clarity, and equanimity - a feeling that I already am what I am, and it's not the armour.  It's what Is.  And it's mysterious, and wonderful.

T.M.
Click below for a practice that will change your life!

Love-Circulation Method
to elease difficult Emotions

PRACTICE the Love-Circulation method
FOR RELEASE OF DIFFICULT EMOTIONS

lOVE-cIRCULATION mETHOD


Here is the Love Circulation Method for facing and releasing emotional distress.

                      How to Handle Emotional Distress
                      - with love

. Love and mindful relaxation helps to face and release emotional distress, making you more calm and free and happy.  Here is how to do it.  This is a very powerful process that can release years of suffering.  Caution: In the case of past trauma, if you are likely to be re-traumatised by mentally visiting it, then do not do this therapy alone, or else in Step 3 just “touch it” very briefly every time and several cycles of Steps 3-11 until the emotional intensity vanishes.)  In the case of mental illness, get professional advice.


HOW TO HANDLE EMOTIONAL DISTRESS – DETAILED STEPS. 
1. NOTICE EMOTIONAL DISTRESS. Don’t worry about the difference between sentiments, emotions and feelings.  Here we just use the word “emotions”. (Maltese: emozzjoni jew sentiment). Notice something inside you that keeps carrying you away (Maltese: tkaxkrek) and interfering with your calm and joy. If you can give it a name, so much the better (for example, fear, insecurity, hurt, anger, feeling worthless, or maybe something inherited from childhood).  If you know its details then use the detailed name of this emotional distress, for example: feeling worthless, or fear of failure, or fear of success, or fear of making mistakes, or fear of appearing stupid, or fear of getting reactions from others that confirm my suspicion that I may be worthless.  Remember: we are concentrating on the actual feeling here, not on your mental commentary about that feeling, so please don’t encourage your mental commentator during this therapy.

2. CHOOSE A SPECIFIC OCCASION. Remember a particular day and time when something specific happened, something that caused or strongly triggered your emotional distress.

3. LIVE THAT OCCASION AGAIN FOR A FEW MOMENTS. Visualise what happened for a few moments only: in your mind and heart see what you saw, hear what you heard, etc.

4. TAKE EMOTIONAL TEMPERATURE. Right NOW check how much of the emotional distress you are feeling, between 0 (nothing) and 10 (extreme). Remember the number or write it down.  Don’t consider what you might feel tomorrow, or some other time – just concentrate on the present moment.

5. ACCEPT AND LOVE YOURSELF. Say to yourself without condemnation or judgement: I accept myself; I love myself.

6. MINDFUL RELAXATION. Stretch (Maltese: tmattar) if any muscles are tense. With attention to delicate bodily sensations, relax your body.

7. CIRCULATE LOVE INTO BODY. Relax. Imagine breath going all through your body, rinsing it gently. Remember a moment of love; mix that love with the breath. If you believe in God or a Higher Power  then remember that the foundation (Maltese: pedament) of your breath and of your love is the love that God has, divine love that sustains everything— so be OPEN and ACCEPTING of God’s love. If you don’t believe in God, try and maintain an open receptive attitude.  Circulate breath, your love, and God’s love into all of your body. Accept the love, even your own love. Remember: love respects what it finds, and does not wrench stuff away, but releases what is ready to be released, and love is affectionate and sympathising.  Do not use your will – avoid a strong effort of any kind in this method.

8. CIRCULATE LOVE INTO HEART, AND MIND. Now invite the Special Current (breath + your love + God’s love) into the heart, specifically into that emotion which you are working on (See Step 1).  It may be useful for you to take an area of your heart (so to speak) draw a circle around it (so to speak) and label it with the name of the difficult emotion that you are working on.  After the first cycle (see Step 11) widen the circle to include also any “nearby” emotions. (If you are working on the inner child, also go deeper, into the emotions of the child that you were). Let the Love-Current diffuse, rinse, and inhabit (Maltese: jimla’, ilaħlaħ, jgħammar) in there. After a while, invite the Love-Current to go into the place of thoughts and memories and opinions and recurring thoughts (the mind) to make it softer and more flexible. Do not use your will – avoid a strong effort of any kind in this method.

9. STILL RELAXED, REST IN THE DIVINE PRESENCE. Spend at least half a minute (preferably more) in the divine, holy, healing Presence of God. This is not the time for prayers with words, or any thoughts at all. When you notice a thought, surrender it (Maltese: ċedih) gently without fighting, without condemnations or judgements.  Do this by simply returning your attention to the Holy Presence (or to the breath, for a breath or two or three).

10. COME TO THE PRESENT MOMENT. Come to the present moment by taking a mindful breath or two.

11. REPEAT STEPS 3 – 10 UNTIL THE EMOTIONAL TEMPERATURE (See Step 4) DROPS.  Remember to use the same occasion in Step 2, not shift to some other occasion when you repeat Step 2.

