Welcome,
And so grateful you are joining me as we seek to release and heal from the grips of perfectionism.
Perfectionism a construct created to generate an internal belief that there exists an ideal archetype,
A standard by which we should all strive to attain no matter the cost that is deeply lodged into our bodies and being.
Perfectionism generates a pathology of separation,
Division,
The not-enoughs,
Competitiveness,
Insecurities,
Self-loathing,
And more.
Perfectionism keeps us locked in unhealthy ego and in perpetual cycles that can dehumanize ourselves and those we come into contact with.
So let's pause for a moment.
Together,
Let's take a breath and settle into the body,
Either seated or standing or perhaps laying down.
Just honor what feels good to you in this moment.
Orient to the space around you,
Perhaps looking around the room,
Out windows,
And to the space behind you.
Notice as we move into this reflective practice on releasing perfectionism,
What activation may be happening in the body.
Consider it as part of our learning and broadening our awareness of self in relationship to perfectionism.
So I invite you throughout to breathe into those parts where activation occurs,
Cultivating space and a sensation of releasing and calming.
If it feels good to you,
Go ahead and gently close your eyes or you can keep your eyes open,
Just gently lowering the gaze or looking out a window towards the horizon.
Place one hand over your heart and one hand over your center,
So a couple finger widths below the navel as a way to stay consciously connected to breath and what arises.
What if you were completely free of the grasping and clenching of seeking and working so hard to find this idealism,
This notion of perfect?
The perfect weight,
The perfect jean size,
The perfect face,
The perfect job,
The perfect partner,
The perfect home,
The perfect income,
The perfect relationships,
The perfect employee,
The doing everything and getting everything just right so that you won't feel any pain or disappointment or embarrassment or fear of missing out or being seen as less than or feeling not enough.
As I speak these words,
Make sure you continue to breathe and pause for a moment and notice the feelings,
Sensations that arise.
If you're like me,
As I reflect on perfectionism,
I can feel a great deal of pain,
Sadness,
Anger and shame.
I often feel constriction in the body.
My jaws will clench.
I feel the sensation of wanting to cry and sense behavioral urges to start doing.
So take this moment to honor what is arising within you,
Care for it and allow it to move through you.
What if your body,
Your being,
Your mind were truly at peace?
There was a felt sense at the level of the tissues of acceptance and appreciation for what is.
With each waking day,
You honored yourself and others' efforts to live a full life with meaning and purpose.
Your body felt settled.
Your limbs were loose.
A judgmental mind was fleeting.
You knew a joyful and light heart.
That your mind was calm and quiet.
And that throughout most of the day,
You embodied a slow and natural full breath.
And your heart rate remained fluid.
What if you greeted yourself with elation and reverence?
Had appreciation for every part of you.
Yes,
Every wrinkle,
Every scar,
Every quirk,
Every imperfection.
And you lived fully,
Expressed unapologetically.
What if we were free of the shame spiral,
Not feeling good enough?
We released the need to see fault in others and self.
We no longer fluctuated in and out of hyper-arousal states or a sense of stuckness because we are gripped by perfectionism.
What if we no longer felt tightness and pressure in the brain,
Heart rate escalation and moved with quick breaths,
Or often holding our breath?
What would be possible if perfectionism was transformed in seeing yourself and others and the world as divinely beautiful and exactly what is to be in this moment without judgment?
What would be possible if we welcome in messiness,
Making lots of mistakes,
Being witnessed in our awkwardness and our imperfections?
What if?
So take this moment to remain open and in a reflective present space.
And again,
Honoring what may be arising and allow yourself to feel fully into it and express in any way it needs to move through your body.
Know I am with you to heal from the oppressive impacts of perfectionism.
I want you to affirm yourself in this moment exactly as you are and to say to yourself,
I love you and acknowledge yourself with care for moving through life in ways you needed,
Even if driven by perfectionism.
Forgive yourself for the ways your perfectionism has contributed to hurt,
Harm,
Division and separation.
Affirm that you will never collect enough evidence to know you are enough in this moment so you can stop trying and know you are enough as is right now.
Go ahead and affirm your commitment to release and heal yourself from the embodiment of perfectionism through daily practices and new choices.
Together we will heal.
Together we will transform.
Together we will work towards liberation.
And together we will rise.
Take as much time as you need to close this practice,
Perhaps sitting a bit longer,
Getting out your journal,
Getting a breath of fresh air or anything else you can honor yourself with,
Reminding ourselves that perfectionism is an illusion.
And every day we are at choice to choose our full liberation rather than choosing the bondage of perfectionism.
I thank you for participating and practicing with me today and so look forward to when we meet again.
