On Sunday I hosted the Twitter chat #spiritchat on the topic of Self-Compassion. I wrote this post for the chat but want those of you who don’t participate in #spiritchat to see it as well. Below the post you’ll find the questions I posed in the chat, I invite you to share your thoughts on any that spark interest for you.
As Buddha stated, “You, yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection.” Yet many of us, even long-time spiritual seekers, often hold ourselves to a higher standard. You may even treat yourself more poorly than you could ever imagine treating someone else, pulling yourself out of the flow of light and love available to all. Perhaps a higher self-standard arises because you feel your increasing consciousness requires you to do more, to exceed expectations, to be of greater service in this time of intense need on our planet.
Often people who excel pay the price of higher expectations. You may wish to transcend your humanness by being perfect. Yet true transcendence comes with accepting your human imperfections, by realizing the journey to consciousness never ends.
Maya Angelou said, “When you know better, you do better.” I would amend this to say, “Once you integrate knowing better, you do better.” Conscious knowing only lays the foundation. People often lament about “getting it consciously but not in daily life.” Something magical happens when you accept what you know. When you deeply admit you need to love yourself, when you integrate it as a value and not just an abstract concept, life shifts.
“If you don’t love yourself, you cannot love others,” according to the Dalai Lama. Compassion is the desire to reduce suffering. By developing self-compassion, you reduce your own suffering. Self-compassion yields many benefits: you feel better, you have more to offer the world, and you uplift all beings when you shine more brightly. Plus you model kindness for yourself and others, a much needed quality for our survival as a species.
Q1: How does self-compassion look and feel to you?
Q2: Do you hold yourself to a higher standard than you hold others? Why or why not?
Q3: In what area(s) of your life could you use more self-compassion?
Q4: Can you say “I love myself” and mean it? If so, how did you get there?
Q5: How do you convert knowing better into doing better?
Q6: Self-compassion can waver when life gets hard. How do you counteract this?
Q7: Can you “Fake it until you make it” with self-compassion?
Q8: Can you show others compassion if you can’t offer it to yourself?
Q9: Self-compassion is necessary for world peace. Agree or disagree?
Q10: What would you say to someone struggling to develop self-compassion?
Q11: What actions can you take this week to grow and/or model self-compassion?
This year I found my word of the year in my Akashic Records. It amuses me I sometimes forget I have this vast soul resource I can access whenever I want. This reminds me to stay present.
Like most people, I only take an extended rest when forced.
Many of my readers and clients learned to prioritize others over themselves. Even when offered assistance they may decline it, feeling they must sacrifice for the “greater good.” Yet sacrifice and greater good oppose each other.
We open with a 45 minute or so Akashic Records consultation. The revealed themes, patterns, and disharmonies drive the table work in conjunction with your "pulses," body reading, and my intuitive insights. A follow-up e-mail documents what occurs during the energy work and includes customized self-helps.
In this work, you remain fully clothed. Just wear whatever will feel comfortable while lying on my massage table. If it's a remote session, I'll ask you to rest while I send energy.
Please consider the personal or interpersonal disharmony that led you to me and how you would like it to shift. During the session, we'll explore and address the origins and drivers of each "project."
No, the records aren’t a good resource for predictions. If there’s something you hope will happen, the records might reveal a series of necessary steps to reach your desired outcome but not the timing. For predictions, please consult a good psychic or astrologer!
Minors are under their parents' legal and energetic jurisdiction until they are 18, regardless of their maturity level.
The greatest benefit occurs when I incorporate all four modalities I practice. The option without the Akashic Records is appropriate for children under 18 who cannot receive readings. A stand-alone reading can bring insight and healing but does not involve my direct interaction with your energetic and physical bodies like my other practices.
No, but you are welcome to record sessions yourself.
Self-helps, both from Jin Shin Jyutsu and the Embodied Energy System, support your continued harmony, accelerate your evolution, and empower you. Plus they make you sparkly!
