Give Yourself Permission
There are about a million things I want to share with you about this word “permission” but for the sake of brevity, I’ll try to keep it succinct.
We are living in a culture that favors non-stop, chronic “doing.”
So many people are so stuck on auto-pilot, and entrenched in old ways of being –– old behavioral patterns, and repetitive thought patterns ––that we forget to give ourselves permission to relax, to breathe, or to slow down.
Many people have been raised to believe that giving to ourselves, especially through practices of self-nourishment is selfish. Or, we believe we need to wait for other people’s permission or culturally accepted “special occasions” to “treat” ourselves.
It’s also much more common to find that people treat themselves with harsh criticism much more often than with loving-kindness or self-compassion.
I think this kind of mindset is incredibly destructive for our entire culture and directly contributes to our collective “dis-ease.”
We don’t need to wait for permission to do what’s best for ourselves. And I strongly believe that we can’t show up and do our best work or be in service unless our own cups are overflowing.
We need to be well resourced to hold space for our own healing process. And if you’re in a care-giving role, then you need to be especially well resourced to hold space for other people’s healing and growth.
Intentionally adopting this word “permission” becomes a specific cognitive tool that signals you to break an old habit and reach for a new choice.
Whenever I’m starting a new session with a client or a group, I always start my sessions by inviting everyone to give themselves permission to simply arrive in this moment, aligning mind and body together in the here and now.
Reaching for and using this word permission allows us to put down and stop carrying excess energetic weight and let go of these self-inflicted pressures that no longer serve us.
As you work with the medicine, I encourage you to give yourself permission to:
- Hold space for all that you need to feel.
- Welcome ALL aspects of yourself, both the shadow and the light, into your practice.
- Fill up your own cup with whatever practices genuinely feeling nourishing to your body, mind, and Spirit.
- Unlock your creative lifeforce in whatever capacity feels good for you.
- Forgive yourself for self-inflicted harm
- Deepen in your self-love
Keep in mind that when working with this medicine, emotions might come up for you that need your attention and care. Or the medicine might send you a very strong clear message that what you need to do for the rest of the day is rest, or prioritize self-care by going for a walk or taking a bath, and not engaging with other people.
Give yourself permission to open and receive the wisdom and guidance this medicine has to offer you.
Whatever your intention is for embarking on this journey with the medicine, give yourself permission to take the necessary steps to follow through on this guidance being offered to you.
Yes, this can be easier said than done, and sometimes it requires strength and courage to set new boundaries for yourself or go for what you really want in this life. But I trust and have faith that you will remember an inner strength that already resides within you to support you on this path, as you step into deeper alignment with the heartfelt vision of who you are becoming.