12. REPEAT THIS WHOLE THERAPY ON ANOTHER DAY,, FOCUSING ON THE SAME OCCASION (See Step 2) AS “TESTING”. This tests whether the results (that is, the release of difficult emotion) is becoming permanent.   As you get confidence in using this therapy, you will want to use it for other types of emotional distress, if you have any.  Do not combine different types of distress into one process: start afresh for each different type of distress. Consider keeping a journal or diary of your self-therapy and progress.  –[]

Releasing Emotional Distress - Love Circulation Method—Version 4date: 5-Mar-2022—Emotional Freedom Service efs@antidemalta.org of St Jeanne Antide Foundation, Malta —contact Tony  el.  (+356) 79326725 for one-to-one sessions free of charge, online or face-to-face.  Usually, 2-4 sessions of 2 hours each are needed. Email for a free audio MP3 in either English or Maltese to guide you along this process. Disclaimer: we are no substitute for medical professionals.  If you need a doctor, find one or go to your regional health centres.
See also

Self-Help PRACTICES, EFS WORKSHOP

This practical experiential workshop can also be delivered free of charge to your organisation or any motivated group. Enquiries during office hours on 79326725
Participatory and practical workshops are offered by the Emotional Freedom Service (EFS) to help you become whole by healing from emotional distress, integrating various parts of yourself in a harmonious way, releasing excessive stress, and moving towards a body-mind-spirit wholeness by opening to the divine within and outside of us. For workshop requests and enquiries, email efs@antidemalta.org or phone Tony on 7932 6725.  This page below is for tools and documents of interest to participants at these workshops - or to any other persons.  There are tools and resources relating to each Life Practice that you may wish to download from here.
    Some persons need to become more whole psychologically and emotionally by meeting their "deficiency-needs" and releasing emotional distress and building resilience, becoming able to experience joy and openness.  Some persons want to become more whole by meeting their "being-needs" and developing their potential.  Some persons want to become more whole by sometimes transcending their own limited separate self.  This range of practices below covers all these types of needs.
ON THIS PAGE

(A) SECULAR PRACTICES
PRACTICE 1 - THE WELCOME METHOD -- IL-METODU TAL-MERHBA
PRACTICE 2 - THE TAPPING METHOD -- IL- METODU TAL-TAPTIP
PRACTICE 3 - BEING MINDFUL -- KUN KONXJU-ATTENT
PRACTICE 4 - RELAXATION — TIRRILASSA
PRACTICE 5 - SIMPLE MEDITATION - MEDITAZZJONI SEMPLICI
PRACTICE 6 - SELF-COMPASSION -- NAGHDER LILI NNIFSI
PRACTICE 9 - HAVE COMPASSION — AGHDER

(B) SPIRITUAL PRACTICE (FOR CHRISTIANS OR OTHERS WHO BELIEVE IN A HIGHER POWER)
PRACTICE 10 - OPEN TO THE HEALING PRESENCE — INFETAH GHALL-
                        PREZENZA FEJJIEQA

(C) SPIRITUAL PRACTICE (CHRISTIAN)
PRACTICE 7 - CENTERING PRAYER -- IT-TALBA TAL-KUNSENS (PRATTIKA
                         KONTEMPLATTIVA) (contentless or apophatic Christian
                          contemplative practice)
PRACTICE 8 - CHANT PSALMS ETC -- GHANNI S-SALMI ECC.
PRACTICE 11 - DRINK SUFFERING, TRANSMIT PEACE --- IXROB TBATIJA,      
                         IBGHAT SLIEM  (Christianised Buddhist Practice)

(D) SELF-HELP ARTICLES
BIEX TGHIN LILEK INNIFSEK  - 33 Self-Help Articles In Maltese
Here below you will find tools and resources for each of the Life-Practices for Wholemess
Hawn taħt issib għodda u riżorsi dwar il-Prattiċi tal-Ħajja Sabiex Tkun Aktar Sħiħ

PRACTICES FOR WHOLENESS - Workshop Presentation
Summary chart of Life-Practices-for-Wholeness Workshop MALTI.pdf
Summary chart of Life-Practices-for-Wholeness Workshop ENGLISH.pdf
All the presentation slides are here in PDF format (In Maltese):
GWIDA-workshop_prattici_20pdf_master.pdf

PRACTICES FOR WHOLENESS - Wisdom Stories corresponding to the Practices
The entire Wisdom Stories booklet (version 1) is here in PDF format:
Wisdom Stories for Prattici Workshop 3rd Edition.pdf

Distressed? Suggestion: Try cycles of Tapping + Relaxation + Spiritual Method,
measuring the intensity-of-distress (scale 0 - 10) before each cycle. Do Testing
(see below) the next 2 or 3 days to see how permanent your results are.

