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The Energy of You Volume XIX Issue# 26 Hi Reader, I was watching the documentary Simone Biles Rising this week {I am not into sports, but I LOVE the Olympics}. I have such admiration for her ability to trust her own wisdom and having the courage to do what was right for her. She talks about how difficult that was and how crushed she was to have to walk away from the competition. The ability to lean in and discern your own truth is not always easy. I highly value it, and in my practice, I work with clients on it all the time. Many of the alternative health and New Age communities have an either/or mentality as if there were one right way to do things; come to think of it, it’s pretty prevalent in other areas, too. I don’t subscribe to that. We are all connected and unique, which means there are many ways to arrive at the destination you desire.
I’ve been flirting with the New Age community for 30 years. I say flirting because I never fully engage. There’s something that has me holding it at arm’s length. There’s the element of ‘you’re not the boss of me’ that runs freely through my veins, my love of science, mixed, of course, with a little(okay, a lot) of skepticism about the woo-woo practices. But and this is a big but there is validity in many of the practices. We all have a human biofield, and it is deeply influenced by thoughts and beliefs; in the most simplistic form, take a look at an EEG. Recent research on mindfulness and meditation documents the physical and psychological benefits of both. And there’s a lot we don’t yet know.
That’s not my objection. My objection is the tendency for some(not all) practices to encourage the participant to bypass their own judgment. This particular woo practice is the end, all be all, the answer to all of your ills, but you must blindly follow the path of whoever is leading you to this nirvana. This collection of traits, my friend, feels a little bit culty to me. [Cue creepy music and a clap of thunder.] We all need to judge for ourselves what feels right or is a fit for our situation. (the trust in inner wisdom we’ve talked about in the past) We can’t do that when we are told our opinion doesn’t matter or that it’s just resistance to change, as if there were only one true way. Change is hard and can be scary—that’s normal. Uncertainty is not a pleasant place to be. Seeking advice from an expert, a friend, or a colleague is normal and healthy. We can take in the information and need to stay grounded in our own wisdom. Had Simone Biles leaned into conventional norms, or the many critics that called her a quitter (news flash sometimes the best choice is to quit) she would have “pushed through” but that wasn’t what was best for her. She’s back to competing and is stronger than ever as she heads to Paris to compete in the 2024 Olympics. So, what does that mean for us in everyday life? It’s easy to give our power away when we feel uncertain or afraid. I would argue that that’s the moment when we need to lean into our own discernment. We should check for any red flags and go within to hear our own truth about the situation. It might feel strange at first, but with practice, there will come a sense of certainty. Start by noticing small things.
We all have these cues. The more we lean in and trust them, the easier it is to recognize them and the easier it becomes to trust them. Questions? drop me a note A quick favor – I’m creating my topic list for the next three months and would love it if you hit reply and shared anything you might like me to explore. Thanks in advance 🥰 Cathy
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Trusting Your Gut: Lessons from Simone Biles🥇
