August 2007

Layers -
Peel back the onion that is you!

Have you ever thought of yourself as a bunch of layers?  Probably not.  But in reality, that is what we are.  There are parts of us that are so deep that we are not consciously in touch with them.  We spend most of our time with the surface layer of ourselves - the layer that likes to watch a certain sitcom each week, or who loves to eat pizza.  Yet, it is the deep layers that brings so much revelation, joy, healing and growth into our lives.

 I never knew I had the capacity to facilitate the healing of others, until I ventured into myself at a very deep level.  It wasn’t always pleasant, it wasn’t always fun, but it was always profound.  Soon the buried parts of me – deeper layers - started becoming healed and integrated into my everyday life.  Then voila, I am still me, just not the me I was before - and the journey continues.

 Try peeling back the onion that is you – layer by layer.  With each layer examined, healed and integrated, a door opens for the next layer to surface.  I will warn you there are those who get frustrated because they cannot accomplish what they want by addressing only 1 or 2 issues that surface from their inner layers.  Let’s face it, we are a “quick fix” society that wants immediate results – which in the long run, may not last.  The process of uncovering and uniting with the layers that are you, brings lasting results.  I suggest that we don’t become frustrated when after a couple of efforts, you didn’t know and heal yourself.  After all healing in the dictionary means to “become whole.”  I like to think of this process as a transformational journey with yourself.  Try to look at this as a new way of being.  Here are a few examples:

 Paula who has lived for over 60 years, was disappointed that she could not achieve in 1-2 sessions the healing that she so desperately wanted.  I encouraged her to stay the path, explaining that it can often be difficult to address 60+ years in a few hours.  She decided to continue to focus for a few more work sessions, and now she is in control of her health and her life!  When something smacks her sideways, she has learned to quiet herself and go within for guidance and assistance, or to seek the help of others.

 This example highlights another important component.  It is key to adjust or modify our routine a little bit to do the things that keep us in balance with our newly evolved state.  Let’s look at a few more examples. 

John went through a period of very deep work.  Lots of layers were identified, worked with and incorporated.  His sense of well being was incredibly enhanced.  He started a practice of meditation, being intention focused and using visualization.  After a while he stopped all of this.  He soon noticed that he would get spun up, letting the outside world control how he felt.  He has learned that devoting 30+ minutes a day to listening to a CD tailored for his personal meditation, continuing guided imagery work and Tai Chi keeps him in touch with his whole self and his connection to all that is. 

 Kathy couldn’t live with her husband without fear, until she started her journey of peeling back the onion, reuniting with buried parts of herself and healing them.  Now she is living with the same man, and the behaviors that she used to find fearful, she now finds humorous.  What changed in this scenario was Kathy.  However, when she stopped being on her path of ‘self knowing self’, her old behaviors began to return.  She now knows that she needs to incorporate time to do what is popularly known as “inner work”.  She supports this with a weekly routine that includes yoga and guided meditation.  Kathy maintains her more whole self in her daily life because of this routine – and finds time to explore her layers deeper on a monthly basis.   

The idea is not to do inner work a couple of times, and then revert to the way you were.  Rather, it is an ongoing evolutionary journey.  I recently found a layer within me that was critical, and I have done a lot of work on myself.  Instead of being frustrated that there was yet another issue to address, I thought – “Wow, now I know why this has kept coming up in my life despite other work!  Thank you!”

 Accept the fact that you are a complex being.  Accept the fact that there are many facets of you.  Then, just enjoy the journey of ‘self knowing and healing self”….layer by layer by layer…. Bringing you more peace, more joy, more confidence, and more contentment.  God bless you!

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