Our emotions play a major role in manifesting a healthy and joyful life. When we are emotionally balanced we are able to move through lifeʼs challenges with some ease. Emotional balance is created by listening to our inner selves and allowing ourselves to feel and not suppress what is there. I have found that most people have intellectual understanding of their emotions and yet do not experience the depth of healing possible until they connect with the sensations of the emotions in a conscious way and become aware of where they are lodged in the body. This is the premise of the work I do every day with men, women and children and I am honored to witness their deepening relationship with who they essentially are.
A common fear is that if we allow ourselves to feel our emotions, they will take over our lives and we will never stop crying or raging or being in fear. Actually, the opposite is true. Just because we do not allow ourselves to feel our emotions, does not mean they do not exist. They work undercover and can potentially create havoc with our health and relationships. It never works to “sweep things under the rug.”
Many of our illnesses are created by a prolonged suppression of our thoughts and feelings. There is no separation between body and mind. We are complex beings and our experiences are registered in our physical body and it is through the body that we receive messages about what we need to pay attention to.
Having the courage to go beyond treating symptoms to focussing on healing the whole Self requires our attention to be fully in present time and to look within. This awareness then leads to the next step of fully embracing every part of you by sitting with the feeling without judging it or rationalizing it away. As the stuck energy moves, new awarenesses emerge and a lighter Self with a true sense of inner power is revealed. What we are able to do when we have emotional well being is respond to situations in a more empowered way and this results in a healthier, more peaceful existence.
Suggestions:
1. Remember to breathe deeply through the nose all the way into the pelvis.
2. Become aware of sensations in the body, just observing, no judgement. Is your chest
tight? Is there a warm flow or tingling in your body? Do you have pain in the solar plexus? Are your neck and shoulders in pain? Notice the intensity and quality of the sensation. If it is pressure is it coming from the inside or pushing down from the outside? Anything else that allows you to deepen your experience.
3. Feel the feelings and stay completely present with them.
4. Give yourself the gift of your full awareness and notice thoughts and memories that arise.
5. Remember, no destination, just listening.
6. Spend at least 15 minutes a day doing this exercise. 7. If something happens that evokes emotion, allow the emotion and access the
sensations in the body.
Emotional Wellness attained through inner awareness
October 8th, 2009Forgiveness Is an Act of Self-love
May 13th, 2009Ghandi wrote, “Forgiveness is choosing to love. It is the first sign of self-giving love.” True healing occurs when we have the courage to be present with all aspects of ourselves and move through the processes required to return to wholeness. In working with a diverse array of clients, I have found that often the most difficult step of the healing process is forgiveness. As difficult as it may be, forgiveness is necessary to free oneself from the painful emotions that have bound our lives and stifled our Spirit. Of course, once we let go and forgive, we become fully responsible for our own feelings and behaviors and can no longer make excuses or stay stuck in our patterns or stagnation. That can be daunting, so it is understandable that some people resist forgiveness and choose to remain comfortably stuck, but in doing so we limit ourselves, and our lives do not open fully to their potential.
Many people hang onto anger and blame out of a misplaced sense of justice. A common misperception is that forgiving someone means accepting their behavior, or letting them off the hook. This is simply not so. We can forgive and also choose not to allow people into our lives who hurt or betray us. We can, if we wish, offer the kind of forgiveness that might free the person we are angry at, but the greatest impact is within. Forgiveness frees us from the low vibrational energies of anger, blame and resentment and allows our heart to open to a more joyful and expansive life.
Carrying anger, hate or resentment in your heart will weigh heavily on your life, preventing you from truly healing and moving forward. When you have been hurt or betrayed, there is a process you can turn to in order to release the experience and find alignment with yourself again. The key steps are firstly, AWARENESS of what needs healing or what is holding you back. The second step is to TAKE RESPONSIBILITY for the feelings that were triggered by the experience without blaming yourself or others. Next, it is essential to find TRUST in a deeper part of yourself, and know that you are more than your pain. Acknowledge the perfection of every experience and what it has brought to your life. It may be hard to imagine a painful experience as a ‘perfect’ experience, but this simply means that the experience ‘is what it is’ in the fabric of your life, and every experience is full of potential. It becomes ‘what you make it’ and that will shape the tapestry of your future. Seeing the greater picture of your being and your life will allow you to FORGIVE AND LET GO. The final step is to experience a RENEWAL or REMEMBERING of who you really are. In this state, all the energy you have bound up in anger, resentment and pain becomes available to you again in a pure and positive way, resulting in increased joy, vitality and enthusiasm. You find yourself more present in your life and trusting that your inner self can not only handle the experiences of life, but can appreciate them –all of them, for the great gifts they are. This is not an intellectual exercise, but an opening of your heart. It is a gift you give to yourself and your world.
Love and Light, Marion
Reclaiming the Present Moment
February 23rd, 2009In my years of practice, I’ve noticed that most people spend about 90% of the time with their thoughts in the past and the future and only 10% in the present. We fall into this habit often without even realizing it. The human mind has a unique propensity to relive and ruminate on the past and to worry or fantasize about the future. The problem is, all of our power, our ability to heal, and our potential to create the life we desire lies solely in the present. In my work, I teach people how to live in the present and fully connect to the life-changing power of their body, mind and spirit.
Often our mind returns again and again to the past because of pain and regret over the experiences of our lives. The emotions of these experiences become stuck in the body, and we continue to relive them without knowing how to release them and free ourselves. Other times, we find ourselves worrying about tomorrow, fearing a circumstance that has yet to happen, or just rehearsing what the next day might bring. Even in pleasant situations, such as a sunset stroll, we may find ourselves drifting into thoughts of what comes next, a previous conversation, or where a relationship might be going. This shifting out of present time can become habitual and even addictive. It not only robs us of fully appreciating the moment, but it can lead to more serious issues with depression, stagnation, anxiety, and lack of focus and progress in our lives.
In order to live fully, we must teach our minds to be willing to receive all the gifts of the present moment, and we must resolve the emotions held in the body that keep us attached to the past, or fearful of the future. It is not as simple as deciding we are going to “just move on and let things go” or “stop worrying about the future.” Trying to resist our habits of thought and suppress our emotions is a tremendous drain of our energy. We cannot change the past or predict the future, but we can, through a gentle process of inner awareness and energy work, change our relationship to our experiences. We can release thought patterns and beliefs, and free ourselves from the stagnant emotions that are keeping us from being vibrantly alive and free.
I work with people of all ages and stages of life, helping them tune their awareness and energies toward the present. As they reclaim the aspects of themselves that have been scattered in time, I see them heal, awaken, and expand physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. I see them reconnect with their powerful inner guidance which will lead them to the life they desire. When all their power is brought fully to the present, their lives begin to fall into place in ways greater than they ever dreamed!
Love and Light, Marion
