Ways we lose our power: Find (and keep!) your center

Earlier this year, during a painful time, I was alarmed to notice an impulse to look outside myself to deal with my discomfort. Not the kind of looking-outside-myself that meant seeking support from a therapist, friend or mentor. More the kind that was me waiting for something to arrive and magically remove me from my pain (or it from me). This state of waiting for something (divine intervention??) led to more pain, as I felt little sense of power or authority over my circumstance or feelings.

When I came out on the other side of this experience, I was curious about this impulse to hand over my power, especially when it clearly only caused me more pain. Thus began my exploration of Right Relationship with Self.

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In shamanism, we talk about being in 'right relationship' and for me, this starts with being in right relationship with self. It's a process of knowing, loving and trusting our essence (or true self), and seeking balance, harmony and wholeness with how we live our life.

There's more ease in finding right relationship with self when we are in our power. Often, we lose our power unconsciously and only notice the loss when symptoms arise – when we’re burned out, fatigued, cloudy or sucked dry. When we learn the ways in which we lose our power and what it feels like when our power leaves us, then we can use some basic tools to bring us back to center. 

In the coming posts, we explore different ways we lose our power, how to find our way back to center and ultimately, how to move towards right relationship with self. Join us as we dive in!

As a starter, here are 5 ways we can lose our power:
1.     We give it away!
2.     Negative self-talk.
3.     Saying Yes when we mean no.
4.     Allowing limiting beliefs to determine our choices.
5.     Disconnecting from our essential self.

More about these in the coming posts!