Cultivating Self- Compassion

"Blessed are they that are One with themselves. They will find the Kingdom.”
 --Gospel of Thomas 49

To become one with all that we are is to turn toward all that we experience in life.
Some aspects of our experience are more challenging than others and our human tendency to criticize ourselves when we are struggling is not helpful. A growing body of evidence suggests that learning to replace relentless self-criticism with greater self- compassion and care supports us in meeting the fullness of our experience with greater ease.

From a spiritual perspective, we know that we are forever supported in this process by the power and presence of Divine Love that resides within us, in Spirit. 

Unity has long taught the power our thoughts have on our experience. Prayer and meditation are taught as the most accelerated use of that power as we purposely focus our mind/thoughts on that Divine Presence within and all around us. 

Spending time in the Silence allows these ideas to permeate all levels of our consciousness.
We know that taking time to ground in the depth of Spirit deepens this connection, and  supports greater physical and mental well -being. As a result we experience, greater creativity, peace, presence, and patience.

As our awareness that 'we are spiritual beings having a human experience' continues to expand, so do the opportunities to learn how to better integrate our spirituality with our humanity in practical and meaningful ways.

Additionally, we are learning  more about how our more primitive brain operates in ways that can make this connection seem illusive and even result in our turning on ourselves when we need care and compassion the most. The good news is that we can learn to cultivate greater self- compassion. 

The tools offered via the mindful self- compassion approach developed by Drs. Kerstin Neff and Christopher Germer are proving to be very helpful in this endeavor.  Of course, we still have to choose to foster this connection, which in and of itself is an act of self- compassion. 

Join us Sunday at 10am as we explore the physiology of self- compassion vs. self-criticism in order to cultivate greater self-compassion.




Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Embrace of Community

Image
As those in Lewiston Maine turn to find support within their community following the horrific loss of life they endured yesterday, let us join them in a heart connection that flows beyond the limits of that small town.   From a grounded place within ourselves, we can hold their pain and devastation. We can also hold them in the energy of safety, strength and love.   I do not know the details of what drove this man to act in this way.  I certainly do not condone his actions but I do believe that there had to be something deeply disturbed inside of him for him to act out in this way.  Challenging as it may feel at times, I believe that every act of misplaced anger, hatred, and violence is a call for us all to connect more deeply in love.   Our spiritual principles and practices support us in this. Knowing the Love that we are as God expressing on Earth is where we find the strength and courage to offer love to our hurting world, and ourselves. God as Love i...
Read more

The Purpose of Spiritual Community

Image
  A spiritual community is one that shares a set of spiritual teachings/practices and creates a safe space for people to learn and grow into them together. Of course, having a safe space to gather is important but physical safely aside, let’s consider Rev. Jim Lockard’s definition of safe space in the context of a New Thought spiritual community:  " A space where one is free to be disturbed enough to look at one’s own beliefs, knowing that the community itself is supportive and caring. A safe space which guarantees no disturbance is not ideal for personal and spiritual growth” ( Being the Beloved Community, (2022), pg.11). Uncovering our core beliefs is a key element of Unity’s basic teachings. We teach that our thoughts, and beliefs along with their corresponding feelings shape our experience. As we begin to grow into the belief that the Divine (God) is the One, True source of all that is we first have to release some of our more childish beliefs about God as the good/...
Read more

Mystical Awe

Image
Summer of Awe Series  I hope that you have been taking time to notice the plethora of opportunities for awe and wonder that life so freely affords us.   This Sunday we will consider the power and purpose of Mystical/Spiritual Awe. The term mystical here simply means a direct, personal experience of the Divine. There are a plethora of these opportunities to connect. As we discussed last week, many of us feel this powerful connection while “walking in the Cathedral of nature” as Dr. Lisa Miller puts it. In his book Awe , author Dasher Keltner explores how our spiritual life actually grows out of experiences of awe.   Keltner refers to mystical awe as “…the feelings of encountering what we call the Divine, {meaning} what we feel to be primary, true, good and omnipresent” (pg. 195). Such experiences draw us closer to the power and presence of the Divine within and all around us. They also fulfill a deep and fundamental human need. The awe-inspiring body of work rece...
Read more