Restriction has Gotten a Bad Rap

When you think of “restriction”, your first thought might be about limitation or being held back or confined in some way. The word typically doesn’t bring up happy thoughts or create a feeling of expansion—in fact, just the opposite. However, there is a whole other world of thinking in which restriction is a virtue and ultimately freeing. In this view, practicing restriction is considered to be an enlightened approach to a life worth living.

I first learned the latter way of thinking about restriction after a life-altering sporting accident while traveling in Australia at age 21. The sporting accident and what I considered at the time to be too many days, months, and years of chronic pain eventually led me to the ultimate adventure and one of the greatest gifts of my life—my spiritual journey of Kabbalah. This divine adventure also led me to my passion for music and to creating my band, My Silent Bravery. My Silent Bravery symbolizes persistence, perseverance and inner strength to overcome obstacles in the face of adversity.

I have learned, over time and sometimes the hard way, how important it is to practice restriction. Practicing restriction means being conscious of not reacting or overreacting immediately to situations—not being triggered by potentially negative occurrences, but rather pausing and restricting those emotions so that we aren’t controlled by them. We can take control by pausing when confronted by situations that trigger us, bringing our awareness and consciousness to the situation, and through self-effort, making the choice to restrict our emotions rather than be at the mercy of them. We witness our emotions rather than be a slave to them. This is the power of restriction; it empowers you and rewards you exponentially for your self-effort.

“The moment you exercise restriction—ceasing to be reactive or influenced by negativity— you bring Light to bear on any situation.”

~Rav Berg

“Restriction acknowledges our emotions and desires but helps us to not be controlled by them.”

~Monica Berg

For me, being a musician and being on tour can offer ample opportunities to practice restricting temporary emotions that don’t serve me in the big picture. Music is my art form, my passion, and my business. It is easy to get caught in the highs and lows. I continually remind myself to practice restriction for greater peace of mind, balance, and inner growth.

The next time you find yourself in what is normally a highly reactive situation, I invite you to give restriction a go. Pause, bring your full awareness to the situation, and choose to not react in ways that will bring you more stress and turmoil. Restrict those haywire emotions. Take control before they control you. This one practice can truly be life-changing.

I invite you to connect with me on my website at My Silent Bravery and join me every Tuesday evening at 8:30 pm EST for my weekly Facebook Live program on MSBTV. I can’t wait to meet you there!