I recently had an experience like this when I was on retreat for a week in California, where I got to take a break from the city, enjoy spacious meditations each day, watch the sun rise from the desert hilltops, and just generally take good and loving care of my mind, body, and spirit. It felt like heaven, and was an incredibly welcome break from the Vancouver rain and the background buzz and stress that sometimes can set in from city living. I found myself feeling deeply connected to my own heart and at home in my body from this reset.
Have you ever not wanted a moment to end? Perhaps it was enjoying the luxury of your morning coffee before you had to run to work, an evening out laughing with friends, a delicious holiday in the sun, holding a sleeping baby, or maybe a moment of surrendered calm for no apparent reason at all.
I recently had an experience like this when I was on retreat for a week in California, where I got to take a break from the city, enjoy spacious meditations each day, watch the sun rise from the desert hilltops, and just generally take good and loving care of my mind, body, and spirit. It felt like heaven, and was an incredibly welcome break from the Vancouver rain and the background buzz and stress that sometimes can set in from city living. I found myself feeling deeply connected to my own heart and at home in my body from this reset.
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Despite intentionally practicing radical self-love and self-compassion for a while now, I find myself from time to time dipping into some serious self-doubt, insecurity, and fear.
Lately, I’ve noticed more of a predictable pattern around these feelings: Fear usually comes around most strongly when I’m about to cross a new ‘frontier’ and push my comfort zone. It often makes a sneaky entry, and at first looks and feels a lot like excitement and enthusiasm. A poem, by John Welwood
After I finished university I worked for a year with a group called the Oasis Society for Spiritual Health. Oasis works with people who are homeless and newly housed in downtown Victoria BC, and support people’s spiritual and human-connection needs by offering a space to gather, share from the heart in talking circles, and cook and eat together
Earlier this week I had coffee with a friend who was telling me about a relationship struggle he’s been experiencing. He expressed feelings of shame, anger, sadness, confusion, longing – all the emotions that usually accompany a broken heart. Ones that I am no stranger to, either. After chatting for a while, he asked me what I thought he should do to help him navigate these ‘messy emotions’.
I said, be gentle with yourself. What does that even mean? He replied. How do I do that? |
AuthorSarah Jarvis is a Registered Clinical Counsellor, psychotherapist, & teacher of Mindful Self-Compassion. This blog is a space to share practices, ideas, and experiences to heal, inspire, awaken, empower, and recognize ourselves in one another. Archives
March 2020
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