Hello and welcome,
And I want to thank you for joining me here in this sacred space.
We're going to go on an inward journey to connect with our authentic self.
When we surrender,
We allow the universe to work its magic.
We say yes to infinite possibilities.
We trust that things will work out as they're meant to,
And we give ourselves permission to let go of the outcome.
The act of surrendering can be liberating,
Intimidating,
Blissful,
Scary,
And a swirl of so many other emotions.
But in the end,
We accept that life will work its magic if our words,
Thoughts,
And emotions have integrity and we are true to our authentic,
Divine self.
The human mind,
Inherently impatient,
Triggers emotional reactions when our ideas about how things should be collide with how things really are.
We sometimes torment ourselves about choices we've made,
Words we've spoken,
And the path not taken.
Or we dwell on the future,
Postponing our happiness with thoughts about what is missing or wrong in the present moment.
These thoughts and judgments are the source of our emotional pain.
The mind has a lifetime of conditioned beliefs and expectations through which it filters our perceptions.
While the body spontaneously lets go of the pain of the moment,
Once the underlying cause is healed,
The mind has a mysterious instinct for holding on.
Through the mind,
We create a prison of suffering and then forget that we are the architect and that we ourselves hold the key that will set us free.
Even after years of emotional healing work,
We all sometimes make the mistake of believing that something out there makes us angry,
Depressed,
Anxious,
Or afraid.
In reality,
Outside events are only triggers,
And the cause of every emotion is within.
We're going to begin by getting comfortable.
I want you to close your eyes and feel the support underneath your sit bones.
And as you begin to take deep cleansing breaths,
I want you to maybe even wiggle around in your seat a bit with your eyes closed,
Feeling in to that support underneath your body.
And imagining in your mind's eye the support underneath that chair,
Bringing your focus and attention deep into the heart of the earth.
Allow a feeling of relaxation to fill your body,
Feeling heavy,
Loose,
And relaxed.
Begin to let your body sink deeply into the earth.
Allow the relaxation to flow.
Let the muscles of your legs completely go,
Feeling very heavy and relaxed.
Relax your hips and pelvis and all the surrounding muscles.
Feel your stomach and lower back relaxing,
The muscles giving up their hold.
Feel the relaxation in your chest and sides,
Feeling very relaxed,
Very heavy.
Let your hands relax all the way from your fingertips to your wrists.
Feel your arms relaxing,
Letting go,
Loose and heavy.
Relax your shoulders,
Feeling them lowering slightly,
Free from tension.
Allow the muscles of your neck to relax,
Letting go.
Relax your face and head.
Feel your entire body relaxing more deeply,
Completely relaxed,
Warm,
Heavy,
Comfortable.
Now turn your attention inward,
Even more deeply inside,
To connect with your authentic self.
Begin by reflecting upon your values.
What is the most important thing to you in your life?
What do you value?
Allow whatever wants to appear to come forward in your mind's eye,
Or maybe it's a body sensation.
Spend the next few moments allowing your authentic self to show you images,
Movies,
Pictures,
Or maybe feelings and emotions.
These pictures,
These emotions that are coming forward now,
Make up part of the core of who you are.
If you're being true to your authentic self,
These feelings,
These things,
These people,
Events,
And activities will be at the core of what it means to be living authentically.
It feels good to behave in ways that are consistent with your authentic self.
If honesty is something you value,
This could be reflected in your life by being truthful.
Truthful to yourself.
Truthful when amongst others.
Being honest about who you are,
What you value,
What's important to you.
If you value relationship with others,
Perhaps your life reflects this in the time you spend in community,
In truly connecting with friends,
Or spending time with people who are important to you.
Feel into how the things that you value can be a part of your daily life.
Now consider what else makes you who you are.
Knowing your authentic self involves learning who you truly are.
Your authentic self is the real you.
The person you are truly meant to be.
Your authentic self is the person you are at your core.
The person you can be if nothing holds you back.
Imagine the person you believe yourself to be right now.
And it's okay if you aren't quite sure who you are.
Just picture yourself going about the things you usually do on a typical day.
Imagine that you're watching yourself.
Observing yourself going about your usual activities.
See yourself getting up in the morning,
Going about your day.
Imagine the things that you do on a typical day.
See yourself doing these activities.
Picture this person,
You,
Now standing in an empty room.
Imagine watching this person.
Observe.
Now imagine you could strip away all the things that hold you back from your full potential.
Imagine self-doubt dissolving.
Being washed away.
The sun shining down upon you.
Now being replaced with confidence.
Self-assurance.
Picture this person before you.
And imagine all the things that get in the way of happiness.
Such as circumstances.
Lack of resources.
Lack of forgiveness.
Illness.
Baggage from the past.
Anything that's holding this person back in any way at all.
See these problems dissolving.
Disappearing into the surf.
Being washed away.
Allow yourself to be cleaned,
Cleansed by the surf.
Each wave removing another layer from all that is holding you back.
Now imagine this person fully embodied as you in your true authentic self.
Who is this person when all those barriers are stripped away?
This person is you.
Imagine who you are at your core.
