I had to learn how to be kind to myself!

Posted By Dr. Diane

I'd like to share more about the miraculous transformation I experienced as I immersed myself into the practices of Self-Compassion and Feminine Power.

Learning to be kind to myself was such a revelation.

I have long understood, in an intellectual sense, the benefits of treating myself with kindness and respect. I was preaching these concepts to my therapy clients on a daily basis.

But through all my academic training, my clinical “objectivity” and, of course, my perfectionist personality style, I had become very stuck in my head. And though I was helping others work through their painful emotions on a daily basis, I had become disconnected from my own.

And the truly shocking part was I did not--despite my profession, years of personal therapy and spiritual training--understand this disconnection until I burned out.

Pain is a great motivator.

It took the down and dirty practice of sitting quietly, tuning inwardly, and allowing myself to actually viscerally feel my painful emotions to truly begin this work. I could then, with slow breath and loving intention, offer myself the compassion I so freely gave to others.

My heart began to open to me and it felt very tender and very nourishing.

I knew I had to share this wisdom with others. And as I taught these powerful practices to my clients, the process of teaching helped me to master these skills more deeply. SCORE!

It was through my Feminine Power Training, and the community of like-minded sisters, that I truly came to appreciate that this lack of self-compassion was not my personal weakness, or just the problem of those seeking therapy, but the de facto condition of the vast majority of women.

5,000 years of patriarchy has programmed us into taking care of others and neglecting ourselves. And because we are trained to believe this is the natural state of being, we don’t understand that this is harmful to us. So we burnout in oh so many ways…

So, what did practicing Self-Compassion do for me?

I became more aware of my own wants and needs and I honored them. I overextended less and asked for more support.

Because I was tuning into my stress and tension and quickly soothing myself, I was less moody and irritable with others. That in turn helped my family interactions become more relaxed and loving.

As my self-care increased, my energy increased, and my sleep improved (the addition of a little bio-identical hormones helped with this too). That made doing day to day life so much easier.

My ability to meditate really deepened. I got out of my head and into my body, especially my heart center. I felt much more connected to my Inner Wisdom, to my Soul Self, and to the Divine.

I can’t express how precious this is to me.

And most importantly, it really helped me to appreciate myself, to become my own best friend. That inner critic still raises her ugly head from time to time, but I can honestly say, I love myself.

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When you help a woman fulfil her potential, magic happens. ~ Sara Blakely

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Dr. Diane Garrison

Psychologist and Women's Empowerment Coach with 30 years of clinical experience, Dr. Diane is passionate about helping midlife women rediscovery themselves, overcoming burnout to reignite their vibrancy and joy.