Posted on July 11, 2016 by Val Boyko

Many people have shared this traditional Native American legend filled with wisdom:

I shared this story the other day and asked the question “What can we do to stop feeding the dark wolf and nourish the white wolf?”

What came up was surprising. I had always thought of our inner emotions being the key to which wolf we are feeding. When we are angry, jealous or resentful, we feed the dark. When we are loving and grateful, we feed the light.

But it’s not as simple as this.

Like life, its more than black or white.

I believe that the biggest feeder of the dark wolf comes from the environment we live in nowadays. It feeds the dark insecurity within us. It ignites fear and anger. It triggers old wounds and deep insecurities. It fans the waves of violence and retribution.  Whether we are surrounded by negative angry people, or are listening to negative politicians, or are watching live footage of violence …  this is the food that feeds our dark wolf.

It is mostly unconscious, and perhaps habit … but I’m sure you know it is so.

So now, you can choose.

What can you stop doing that is feeding the dark wolf? For me it was to turn off the t.v. and make a conscious decision about what I listen to and who I choose to be around. I have become aware of which wolf I am feeding, and my life has changed for the better.

Namaste

ooOOoo

I’m going to conclude today’s post by adding a comment that was left by Karen Lanser in response to Val’s post.

Years ago I came across the most lovely little meditation called “Egg of Light Exercise”. I was reminded of it with your question … here it is! I hope it helps! Karen

Egg of Light Exercise

Excerpted from The Power of the Mind to Heal (pp.50-52)
(Joan Borysenko, Ph.D and Miroslav Borysenko, Ph.D)

Begin by taking a good stretch, and then allow your eyes to close … Focus lightly on your breathing, noticing the way that your body rises slightly as you breathe in and relaxes down as you breathe out …

As you settle gently into observing the tide of your incoming and outgoing breath, your concentration can become more and more focused …

Now, in the space about you and slightly in front of you, imagine a great star of loving light …

Allow the light to cascade over you like a waterfall and to run through you …

Imagine the light entering the top of your head and running down through and between every cell, the way that a river washes through the sand on its bottom …

Allow the river of light to carry away any fatigue, illness, or negativity and wash it out through the bottoms of your feet into the earth for transformation …

As the river of light washes through you, imagine that it is scrubbing away any darkness around your heart, allowing the light within you to shine more and more brightly … joining with the river of light … filling you and extending around you for two or three feet in every direction like an enormous, luminous egg …

Make a firm mental declaration that any thoughts of love and encouragement will penetrate the egg and reach your heart, while any negative thoughts will bounce off the egg and return to the sender with a blessing. Declare also that your own loving thoughts will penetrate the egg and reach their destination, while your negative thoughts will bounce off the interior of the egg and return to you with the awareness of loving kindness and encouragement.

*****

Anytime during the day that you feel anxious, assaulted by someone’s energy, or fatigues, try the egg-of-light exercise. After you are used to doing it, you can place yourself in the egg almost instantaneously.

P.S. LOVED your post Val!!

The wisdom, beauty and encouragement that exists in the hearts of so many people (and dogs).