For my Fellow Empaths: Spiritual Practice, Self-Trust, Spiritual Strength
Originally published on examiner.com, April 15, 2014 at 1:05pm
Each of us has a ‘soft spot,’ the place in our experience where we feel vulnerable and tender. This soft spot is inherent in appreciation and love, and it is equally inherent in pain. Often, when we feel this soft spot, it is quickly followed by a feeling of fear and an involuntary, habitual tendency to close down. This, we know as humans, is the tendency of all living beings: to avoid pain and to cling to pleasure. With a little bit of practice, and via some good ol’ observation, we realize that covering up the soft spot means shutting down to our life experiences. It is through such action that we tend to narrow down into a solid feeling of self against other. It is a plus for us to utilize discernment (of course) as there are some situations where walking away is the best choice in any given moment. We can learn to honor our feelings by being open to them, and equally so, when such is the case. Pay heed to your intuition, and what is ‘right’ for you will come in its place. Know ThySelf. Trust ThySelf.
One very powerful and effective way to work with this tendency to push away pain and hold onto pleasure is the practice of tonglen. Tonglen is a Tibetan word that literally means ‘sending and taking.’ This practice originated in India and came to Tibet in the eleventh century. In tonglen practice, when we see or feel suffering, we breathe in with the notion of completely feeling it, accepting it, and owning it. Then we breathe out, radiating compassion, lovingkindness, freshness; anything that encourages relaxation and openness.’ Pema Chodren
Tonglen practice is powerfully transformative — this is especially true for empaths during this ever so transformative time on the planet.
This practice is generally ‘received’ (received as in laden in creation, and thus perceived) by those who can feel others as themSelves. Whether we know this practice as Tonglen or not, this truth reveals itself to us as we move forward in the conscious and direct experience of our Oneness.
One must be very grounded, or ready and willing to become more grounded in this earthly world in order to be present with our fellow humans in these ways.
Are you ready? It is.
As you take up this practice and continue in your forward flow:
Discernment is very important. You know what it is that you are learning about and serving in the now, and it is imperative that you listen to yourSelf. You are aware of what your current expression of Self entails, and also of what it takes to ground this Light into form.
Don’t allow yourself to be too distracted by energies on the planet that are not in alignment with your particular vibration of expression in the now. Of course, there are times when we are learning about the many and varied energies that make up this world experience, however, remember to accept and trust YourSelf no matter the main focus of your learning point in the now. Know your soft spots, for within them are your greatest teachers. This truth, your inner knowing, purely elucidates the path that you are walking in this world. Listen to the still small voice that is within, learn to more fully utilize it as your guide in every decision that you make. Such action allows you to remain in your God Center whatever comes your way.
‘Be still and know that I am God.’ Meditate upon this mantra every day. Whether you are sitting alone in nature or you are out grocery shopping, learn to attune to this energy and take it with you throughout your days. Belief is one thing. Actively teaching yourself this truth as you walk through the experiences of this world is quite another. Teach yourself this truth, feel it, expand in/with the vibration that emanates from these words.
Do you want to ‘be’ it or merely believe in it?
Until we are consistently abiding in this state of awareness, where God is experienced as All, discernment is necessity, for duality is still our governing reality. In other words, your Soul may ‘get’ that there are many vibrations of reality that exist beyond the dualistic perceptions of reality, for this is truth. However, what is happening is that your mind and body are not quite in full alignment with the knowing that is of your Soul in these ways quite yet.
There are different rules, so to speak, in each vibration of experiencing. What works in one vibration does not always work for us in another. The lessons are forever shifting, and this is what propels us forward in our expansion.
When you find yourself in a space and you are saying to yourself, ‘What am I not doing? I have been doing this and that (insert your personal list here) and it used to work, but it is not working any longer,’ — take note, for this is a good indicator that you have experienced a shift in vibration. Congratulate yourself and rejoice in this beautiful world that we live in. Take this opportunity to open your mind to making different choices. Free yourself up and choose things/people/experiences that are in alignment with what you seek to learn and embody in yourSelf and in your life. Your mind and body are moving forth to align more fully with the knowing of your Soul, that is all, hence the earthly lessons. You are not stuck and there is nothing wrong with you, you are simply experiencing a deep internal realization of a shift in your field of energy, and your way of walking in this world. Utilize it by listening to yourSelf! Don’t allow yourself to be distracted by ‘well-meaning’ others, you know what is best for you in each and every moment.
Many of us move into and out of this ‘state of awareness.’ However, as we expand we abide ever more in this truth, ‘God is All.’ We come to a space as within where we exist in God most of the time, and then there are those times when it can feel like we get ‘thrown out of God.’ We experience this feeling when we have stepped out of our flow. This feeling is an indicator and messenger from Self to step back into alignment, i.e., to make a different choice and see how it feels.
Empaths of our time are directly learning about our Oneness. As such, it is imperative to clear any energetic likes and dislikes that we may have to certain energies and experiences in this world. Again, empaths are living in the direct experience of our Oneness. This is not always a walk in the park, to say the very least. In fact, many people are experiencing this, however they have not yet found a framework that actively reflects what they are in-deed experiencing. Living it, experiencing our Oneness in actuality, brings an entirely different set of lessons to the fore. To note, there is the experience of feeling our ‘Oneness in God as Spirit in form,’ and there is the experience of feeling our ‘Oneness in Humanity,’ and boy do these vibrations and observational vantage points offer a plethora of varying lessons in Light. Belief is beautiful in that in can lead to actualization. Teaching ourselves these truths while we are in this world is actually a very practical way of walking through this world, for We Are One.
Discernment is the golden thread that guides you along your individual path in this world, and it leads you to your fullest expression of God as an individual spark of the Divine in creation.
We are all learning and we must take into account where we are as individuals in this process of embodying love in action. To understand that We Are Love, beyond mere intellectual grasping, we must practice love. It is in this way that the mind and body can learn to walk in alignment with the knowing of the Soul as a spark of the Divine in form. What this is about is consciously walking forward in love, in the knowing that this ‘love’ will reveal itself in many forms as each moment moves into the next. There will be those times when, to our minds, the actions that we are called to take do not appear loving — for example, when we can feel that we are to close a door to someone or to some experience in life. As empaths, we must learn to be okay setting boundaries so that along the way we can maintain the health of our bodies and minds. They need preparation time to acclimate in these expanded vibrations while we are on earth. God sees, and there is a greater order than our minds could ever fathom. This is why ‘Know Thyself’ is so very important, first and foremost, followed by, ‘To Thine Own Self Be True.’ When God as within is guide, the implicate order is revealed in each moment as we choose to trust.
Trust implicitly in your own inner knowing for it is your greatest teacher.
We (‘We’ as in, the Soul and Spirit of humanity, as One) need you to stand in your center in order to bring this Light more fully into form. Stand firmly in the Light that is your Knowing. You are a bridge of Light through which the Divine is moving into form. Expand, that you may hold even more Light and ground it into form as an expression and reflection of Self, of the Divine. Your creations are reflections of you, they allow you to express “Who You Are’ in form. Look at your creations and cherish them, for they reflect what you have learned and are learning as a child of God, they reflect your gift to God as a child of God, and they are your gift to this world. You, simply being As You Are, serve in birthing this Light/Knowing ever more deeply into the experiences and world of humanity, As One. What do you seek to express or create next? Be The Light.
Thank you for reading!
If anything has come to heart and/or mind upon reading this piece, I would surely love to hear from you! Please share in comments below.
Soul to Soul,
Creative Hearts Align