Picture a home overlooking the ocean.  It is a grand old home painted in vibrant tones.  Through endless seasons of exposure to intense sun, wind, and rainstorms, the exterior walls have gradually faded to reveal its’ true color.  A majestic redwood magically appears revealing a life lesson for all of us to learn from.

Similar to the majestic redwood home, the essence of you lies beneath the roles you have taken on throughout your life.  Beneath parent, employee, friend, and partner lies your authentic being.  Just as the redwood reveals truth of its’ origin and natural character, so too does your body.  Your body is the means with which your soul communicates to you.  Listen to those internal cues, heed those inner sensations that connect you with your true beauty within.

Body wisdom is all about personal best.  When following body wisdom, there is no place for competition either with your self or others.  Anytime you are focused on specific outcomes such as beating old records or winning against others, body wisdom takes a back seat.  During these times, the thinking mind prevails as the body is pushed to perform at whatever cost.

Bring mindfulness to what is most important.  Find the right balance between physical and spiritual wellbeing.  Remember that your body is not a machine and that it benefits from the appropriate amount of care and exercise.  Take care of your body and your body will take care of you!.

When you are attuned to your body’s wisdom, you catch imbalances before they become problematic.  In comparison to the past when you were caught up with the busyness of life and disregarding internal cues, you now hear messages with great clarity and heed the signals within.  The benefits are profound.

When you become sensitive to your body, you become sensitive to life.  Aware of the many subtleties in life, you begin to see the interconnected nature of everything on this planet.  You realize there is a beautiful rhythmic energy at play, supporting the livelihood of all.

Body pain and tension can get the better of us if we disregard signals from within.  Ignoring discomfort is like alienating yourself.  Instead, befriend your body and listen deeply to what it is saying.  Maybe it is telling you to slow down, take a break, or try a different approach.  Perhaps this is an opportunity for you to develop new skills and habits for long-term health.  Chronic aches and pain can be effectively addressed with the practice of mindfulness.

Make today the day you become your body’s best friend. Pay attention to it with loving kindness and non-judgmental attention.  Vow to work with your body to heal any pain you are experiencing.  Find time for self-care and commit to wellness now.  Science reveals the body has the capacity to heal itself naturally and regenerate healthy cells.  Why not support this miracle within.  Awareness is key.  Mindfully choose your next step towards better health today.

You are the expert of your life, your mind, and your body.  If you doubt this, then at the very least, believe you are in the best position to become an expert of your life, mind and body with mindful attention!  Bring non-judgemental awareness to every aspect of your life.  Mindfulness is an adventure like no other!

Observe your sensory experiences in the here and now.  Bring awareness to your body.   See your body as a vibrant temple which gives you life.  Focus on your breath and its rhythmic flow, coming in and out of your body like waves on a beach.  Bring awareness to physical sensations, from the crown of your head to toes.  Relax any tension or tightness you feel by softening those areas with deep and relaxing breaths.  Imagine the tension leaving your body with each out breath.  Envision your body healthy and at ease.  Hold this image with you as you go about your day.  Practice this regularly throughout the week and you will be amazed how a few minutes of mindfulness leads to enhanced quality of life!

Mindfulness reminds us that we are human.  We are complex beings comprised of mind, body and spirit.  Our authentic nature lies at the core of our being, under layers of experiences that have shaped us since birth.  Those experiences contribute to who we are today, including illusions of inadequacy as discussed in the previous three posts on small self.  Mindfulness dissolves those illusions very naturally and brings us back to the reality we were all born whole and complete, with a divine essence flowing through each and every one of us.

The practice of mindfulness evokes personal best. When you live mindfully, you become aware of incongruities between your inner and outer worlds.  You stop identifying with small self and repeating old habits that block your potential.  You stop comparing yourself to others and instead, honour your authentic nature and unique gifts.  This revolutionary step forward is one of the greatest blessings mindfulness offers.  Through self-acceptance, you free yourself to be all that you were meant to be.

In the previous post, moving beyond the small self involves true refuge: a ‘safe place’ to heal old wounds.  If healing is as simple as finding a safe place, then you may be wondering why it is so difficult to detach from small self.  The reason is humans are creatures of habit, and habits that involve false refuge keep us locked in small self.

False refuge are the result of subconscious reactions, those fight or flight tendencies that move us through sticky situations without addressing underlying problems.  Some common examples include emotional eating, impulse shopping, overworking and giving beyond your wellness.  Bring awareness to false refuges that keep small self alive.  Focus on finding true refuge by practicing mindfulness in the moment.  Stop and focus on your breath and bodily sensations.  As calm returns, wait for insights to guide your way.

Making the transition from small self to wholeness is a unique process for each of us.  Healing fragmented parts of ourself, fuelled by inadequacies and perceptions of lack in life requires an open mind and commitment to positive change.  It is probably the hardest work you will ever do but it is indeed doable and the benefits are profound, not to mention long-lasting.  The key to reaching wholeness is finding true refuge.

True refuge involves a safe place for revealing your vulnerabilities.  It may take on the form of a person or spirit such as a special grandmother, alive or deceased.  It may be a church leader, dear friend, guardian angel or even the most tender and compassionate part of yourself.  Any of these may offer a safe place for revealing your path back to wholeness.

The small self arises when self-doubt creeps in.  Everyone who has experienced hurt in the past has a small self.  Maybe you were judged or treated poorly by another person.  Maybe you did not meet their expectations and felt a deep sense of inadequacy within you.  The small self is kept alive when we allow those criticisms and harmful actions to define us.

Break free from small self and negative thought patterns by practicing mindfulness.  Awareness of negative thoughts and self-defeating patterns is the first step.  The next involves meeting yourself with kindness and compassion.  Remember that positive change only happens when we are willing to step out of where we are and open up to a new way of being.

There comes a point in life when the question “Who am I?” arises.  This is one of those big questions that is seldom answered easily.  Mindfulness practice teaches us that we are much more than we think.

You are more than your thoughts.  You are more than your feelings and physical body.  You are more than the roles you assume, the activities you excel and the habits you regularly engage.  You are even more than any diagnosis or label ever created.

You are a spiritual being.  Your essence shines through when you are aligned with your authentic nature.  Authenticity is derived from your most natural tendencies.   This is not to be confused with social conditioning or cultural influences.  These external forces merely reflect their origins and not your true self.  Bring awareness to the essence of you, a whole and perfect being with a capacity for greatness that only you are capable of.  You are uniquely special person with untold talents and gifts awaiting your discovery!