Many people don't know this but 2018 has been an incredibly hard year for me personally. I am learning that sometimes growth and expansion show up this way-the polarity of opposites perhaps? Maybe you recognize the term, "With pain comes growth"?
In my process of going through some parallel experiences similar to what I witness each and every day in my career, I quietly, slowly, unintentionally though absent-mindedly had moved away from my SELF. Specifically, I had moved away from taking care of me.
It is actually quite fascinating how growth and expansion shows up in our world. Historically, when I have felt out of control in one area of my life I typically would focus on what I could control. This brought me a sense of ease and inner peace. However, this year I learned that I had to let go of external control and go inward. Go deeper. There was no amount of control that would help me heal this wound.
As my body began to send me pain signals that it was time for me to slow down and step inside, I finally listened.
Returning to SELF for me is a journey not a destination. It is a process of self love, humility, compassion, and not knowing or controlling the process.
Returning to SELF is about seeking out mentors, healers, and spiritual guides who can counsel and direct me towards my next expansion. Here is what I have been doing in my process of Returning to SELF:
Yoga.I can't tell you how life changing yoga is for me. I stepped away from it 8 months ago to begin practicing Pilates. While I love pilates and how it has transformed my external body, it didn't touch my inner body. I began my yoga practice again just yesterday and WOW. My right brain, my intuitive BE-ing lights up with yoga. So different than any other practice I have ever done. And I loved how much I sweat (it was not Bikram yoga but the class was still warm so I got a good workout in mind, body and spirit!). There are so many yoga classes in each of our communities. I encourage you to check you Ego at the door (which Deepak Chopra says Ego is "Edging God Out") and try it! If you haven't tried yoga therapy, my dear friend Debbie Coleman is a certified yoga therapist. Check her out on our website, namasteadvice.com, for details on how to get in contact with her.
Sarah Blondin's 10 day meditation course on Insight timer. I started her course today. LOVE IT. The first day is: Body and Mind: Cleaning Dust from Eyes and Sight. You can purchase it on Insight Timer for $4.99. The biggest reminder was how important "self intimacy" is--that this is integral in coming into a having a deeper relationship with the self--ultimately this allows us to have a deep relationship with others.
Foot Zoning. I have mentioned this in previous blogs but this modality has literally changed my life! I have done years of my own therapy, EMDR, yoga therapy, reiki, acupuncture. All of it has helped me with what I needed at the time to clear out the old. While I am a huge advocate for all of the healing modalities and continue doing them, adding foot zoning into my healing repertoire has cleared out daily, weekly, life-long and generational trauma wounds that have been hanging out in my body causing me pain.
Scheduling Self Care Time: We schedule everything else so why don't we schedule daily self love time? Daily self care has literally kept me going this year! I swear by it! I schedule 15 minutes each day, whether it is to take an epsom salt bath, or to journal, or listen to a meditation on Insight Timer, or take my dogs on a walk, giving myself ME time has been a life saver! We can't help others if our cups are empty!
Gratitude Journal: My friends, family, mentors, and clients that know me know I have been writing in a gratitude journal every day for years! This year, I have been not only writing about my daily gratitude but also writing prayers; asking for what I need. It has been a game changer for me through some of my darkest times.
Laughter and Playtime: Many people think I am the founder of one company, Namasté Center For Healing. But, I actually am the founder of four. Those closest to me are surprised at my passion, drive and powerful life mission. I am a clinician, global advocate for sexual abuse prevention, an advisor for an upcoming movie, I sit on advisory committees for individuals with developmental disabilities, on Boards and Comittees for licensing and for global prevention. I am an expert witness on a national level fighting weekly for the rights of mentally ill and neurodiverse offenders to get accurate clinical care, and I write extensive mental health evaluations for some of the most traumatized individuals-- at times this takes me away from my nights, weekends and daily self care. I have learned that laughter and playtime are both essential for staying in balance and for keeping my cup full so that I can stay em-powered as I live out my mission, vision, passion and purpose in helping our entire world heal! (Watching comedy along with experiencing deep belly laughter have also been life savers!).
Night time meditations and affirmations: Ending my nights by listening to a nightly meditation on YouTube (there are many-search nightly meditations, nightly affirmations, sleep meditations) has helped me have a restful sleep, and wake up refreshed with a positive attitude.
We are officially in holiday season, dear ones. If you, like me, have struggled this year, now is the time to return to SELF and kick your self love practices into high gear.
Join me by signing up for Sarah Blondin's 10-week course on Insight Timer. I love to hear from you! Email me your insights and learnings from this. I would love to hear about it. Let's build a self love and self care community that inspires the entire world this holiday season!
Much love dear ones~ you are worth it!
Candice
Candice Christiansen, Founder
Namasté Center for Healing
Coming soon! our Winter 2018-2019 Newsletter! Stay tuned.