"Self-More"

This little blog-spot seems to be becoming a March tradition. Again, I won’t apologize, you were forewarned with the previous postings that this wouldn’t be a regular thing. Crying, now THAT’S a regular thing! Please, no sympathy or concern it’s just that this year has been the start of a shift in so many ways and levels. Looking around there seems to be so many endings, personally and work related; profoundly sad, disconcerting, upsetting … life changing. The world around us even seems to be ‘ending’ but the reality is that it’s transforming. Truths to light, denial to acceptance, learning to action.

I’ve been in a profession, one with a varied landscape, for quite a few years now with a lot of learning and teachers. Two individuals key to my practice passed earlier this year - Gary Craig who streamlined earlier techniques to develop EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique) as we know it today, making it more accessible and effective. The other, John F. Barnes, the Founder of his Myofascial Release Approach, TRUE myofascial release, often referred to as the “‘ultimate therapy’. The work of both of these men, each in their own regard, has changed millions of lives - touching the hearts, easing suffering and opening new possibilities for healing across the globe. I never had the opportunity to meet Gray Craig, but if not for him, there would be no EFT, a process that combines tapping on specific points of the body, stimulating changes in the vagus nerve leading to proven lasting change and training that I would never of had the opportunity to receive.

John Barnes I have had the opportunity to meet, many times. I am proud to say that I am one of over 100,000 therapists he has trained. To say I have had the opportunity to train side by side, feel his hands over mine in a treatment, feel his presence in a room was an honor is an understatement.

These men, pivotal in the transformation and creation of their modalities truly left their mark on this world. Their legacy lives on in the work we do and the healing people choose to seek out. It’s not easy and it, many times, causes us to venture from our comfort zones. John often shared this Old Cherokee parable with us, for reasons related to what we were learning. I’ve been thinking about it’s meaning and researching the parable a lot recently. You need to feed & care for both wolves. To feed one, starves the other. The Light wolf is caring, trustworthy, has compassion and an ability to recognize what’s in it’s best interest. The Dark wolf hides around corners, waiting to jump when the Light wolf is weak. That Dark wolf has qualities that are important too though - tenacity, courage…fearlessness. No matter the version, they are both a part of who we are and it’s so important to learn how to manage them.

A teacher I respect immensely shared this sentiment of “instead of ‘self-less’, think self-more’”. Words have so much power, and we say so many of them without thinking because that is what society has taught us. Then we wonder why we are so lost, confused, and broken. What if we took care of ourselves, become more of who we were meant to be so we CAN support instead of enable one another?

Back to the ‘quite a few years’…this year is a milestone year for me and everyone asks - “what are you going to do?” I’m taking a weekend before the big birthday to be in a favorite place and taking care of me. Doing this I can be present in this ever changing and challenging world to help all of those around me waking up to their purpose. I’m going to self-more.