Chapter 2...... continues: THE POWER WITHIN

jUST bREATHE ...... You've got this. Love yourself, be brave, be bold, be YOU!

Who of you struggle to look at yourself in a mirror, like really connect with the person staring back at you. Do you recognise that person? What do you see? Do you see pain, self-loathing, which memories flood your mind when looking at your reflection. Recently when I looked in the mirror, I saw a middle aged woman, with sadness in her eyes, sadness of lost years, holding on to a past that no longer serve me, a past that almost broke me, a past that should have claimed my life, but by the grace of God, and a will to live, and my beautiful son who believed in me no matter what, I started noticing little moments of light shine through my eyes, telling me that there is hope in the darkness, that there is beauty in all the chaos, and that is what I call the POWER WITHIN.

I would like to share a method I found valuable in my journey, a method originally developed by inspirational teacher Louise Hay. Mirror Work is a method of getting in touch with the inner self. The primary purpose of mirror work is to develop self love, self care, and a more meaningful relationship with others. By simply looking into the mirror for a certain amount of time each day and gently talking to yourself, you can foster a more compassionate and forgiving connection with yourself.

Sit or stand in front of the mirror for five minutes. Simply stare at yourself and hold gentle eye contact. That’s all you have to do.

Now how do you feel? You might feel uncomfortable, awkward, unsettled, embarrassed, or emotional. You might even notice patterns of self loathing and self-criticism arise.

Why does this happen? As Louise Hay writes in her book Mirror Work: The mirror reflects back to you the feelings you have about yourself. It makes you immediately aware of where you are resisting and where you are open and flowing. It clearly shows you what thoughts you will need to change if you want to have a joyous, fulfilling life. In other words, in front of the mirror, there is no hiding. In front of the mirror, we catch an intimate (and sometimes painful) glimpse into the relationship we have with ourselves. Mirror work can make us feel initially uneasy because it exposes our inner critic.

Suddenly everything we feel about ourselves that we might not be aware of comes to the surface. And if you haven’t developed a compassionate relationship with yourself, you might be prone to believing all the nastiness whispered in your ear by your inner critic.

Another reason why mirror work can make us feel uncomfortable is that it exposes the vulnerable and neglected parts of our inner selves. After all, what better opportunity for that forgotten part to finally grab our attention than face-to-face in front of a mirror? Most of us have numerous abandoned inner parts, but the most common one that we’re disconnected from is the inner child. We all possess an inner child – it’s one of the many patterns of energy that compose our personality structures. The inner child is the part of us that still retains a sense of childlike wonder, spontaneity, creativity, and joy. On the other hand, our inner child also possesses many of our primal and core wounds. Thus, learning how to relate to and liberate our inner child is crucial. Mirror work is an intensely effective way of helping us to re-establish a connection with this delicate part of ourselves.

When looking into the mirror and trying to reconnect with the inner child, it’s not unusual to feel waves of sadness wash over you. You may also experience unexpected moments of excitement or joy. But typically, it’s common to experience heavier and more uncomfortable emotions first. Although this kind of mirror work can be upsetting and unpleasant at times, these feelings point to deeper part of your subconscious level. Simply gazing at yourself in the mirror and comforting your inner child can be a tremendously healing practice and a powerful form of inner child work.

How to Practice Mirror Work

· Use affirmations that feel authentic to you

· Dedicate at least two minutes every day

· Do mirror work in private so that you aren’t disturbed

· It’s okay to feel emotional – let yourself feel whatever comes up

· Keep a journal where you record any notable experiences

Choose or create your own affirmation

Why use affirmations?

Affirmations counteract the negative self-talk that runs through our heads – they also help to reprogram our minds.

When we use affirmations, we are affirming something that we like about ourselves or something positive we wish to give ourselves.

You may like to create your own affirmation spontaneously based on how you feel when you look in the mirror. For example, if you feel ugly in that moment of time, you can affirm to yourself, “I have a beautiful heart and soul” or whatever feels most authentic to you. If you feel uncomfortable in your own presence, you can affirm, “It’s okay to feel uncomfortable, I accept myself as I am.” Alternatively, you can choose from a list of affirmations and experiment with using one affirmation each day (or one for a week). Here are some examples:

· I’m learning to love you

· I’m willing to take care of you

· I love how thoughtful/caring/sincere/____ you are

· I am worthy of love

· I am enough

· I am exactly who I need to be in this moment

· It’s okay for me to feel scared

· It’s okay for me to feel sad

· It’s okay for me to feel awkward

· I love how unique my body is

· I am beautiful

· I am whole

· I lovingly embrace my fears

· I am fierce and strong

· I trust in my natural wisdom

· I am open and receptive

· I believe in myself

Also, the point of affirmations isn’t to sugarcoat how you feel. If you genuinely can’t say to yourself in the mirror “I love you” then don’t! The point is to offer sincere love to yourself. If an affirmation such

as “I love and accept you” feels too difficult, focus on a milder affirmation such as “I am learning to love and accept you” or “I want to love and accept you more.”

Repeat your affirmation and repeat your affirmation to yourself at least ten times, whether out loud or in your head. You may also like to use your own name as this sends a powerful message to your unconscious.

Place a hand over your heart, mirror work can feel intense, if you feel overwhelmed by any experience, you’re always free to walk away and come back to it later. However, often what’s let through into your conscious mind is just the right amount for you to handle. To help you process any strong feelings and ground yourself in your body, try placing a gentle hand over your heart. This simple action helps you to stay connected with love.

Record your discoveries, it is to help you spiritually integrate what you’ve learned. By keeping a journal, you’ll be able to track your progress, having something to come back to in the future and reflect upon.