Connecting to my inner wisdom, self love and compassion
Inner Wise Woman
In my blog post When My Body Said No (click the title to read that post) I talked about connecting to my inner wisdom or my body wisdom. The first meditation on this was provided by my friend and spiritual coach Ruth Bleakley Thiessen “Meet Your Inner Wise Woman”, then I came across it again during my training at the Center for Mind-Body Medicine, this time as “Wise Guide Meditation”. Glennon Doyle speaks about her “Knowing” in her book Untamed and from Martha Beck I learned that our body is a compass, constantly sending us signals about what is right and what is not right for us.
Muscle Testing
Some people are able to tap into their body wisdom by “muscle testing”, a technique in which they ask themselves a question and get a yes or no answer from their bodies. They use either their fingers, arms or observe how their whole body sways. I find this method really interesting and would like to learn how to use it. I have given it a try once or twice, a project for my future, methinks.
Letters from the within
Another technique I heard about and immediately took on, was from Elizabeth Gilbert (in a podcast with Glennon Doyle - “We Can Do Hard Things"). It helps me cultivate my relationship with this inner guide. Liz talked of her spiritual practice, writing every day to her “Higher Self” who, if my memory serves me correctly, she considers to be “Unconditional Love.” She asks what she would have her know today, she then writes a reply to herself as Unconditional Love.
I took on this practice and it has been a constant companion for the last six months. Now it feels like I have always done it.
Every day I spend some time either in the morning or in the evening communicating (by writing) with my Higher Self, my Intuition, my Knowing, my Authentic Wisdom a.k.a. my Inner Wise Woman.
More than wisdom
This wisdom is in fact not just wisdom but all the best parts of me. She holds my self-love and compassion, joy and encouragement, my inner peace and calm, my trust in life and in the Universe. She is supportive and positive and is not afraid to acknowledge any negativity hanging around inside me. She has the words to help me get better at feeling as well as feeling better.
Falling apart this week
This week, like many other weeks, my insecurities crept back in. I am trying to figure out how to move forward and what changes to make to my life and how and when to make them. Am I well enough yet to handle it? What if I try and it all fails? What if I try and it feels awful? What if I try and I run into trouble or difficulties? What am I actually trying to do? Do I have enough energy for any of this? Yikes! Help! My brain is running around in circles!
So I sat down and asked my Authentic Wisdom.
What advice can you give me right now?
She answers:
Dear Kathy,
Trust the magic! Trust life, the Universe (and everything! :-)) If you cannot figure something out, then it is not the right time for it. Drop it. Let it go. Move your attention to something that sparks your interest, your imagination, something that lights you up, helps you feel alive, feels like joy. Don’t stay stuck on something that may not need to be figured out. Just drop it, let go, move on. You can always come back to it if need be and if the time is right. Maybe it will sort itself out. Maybe the solution will present itself without you having to do anything at all.
Everything will work out the way it is supposed to, when it is supposed to. Maybe it is now, maybe it is some time in the future. You are where you are meant to be right here, right now. You have taken so many tiny steps over the past year and a half, you have made huge progress. Just take one tiny step right now, one that feels doable, one that won’t overwhelm you.
Look how far you have already come!
You have learned over and over again that you need to take your time, you need to go slowly and you need to rest in between steps. Inner work and growth is exhausting and uses a lot of energy, don’t be in too much of a rush to get to the alleged finish line. There isn’t one. Growth isn’t a destination, it is a constant, beautiful, and sometimes brutal journey.
I am proud of every single teeny tiny step you took towards your own healing. Take time to integrate these tiny achievements instead of pushing yourself to the next step. Just keep going, I‘ve got your back, I am always here for you.
Love,
Your Higher (Wiser) Self
And there you have it. I now feel comforted, supported and can rest and breathe more easily, go about my day and trust that I will know what to do when the time comes. I can take some time to integrate and celebrate the progress she pointed out to me, with a feeling of gratitude and heightened self-worth. I did it!
Thank you My Dear Inner Wise Woman! Until next time.
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