The pure character that is left when there is nothing to get in the way of complete self-love.
You may only have a vague picture in your mind right now.
That's okay.
Let's allow that picture to come into focus.
Becoming more clear.
Feel into your emotions.
What drives your behavior?
What drives your actions?
What catches your interest or has caught your interest in the past?
What lights up your being and propels you into action?
Think about your personality and character traits.
The characteristics that are left when all barriers are removed and all fears have been washed away.
At your fullest potential,
Your simplest form,
With no fears,
Who are you?
Feel into your energy,
Your true spirit.
Are you laid back and calm?
Or are you energetic?
Inspired?
Do you act from a place of centeredness?
Do you speak with peace in your heart?
Are you quiet or talkative?
Are you creative?
Are you practical?
What sort of things do you appreciate?
What do you admire?
What do you like?
Imagine something that makes you feel happy.
What is it?
Think of some of the things you enjoy.
Things that you like to do.
Think about all of the characteristics of the person who is left when all barriers and fears are removed.
Now let's create a different picture.
Imagine yourself as a young child in a happy moment.
See the potential in this child.
Who is this young person?
What makes this child who he or she is?
Think about the characteristics that you share with this child.
In what ways are you similar?
Think about how you have learned and grown since the time you were a small child.
Now picture yourself as a child and see the world through your younger self's eyes.
Who did you want to be when you grew up?
What hopes did you have for your future self?
What dreams did you have as a child?
Those hopes and dreams were probably related in some way to your authentic self.
Something about those dreams were connected to a part of your true self.
What do these aspirations say about who you are?
What personal characteristics of yours are related to your childhood dreams?
Think about your own childhood dreams.
And see what these dreams say about who you are.
Now let's create one final picture.
Imagine in as much detail as you can the person you want to be.
Imagine your ideal self.
How would this person behave?
What does this person,
Your authentic self,
Value?
What motivates this ideal self?
What personal characteristics are present in this ideal version of you?
Imagine all the details of the person you most want to be.
Allow your feelings,
Emotions,
And images and pictures in your mind's eye to be guided by your divine essence within you.
These images in your mind right now of this ideal person is you.
This is your authentic self.
This is who you truly are.
At your core,
Beneath all of the things that get in the way,
This is you.
Spend a few moments with this ideal self,
Your authentic self.
Now allow yourself to step inside and become fully this person.
Become who you are.
Just be.
Simply be your authentic self.
Feel a sense of peace.
Secure in who you are.
Secure in the knowing of who you are.
This is you.
Your authentic self.
Allow this true essence of you to shine through in every day.
Allow your values,
Those things most important to you,
Your personality traits and qualities,
The things that motivate you,
Inspire you,
Propel you to move forward.
Allow all those things to shine through,
To guide your behavior,
To transform your life,
To make up who you are.
You have always been this person.
You always will be your authentic self.
A positive,
Loving,
Expansive person.
A person you like and appreciate.
Underneath the challenges,
The baggage,
The demands of living life,
This is the real you that will always be you.
It's time to reawaken now.
Keep the image,
The feelings,
The sensations on your body of your authentic self with you as you go about the rest of your day.
Express this true self and allow you to simply be you.
Know that there is nothing to fix.
No need to work hard at this.
If you allow yourself,
Your true self,
To emerge from that core within you and be an integrity in your words,
Your actions,
And your emotions,
You will be expressing your authentic self.
Your divine self.
Now begin to wiggle around in your body.
Start to feel that support again underneath your body,
Underneath your sit bones.
Wiggle around your fingers,
Your toes.
Wiggle around in your seated parts.
And begin to bring all of yourself back to this moment,
This time,
This place.
Bring all of your true,
Authentic self into your body,
Into this moment.
Feel your muscles reawakening.
And your whole body begins filling up with energy.
Allow the energy to rise up within you,
Coming from the heart of the earth through the bottom of your feet.
Rising and filling all the way into your heart space.
And allow the divine energy from above,
The heart of source above,
To come down upon you through the crown of your head and begin filling up your body with this energy from pure source.
All at once,
You're deeply anchored and rooted in the heart of source below.
And tapped in and connected with the heart of source above.
Allowing these streams of energy to meet and merge within your heart space.
And swirling around in a great spiral and circle of life force creation energy within you.
You are feeling confident and at peace.
In touch with your authentic self.
I want you to imagine as if there was a great beam of light now radiating from within,
Coming from that heart space.
And beaming out 360 degrees around.
As if you were a great beacon of light.
As if you've just turned on,
Flicked this switch from inside your being.
Becoming a great lighthouse.
Expressing your true authentic self.
And beaming this light out into the world.
I want you to begin to open your eyes.
Flutter open the eyes and reorient to your surroundings.
And just sit quietly for a moment.
While you imagine with your eyes open,
Radiating the qualities,
The energy,
And the light from within.
Authentically and with integrity from this place where you are right now.
May you take this energy and inspiration forward from this moment in time into every moment forevermore.
Expressing your true authentic self from within.
May you shine and radiate your true authentic self.
For the world needs you to be exactly who you are.
