Over the last few years, a lot of my therapeutic work has been somatic. A friend suggested I read How to Stay Human in a Fucked Up World by Tim Desmond. On page 139, Desmond says a friend asked him, “When is the first time you can remember feeling exactly like this?”
This is some mind blowing work. If you could go back in time and locate a reaction to an event(s) where you were scared, sad, frustrated, lonely, disappointed and could follow the line to your present situation with the very same emotion – albeit, maybe even an overreaction to your current situation – you could also speak to yourself back in time and support and love yourself now.
It is next level transformation to attend to the needs of all of your ages. Through the help of a good therapist, it is some of the most soul satisfying work you’ll ever do.
Then you get to go out into the world, amongst the people, with your footing so sure you marvel at who you’ve become.
This is alignment – with yourself. With your needs. With your desires. You could call it enlightenment but I’ll save that for those who sit on mountaintops.
For us down here, feet on the ground, who have spent most of our lives reacting from needs unmet, coming into alignment with your purpose, your needs, your desires, is the grooviest of groovy gifts you could give to yourself.
I highly recommend it.
And here is one of my favorite poems, from one of my favorite poets, Jane Hirshfield. I was lucky enough to hear read her poetry in San Francisco and she speaks as she writes, soulfully.