More tools and resources below, sorted in relation to each Life Practice.
Materials for Workshop on the
11 Essential Life-Practices for Becoming Whole
Click on any these documents to download them
Practice 1 - The Welcome Method --- Il-Metodu tal-Merħba
Practice 2 - The Tapping Method --- Il- Metodu tal-Taptip
The TAPPING METHOD for releasing emotional distress
Metodu tat-Taptip MALTI Ver3.pdf
Illustrated Tapping EFT Method ENGLISH Ver3.pdf
Tapping recording sheet ENG Ver2.pdf
9-Gamut procedure.pdf
TESTING - Testing your Self-Healing results.pdf
Practice 3 - Being Mindful --- Kun Konxju-Attent
Guided Mindfulness Meditation audio-clips
Meditation A - The Three Minute Breathing Space (6MB):
     3mins The Three Minute B.m4a
Meditation B - Mindfulness Of Body And Breath (14 MB):
     8mins Mindfulness Of Bod.m4a
Meditation C - Exploring Difficulty (18MB):
     10mins Exploring Difficul.m4a
Meditation D - The Body Scan (26MB):
     30mins The Body Scan.m4a
Practice 4 - Relaxation --- tirrilassa
Practice 5 - simple meditation -- meditazzjoni sempliċi
Practice 6 - Self-Compassion --- nagħder lili nnifsi
Practice 7 - Centering Prayer --- it-talba tal-kunsens (Prattika kontemplattiva)
(CHRISTIAN)

Being SPIRITUALLY WHOLE, complete in God
Keating Active Meditations (Malti transl).pdf  -- A translation into Maltese of the book of short inspiring texts by Fr Thomas Keating called "Active Meditations for Contemplative Prayer."
Towards a More Contemplative Outlook.pdf
Lejn Attitudni Aktar Kontemplattiva.pdf
CenteringPrayer Method Leaflet ENGLISH.pdf
Centering Prayer Fuljett dwar il-Metodu MALTI.pdf

VIDEO  Guidelines for doing Centering Prayer.  Meet your spiritual level,  your deeper self (which is your participation in the divine), and, maybe, more. These gujidelines are brief, expert, and profound instructions in English by Trappist Abbott Fr Thomas Keating with both Maltese and English captions visible on-screen at the same time. You can play it online, but it is better to download it to your computer or mobile phone so that you can play it at any time, using Windows Media Player or other video player.
VIDEO Part 1 - Guidelines for Centering Prayer - Part 1 (9 minutes)  543MB
VIDEO Part 2 - Guidelines for Centering Prayer - Part 2 (7 minutes) 383MB
Download a folder with both the above files
Guidelines for Centering Prayer by Thomas Keating (English) PDF
Guidelines for Centering Prayer by Thomas Keating (Malti) PDF

See also our Centering Prayer method and group page in this website.  This includes a brief glossary of terms.

PraCTICE 8 - CHant PSALMS etc.   --- Għanni s-salmi eċċ.
CHRISTIAN)
Practice 9 - HAVE COmpassion --- AGĦDER
Were you a participant at one of the Practices workshops?
Practice 10 - Open to the Healing Presence --- iNFETAĦ gĦALL-preżenza fejjieqa
(FOR CHRISTIANS OR OTHERS WHO BELIEVE IN A HIGHER POWER)

Note:  Want these links conveniently on your mobile phone?   Here is a small half-page PDF file with the live links that you can click when needed.

TESTING - how and why to test your Self-Healing results.pdf
Personal Peace Procedure fr Unseen Therapist, Gary Craig Ver 2.pdf


Practice of openness to the Divine Healing Presence

Try opening yourself to the highest spiritual power. Here are English or Maltese audio clips for this special Practice.
Here are audio clips , about 15 minutes each, in English, of guided meditations that you can use to encourage your own healing or liberation, or that of another person, through this Practice "Open to the Healing Presence ".

IN ENGLISH:

Illustrated Posters:
Release suffering in YOURSELF OR SOMEONE ELSE through openness to the divine Healing Presence

Audio MP3s

Here are audio clips in English of guided meditations that you can use to encourage your own healing or liberation through this Practice "Open to the Healing Presence "
Audio English MP3 A: Relax and Open to Divine Sea of Love
        /uploads/5/7/2/6/57264959/relax_and_open_to_divine_lake_of_love_fluteinout.mp3
Audio English MP3 B: Relax and Open to Divine Healing Presence
       /uploads/5/7/2/6/57264959/relax_and_open_to_divine_healing_presence_fluteinout.mp3
Audio English MP3 C: Relax and Circulate Love
       /uploads/5/7/2/6/57264959/relax_and_circulate_love.mp3

