SELF-care.
What does that even mean?
For me today, part of what it meant was a deep tissue massage to work out the kinks. On a more daily basis, it means all the little doings of life that create an environment I find pleasing, not just an outer environment — things like keeping the dishes washed, but also the inner environment – my personal mediation and AAIT embodiment practice. This is what keeps me close to the heart of remembering the real SELF in self care.
After facilitating a Gnostic Intensive and Sunyata seminar for the FTG 2020 cohort last weekend, I am again reminded that the SELF in self care runs the gamut. It starts as simple as learning to brush our teeth.
As we mature, we learn to engage in the self care required to journey through life with relative ease — things like laundry, the dishes, career, finances, fun and of course our own mental and spiritual health.
The goal of the Gnostic Intensive is to have an experience of GNOSIS, especially on the question, WHO AM I?
With great delight, I can say, WE DID IT! Each participant accessed the experiential knowing beyond concept, out past the ideas of personality and history, each person experienced WHO they are. They discovered and aligned with (at least for a time) with the SELF in self care.
Can you imagine what difference it would make to experience gnosis (deep experiential knowing beyond concept) on questions such as WHO am I? What is another human being? What is LIFE?
Just contemplating the question, “who is the SELF in self-care?” might open windows of possibility.
One participant shared a bit of her experience, “I knew I was supposed to be right here. right now. I saw the bumper sticker De Colored on the way here today – that’s an expression from Emmaus walk where I felt the most love of Christ I’ve ever felt. Until today. (but still outside myself, sort of).
But this was bigger, more aligned with my spiritual beliefs – of God, love, oneness, the universe. I am you. You are me. From within. Not separate.”
Who do you believe to be the SELF in self-care?