“Everything changes once we identify with being the witness to the story, instead of the actor in it.”
Take a deep breath with me right now.
Inhaling through your nose for a count of four.
Slowly exhaling as you let out a big sigh.
Repeat this a few times until you feel more grounded in the present moment.
Now, check in and ask yourself:
“How am I feeling right now in my body?”
“What inner conversations are swirling around in my mind?”
Allow yourself to take your time noticing any thoughts, emotions, and sensations that are here and see what comes up.
Is your mind moving a mile a minute? Is your heart beating fast? Is your body feeling heavy, restless, or in any pain?
Are you yelling at yourself for something you wish you didn’t say or do? Are you worrying about something that hasn’t happened yet? Are you shaming or judging yourself in any way?
We all have a lot of thoughts that go on in our head throughout the day, along with moments of pain and sensations that aren’t pleasant to face.
What would it feel like to just BE with all of them, not labeling any of your thoughts and sensations as wrong or creating stories about what you perceive is happening and needing to be different?
What would it feel like to create a bit of distance from it all, inviting in the space to recognize that you are NOT your mind, you are NOT the feelings in your body, but rather the WITNESS and the experiencer of them?
What would it feel like to speak to yourself with deep understanding and loving kindness, rather than criticism and cruelty?
What would it feel like to lean into your feelings with curiosity rather than judgment?
If you are committed to a deep healing journey and walking the true spiritual path, which I personally believe are one and the same, you need to cultivate the right tools to support yourself in moving through all of the difficult thoughts, feelings, and experiences that show up along the way.
Over the years through both my own health journey and working with clients, I have come to learn this incredibly important and life-changing lesson:
Developing a practice of mindfulness and self-compassion is non-negotiable if you want to access real healing, growth, and transformation.
I believe you cannot create positive, sustainable, and enjoyable change without them.
And you DESERVE your own love, presence, compassion, and acceptance, whether they lead to the changes you think you desire or not.
They will always lead to a better quality of living, deeper resilience, and increased joy.
We’ve all been conditioned to believe that if we beat ourselves up enough, if we focus on what we think is wrong, this will somehow bring the solution.
We think that if we criticize what don’t like or don’t want, we will be motivated to change it and this will lead what we are unhappy with to finally shift. This never works though.
We cannot criticize ourselves into creating change or making something happen.
We instead need to be gentle with ourselves, be willing to show up with full presence and curiosity as we compassionately navigate all of the ups and downs that come with being human on this earth.
Consciousness, curiosity, and compassion are the true gateways to transformation.
They bring us home to ourselves.
They bring us out of the prison of our mind and our pain.
They make us expand our perspective and literally rewire our brain to allow us to live a better life in every way.
If you are new to these concepts and interested in learning more about mindfulness and self-compassion, here are some of my favorite classic books to get started with if any of them call to you:
The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle
The Miracle of Mindfulness: An Introduction to the Practice of Meditation by Thich Nhat Han
Self-Compassion: The Proven Power of Being Kind to Yourself by Kristin Neff
Be Here Now by Ram Dass
The Places That Scare You: A Guide to Fearlessness in Difficult Times by Pema Chodron
Wherever You Are, There You Are: Mindfulness Meditation in Everyday Life by Jon Kabat-Zinn
Radical Compassion: Learning to Love Yourself and Your World with the Practice of RAIN by Tara Brach
Most of these authors also have websites and YouTube channels with resources to check out as well.
And of course, working with a coach one-on-one is another great way to begin developing these tools along your path if that’s something you’re able and ready to do at this time.
As always, I am here holding space for your healing and growth, and rooting for you every single step of the way.