Note: Audio A uses a special evocative metaphor; Audio B is more straightforward. Audio A and Audio B each include Audio C.   Audio C may be suitable for those who do not believe in a Higher Power.
The Sea of Love metaphor is adapted from Gary Craig

BIL-MALTI

Posters bl-istampi

Inħeles INTI mit-tbatija bi ftuħ għall-Preżenza t'Alla li tfejjaq
Għin lil ĦADDIEĦOR jinħeles mit-tbatija bi ftuħ għall Preżenza ta' Alla li tfejjaq

Awdjo .MP3

Hawn 2 audio clips bil-Malti b'meditazzjoni iggwidata sabiex waħdek tagħmel din il-Prattika: "Infetaħ Għall-Preżenza Fejjieqa t'Alla." sabiex tfieq jew tinħeles.
Audio MALTI MP3 A: Irrilassa, u infetaħ għall-Baħar tal-Imħabba Divina
        /uploads/5/7/2/6/57264959/audio_malti_a_rrilassa_u_infetah_ghall-bahar_tal-imhabba_divina.mp3
Audio MALTI MP3 B: Irrilassa, u infetaħ għall-Preżenza Divina li Tfejjaq
        /uploads/5/7/2/6/57264959/audio_malti_b_irrilassa_u_infetah_ghall-prezenza_divina_li_tfejjaq.mp3
Nota: Audio A tuża' metafora speċjali u effettiva.  Audio B huwa aktar dirett.
PRACTICE 11 - dRINK SUFFERING, tRANSMIT pEACE  --- iXROB tBATIJa, iBGĦAT sLIEM
(CHRISTIAN)   THIS IS A CHRISTIANISED BUDDHIST PRACTICE)

Your Comments

Practices workshops have been held in Tarxien, Floriana (hosted by Segretariat Azzjoni Soċjali tal-Azzjoni Kattolika), Baħar ic-Cagħaq (held in collaboration with Franciscan Centre), Siġġiewi Parish (Kummissjoni Djakonija), St Julians parish (Kummissjoni Djakonija) etc.
​Contact us on efs@antidemalta.org to have a similar workshop customised for your interested group, organisation, or department .
BIEX TGHIN LILEK INNIFSEK (Self-Help Articles In Maltese)
Ebook containing Articles 1 – 28 only 

To download some of the following individual articles 1 – 33,
click on the ones you want, below.

Lista ta' Artikli (Werrej) 1-33.pdf

01 – It-Tifel Ġewwieni Tiegħi, Xi Jrid Jismaghni Nghidlu?    
02 – Kif Nista’ Naħfer Lili Nnifsi?            
03 – Kif Nista’ Naħfer Lill-Genituri?            
04 – Ir-Rabja u l-Belveder                
05 – Biex ma Nitkaxkarx – Il-Metodu tal-Merħba    
06 – Kontra l-Ansjetá – Il-Metodu tal-Kummentarju        
07 – Kontra l-Ansjetá – Kun Konxju-Attent        
08 – Ergajt Waqajt! – Meta tirkadi, x’taghmel?        
09 – Inzomm f’Qalbi – L-Ewwel Parti                
10 – Inzomm f’Qalbi – It-Tieni Parti    
        
11 – It-Tbatija Tieghek – Dahla                
12 – Tbatija – Id-Dwejjaq Huma Ghodda        
13 – Tbatija – X’hawn, Iss’issa?                
14 – Tbatija – Tad-Dahq?                
15 – Tbatija – Rawwem Imhabba u Gentilezza    
16 – Nista’ Ngħix fil-Moghdrija?            
17 – Dejjem Jiena l-Vittma!                
18 – Inpattihielu!   
19 - Sitt Passi Biex Issolvi Problema
20 - Nista' Nagħder Lili Nnifsi?

21 - Il-Gratitudni Tferrah
22 - Nista' Nghix fil-Ferħ?
23 - Inhobbu, Imma...
24 - Ixrob Tbatija, Ibgħat Sliem
25 - Marta, l-Inkwiet u l-Merhba
26 - Jikkritikani Minn Ġewwa
27 - Kien hemm Negligenza Emozzjonali fi Tfulitek?
28 - Nisrani Jista Jhobb Lilu Nnifsu? (Malti + English)
29 – M'Ghallmunix Intelligenza Emozzjonali

30 – Dell Gewwieni u Shuhija Moħbija
30 - Inner Shadow & Hidden Wholeness
31 – Fieq u Fejjaq ma’ Alla billi tinfetah għall-Prezenza Fejjieqa
32 – Irrilassa!
33 – Ghix il-Mument!

Disclaimer: for medical issues, consult your doctor. Do not change your prescribed medicine dosage before speaking to your doctor.