Hello,
My name is Samantha Redgrave-Hogg and I'm pleased to welcome you to the first day of this seven step process of finding your true self.
So you might be thinking,
What does that even mean?
As Nicola said in the introduction,
Your true self is the person you were meant to be before life got in the way that is.
During this journey,
We are hopefully going to help you guide yourself back to your core being,
Your authentic self.
And so perhaps the first thing we need to do is to explain what our interpretation of the true and full self actually is.
So it might be easier if we start with the full self or the myth-aligned self,
As that's the bit that unfortunately a lot of us are in touch with.
The full self is kind of like the ego.
It's the bit of us that's concerned with what other people think of us and how we match up against others.
It loves a good comparison.
How we look,
How we come across,
How we can justify ourselves,
How to get richer,
More successful,
Thinner,
More attractive and the list goes on.
The thing is,
It is a never ending list because as soon as we've ticked one box,
Another one takes its place.
It's the part of us that constantly needs to revamp itself to feel good enough.
And so it's actually very delicate because nothing is ever quite good enough.
I wonder if any of this sounds familiar yet.
And so the full self has the perfect knack of inventing drama.
Drama,
Drama,
Drama.
Full of hows and whys,
If onlys and shoulds and buts.
Sometimes it's full of anger,
Resentment,
Rejection,
Defensiveness,
Unworthiness,
Hurt.
And in the end it actually starts to dislike itself.
It lives in the past or in the future,
Regret of what has happened and fear of what might be.
Whereas the true self is inherently fulfilled,
The true self has always been there and will always be there.
You just need to uncover it.
It's the bit of you that can just be.
Maybe that seems a bit tricky to get a handle on yet or maybe you've already had glimpses of it.
It's the bit of you that can just be a total calmness and acceptance of what is.
It's grounded,
Accepting,
Abundant,
Naturally humble,
Loving and in unity with itself and the world around it.
It doesn't need to be shown off,
Jazzed up or congratulated to feel good.
It just is.
Let's say it's more in the body,
In the felt sense rather than the head where the full self sits so comfortably.
So ladies,
We're not saying you need to live in a remote part of the world in silence for five years or become a zen guru or never buy a new pair of shoes.
The true self is already there.
Everybody has it.
You just have to discover it once more.
And it is only once more because once you cross over into your true self,
You're there.
You've done it.
That's not to say that you won't slip off the path or do the false self stuff from time to time.
But there's such a difference between living entirely in the false self and being oblivious to it and being aware of when you're slowly getting seduced by it because it is so seductive.
You can absolutely live in the modern day world and be part of the material world,
But choose to not get wrapped up by it or addicted to it or obsessed by it.
You can observe it and find pleasure in it even,
But it's not all there is.
You are you and you are love.
Really that's all we are.
Love.
And that's kind of enough.
And as the alignment with the true self is felt rather than thought,
Throughout this program we are going to try to filter down into the body a little bit to help you get in touch with your truth,
Whatever that might be.
As information as it were will only get so far,
We are going to help you experience your felt sense through the medium of meditation and self hypnosis.
Throughout these steps,
The amount of time spent in a meditative state will increase,
But it's best not to rush into this.
So today we're just going to start with the idea of creating a different awareness through mindful meditation.
So if you're ready,
First of all you can just find somewhere to relax,
Perhaps on a chair or on a bed,
Whatever feels comfortable for you.
And we're just going to slow things down a little bit.
So if you choose,
You can close your eyes and you can just focus on your breathing for a few moments.
Breathing in and out slowly and rhythmically.
And as you breathe in,
You might just allow your stomach to rise.
And as you breathe out,
Allow your stomach to fall back to its original position,
Emptying your breath completely.
Perhaps you can let your breath guide you into a place of calm,
Of comfort,
Of safety.
This is your time now to let go.
Allow your thoughts to come and go.
Just observe them.
Perhaps over time those thoughts start to slow down as you gently untangle yourself from them.
They are just thoughts floating past like clouds in the sky.
I'm wondering if you can just gently bring your awareness into the body now.
Observing how your body feels while it rests there.
Which parts are easy to relax,
I wonder.
Which parts are holding onto tension?
Have an awareness of the way your hands feel as they rest there.
Notice the angle of your elbows,
The way your back supports you.
The little muscles of the face settling.
How your clothes feel against your skin.
Notice the beat of your heart.
The rhythm of your breath.
The tips of each toe.
How do you feel relaxing there I wonder?
Where do your feelings sit in your body?
Taking the journey inwards now.
Coming away from the outer world and the outer self for a while.
How might your life be without the drama or the hurt?
What do you need to let go of?
How might it feel to uncover your truth?
How might it feel not to criticise others or yourself?
How might it feel if you didn't worry about others and what they might think of you?
These are just a few questions to stir the subconscious.
Maybe some answers come up when you ask.
Or perhaps not.
Trusting the timing of things.
Trusting yourself.
And now just allowing your attention to focus back into the room you're in.
And when you're ready gently open your eyes.
But perhaps bringing with you an increased awareness.
And continuing to be mindful into our next session.
We really look forward to speaking to you again soon.
Be well and bye for now.
