‘Know thyself’ there are many quotes on know thyself from Socrates to Oscar Wilde. It’s a philosopher’s minefield, you can spend a lifetime debating on the concept, leading to a continuous spiral of questioning and unfolding. Is it a step worth taking?
“He who knows others is wise; he who knows himself is enlightened.” Lao Tzu
Do you really know what makes you tick, what makes your heart sing and your soul soar? Have you ever given yourself the time, space and opportunity to explore the depths within? Or do you skip over YOU.
Ancient practices and philosophies were all based on the principles of self-discovery and self-awareness, more recently we have the self-development wave. The belief that any change you would like to see in the world begins with you. It’s important to know your personal song, the note that resonates within you and express this to the world.
“Your own self-realization is the greatest service you can render the world” Ramana Maharshi
What a beautiful world it would be, if we were all on a frequency of creative expression; the essence of our uniqueness permeating earth. This would eliminate the need to compete, compare, be fearful and doubtful; all would cease to exist as we would be working together for each other’s growth and unique expression. I have been told before my view of life is unrealistic, this maybe so but I believe we live in a time where change is accelerating. Come join me, let’s be an active part in the change.
I hear you ask, how can you get to the place of exploration and curiosity to discover your unique creative expression, when you are bogged down by daily life, it’s trials and tribulations. Which unknowingly may affect you emotionally, mentally and/or physically. In today’s fast paced world, where any downtime we may have is over shadowed by technology and social media. We don’t experience time for us, to get to know who we are, what beliefs and values do WE hold because we get consumed by posts from celebrities, politicians and friends.
For me, I’ve spent many years on the self-development path, coming to terms with my pain body. This was a rollercoaster ride, as the more I spoke about my pain, the more I got caught up in the whirlwind of emotions from anger, frustration, despair to sadness. Whenever I felt I had come to a place of acceptance and healing, I was triggered and the cycle began again.
“Decluttering the mind and body for energy to flow, allowing space for creativity, inspiration, happiness and action to flow in the desired direction” Manni Dillon
The pain we feel hits us and percolates in the mind, heart and gut, at times manifesting itself in our body. I find moving the body for it to flow, the energy to become fluid and unstuck is an important step. Which beautifully leads onto working with other energy centres, to become vibrant and alive. Grounding ourselves with the help of bodywork/movement such as dance, yoga, qi gong, walking, are gentle ways to begin to feel into your body, get to know your body.
Once you become familiar with your body I suggest getting to know your breath, which is also known as your life force energy. The breath is a bridge between your physical self and your inner self. There are also ways to work on opening the heart space, letting go of beliefs that no longer serve you. Mindfulness and meditation further your self-awareness, intuition and connectedness.
“Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing there is a field. I’ll meet you there.” Rumi
Manni Dillon 