You Are Already Whole

Remembering True Self Beneath the Layers

Peaceful Duncan, Ontario

Hello,

I hope you are safe and warm in the midst of our deep winter.

As I continue to walk my own healing path, and have the honour of accompanying others on theirs, I want to remind you of a fundamental truth that guides  my life and  work as a holistic mental health counsellor and yoga teacher.

THE TRUTH IS THIS:
As human beings, we are innately whole and complete.

Yoga philosophy and Internal Family Systems (IFS), a therapeutic approach I draw from in my counselling practice, both assert this truth. If you study and practice yoga, you’ll know that yoga means union. Trauma, on the other hand, causes disconnection and fragmentation.

I work with many people who are living with the effects of trauma. Much of the suffering I witness, and know myself, comes from a sense of being separated from who we truly are.

As a mental health counsellor and yoga teacher, I believe my role is to gently guide people back toward their inherent Wholeness, or Authentic Self.

This Self — sometimes referred to as True Self, Capital S Self, Highest Self, Essential Self, and Authentic Self — can become obscured by identity covers; ingrained habits, roles, and ways of protecting ourselves. These covers or adaptive strategies help us cope and feel secure to some extent and we deeply identify with them. Eventually, though, they begin to constrain us and block our True Self from emanating. 

I remind myself often that I am inherently Whole because I can forget. Just remembering this is comforting because we can get stuck in these identity covers.

We all arrived in the world as intact, perfect beings. And then life happened. Identity covers are born when the environment does not welcome the Self to be as it is.

True Self is a state of being we can all access. When I am residing in Capital S Self, such as when I am in Savasana (corpse pose), qualities such as compassion, calmness, curiosity, presence, patience, and spaciousness emerge.

Healing can be hard. I know this firsthand. Often, when we engage in emotional healing, we focus on what is broken. It is essential that we face our pain, AND at the same time, remember that we are Whole. Remembering our Wholeness can be profoundly hopeful. When I  touch into my True Self, there is this quiet knowing that “I am okay.” We all need practices that remind us of our Wholeness.

Some Prompts to Encourage Personal Reflection

What are the doorways that lead you back to your True Self? What activities, people, and conditions help you feel more present, calm, interconnected, peaceful, and open hearted?

Here are some of my  trusted doorways to access my True Self:

  • Being in silence first thing in the morning, without technology

  • Practicing yoga and meditation

  • Experiencing the beauty of nature

  • Serving as a facilitator for others’ healing processes

Here are some additional doorways that may resonate with you:

  • Listening to or playing music

  • Dancing

  • Being with a dear friend

  • Being with a beloved pet or animal

  • Gardening

  • Hiking

  • Surfing

  • Journaling

  • Reading poetry

  • Praying

  • Stargazing

  • Cultivating awe and gratitude

  • Knitting

  • Experiencing art

It takes time to embody who we already are. It also takes consistency and effort.

Additional Prompts

  • Imagine what  your life would be like if you were able to operate more and more from your True Self.

  • Imagine feeling accepted for being exactly as you are.

  • With whom do you feel truly welcomed and seen? Who cherishes you?

  • Imagine what  our world would look  and feel like if more people  welcomed  Self Energy into their lives and related to others from this place.

A Gentle Invitation

What is one small step or activity you could engage in this week that might help you touch into your True Self?  Practice savouring your Essence. Tune into the sensations and feelings associated with wholeness. Know that you can return to this state again and again. Cultivate it regularly. It is completely normal to come in and out of Essence.

I would love to hear from you. Feel free to send me an email and share what you chose and how it made you feel.

 
 

New Yoga Class Offering

Candlelight Restorative Yoga Class at 889 Community

Beginning: Thursday, February 12
Time: 6:45 pm to 8:00 pm

This gentle, mindful class offers long held, fully supported postures using props to invite deep relaxation. Expect somatic practices to support nervous system regulation, breath exploration, guided meditation, and spaciousness. This is a place to simply be and perhaps tap into your Essential Self. This class is suitable for all levels and is especially helpful for those living with stress and overwhelm.

Please sign up online in advance at www.889community.com.

Counselling Update

I currently have one space available in my holistic counselling practice. Yoga, psychology, and neuroscience are synergistic disciplines that have contributed immensely to my own wellbeing, and I am keen to share the knowledge and transformative practices I have learned with others. I work with people in-person on Mondays in the tranquil office space pictured below. Tuesday through Thursday I see people virtually.

 
 

If you feel curious about my work, book a complimentary 20 minute phone consultation to explore whether we are a good fit.

I would like to leave you with the words of Derek Walcott from his poem, Love After Love::

“The time will come

When, with elation,

You will greet yourself arriving

At your own door, in your own mirror,

And each will smile at the other’s welcome.

…

You will love again the stranger who was your self.”

With warmth, care, compassion, and much heart,

 

PS  If you enjoyed this newsletter and think someone else might find it helpful, I’d be grateful if you shared it with them.


Lisa Mitchell