The Authenticity Project begins on May 7th. There is one opening.



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Kate Holt, RN, CCEP

Core Energetics Practitioner and Teacher

Authenticity Project, Director

www.kateholt.info

blog.kateholt.info

856 261 4900



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The recent tragic event in Tuscon and the various media spins in the aftermath leave me longing to hear someone speak about it with humility.  I am often disturbed by the media's approach to such horrific events. The arrogance of pundits and politicians is striking, as their need to blame is thinly disguised,  as a study in prevention.  Some don't even try to disguise it. They just blatantly blame.  The latest scapegoats are harsh rhetoric and lack of gun control. Other times the scapegoat has been an insufficient mental health system. I'm not a proponent of  harsh rhetoric, the NRA, or an imperfect system but the "blaming" rhetoric is like an addictive substance.  Watching them blame each other is addictive, too.  It's a mental process that numbs the pain and once we start we are soon looking for our next blame fix.  We viewers are the addicts and they are our dealers.   It all feels like a way to defend against feeling our helplessness.  We have been helpless to control people with severe mental illness, from insane acts of violence.  I suppose we couldn't have Anderson Cooper or Glen Beck dropping to their knees on national television to feel the agony of that helplessness, saying, "God. help us, we don't have a clue how to stop this kind of thing from happening again!"   But I think it would be refreshing!

We human beings are tricky.  We can work really hard to become more conscious of our unwanted patterns. Then, just when we think we have some stuff worked out, new stuff  (or deeper layers of old stuff) surfaces!  Ugh! The truth is we never get it done.  We are evolving emotionally and spiritually.  And isn't that good news?  How boring would life be, if we completely knew ourselves at say, 42 and then nothing new arises about ourselves, ever again.  We'd be plugging along saying, "Same s&#t, different day."  If you feel that way now, no matter what your age, your Life Force is BLOCKED!!! Sometimes, Life deals us an evolutionary boost, often packaged or recognized as crisis.  Sometimes, we feel the pain of being blocked and proactively seek the boost for ourselves. I prefer the latter.

New clients, who are coming to work on lifelong patterns, frequently ask, "How many sessions will it take?" It's a valid question!  These sessions are an investment of time, money, and effort.  I ask in return, "How many, to do what, exactly?"  Are we talking about, how many to start feeling the effects of opening blocks to your beautiful Life Force? Could be one!  Are we talking about how many  to sustain opening? That depends on you. How many until you feel completely satisfied with your life?  To that I say, that sounds like complacency.  It's important to get clear on the question.  Perhaps a better question is, "How long until I get a sense of whether this work is moving me in a good direction?"  To that I would say, give it  three or four sessions.  It takes varying amounts of time to feel safe enough to really allow the gentle confrontation that you need.  It takes time to become conscious of the subtleties of blocking and opening.  If you could have mastered this yourself, quickly, you would have.  The truth is many of my clients work with me over a period of years, not because that's how long it takes to "work".  Rather, because after years, it's still working! It's still supportive of the evolution they want.  Some clients stop for a while and come back for a workshop to get that evolutionary boost.  I  DO know this, that your rate of evolution correlates pretty well with your level of commitment to really face yourself.  You need support to see what you cannot see for yourself.  While you may feel the pain of resistance, at times, evolution means expansion and expansion means pleasure. It's so worth it!

From the practitioner side,  I discover new aspects of myself, as I work to support each unique client in the ways that they need.  I get super-vision for the things I cannot see for myself.  I feel so gratified by the expansion I feel, when I stand next to someone to get an energetic understanding of the issue that is causing them to struggle and then to find the way in...to shine light on some small aspect that opens space for them to shift.  I cannot think of work that could be more pleasurable for me.

The end of the year is a perfect time to assess your life through a personal inventory.  Find a quiet block of time and space.  Set an intention to look at yourself with courage, honesty, and gentleness. You may want write about it in a journal. Here are some questions to support that process:
1) How did I fare with last year's intentions/resolutions?  Am I where I want to be with those?  Do I need to tweak them into clearer intentions for the New Year?
2) How am I doing in my relationships?  In general?  And with specific people in my life? With Spirit?
3) What accomplishments or growth areas do I want to acknowledge and honor?
4) What areas am I struggling with?  Am I asking for support?
5) How am I doing with self-acceptance?
6) How am I doing with self-care?  Health? Nutrition? Activity? Balance? Rest? Meditation?
7) How I am doing with my environment?  Do I need to get rid of clutter? Is everything in good working order?  Are there repairs needed? Is my environment clean and fresh?
8) How am I doing with finances?  am I comfortable with how I am handling money? Spending? Saving?
9) Are there any other areas I want to assess?

When you feel complete with your assessment, set it aside.  Take some deep breaths with the intention to release thought patterns that no longer serve.  You may want to sleep on it before moving on to the next part.

After assessing where you are, consider how you want to approach the new ye"ar.  Do you want to set resolutions, goals, intentions?  What do you feel inside as you consider these?  If the word resolutions" sends you into wallowing over past failures, that might not be right for you.  If the word  "intention" seems too arbitrary, you may need to set specific measurable "goals" with deadlines.  If that seems  too rigid or overwhelming, you may need to use "intention" for an attitude toward  yourself you want to adopt.  You might want to use a combination of these.  What's important is to use what serves you best!  Take time to find what works for you. 

As you look ahead into the new year, think about what excites you.  If money were no object and you couldn't fail, what would you be pursuing? If guilt and obligation were not factors, what avenue would you want to walk down?  Wrtie out a fantasy life scenario just to get creative juices flowing.  Let yourself enjoy pretending for a little while.  Set that aside.  You may want to sleep on it again before moving into a more concrete plan.

When you've allowed sufficient time to pass to build some excitement and pleasure about new possibilities, it's time to get serious about what you really want for yourself in the next twelve months.  Write it down.  You can make it a list.  You can write it out as if you are answering the self-assessment questions above from the perspective of  how you want to be answering next December.  Make it a story.  How ever you choose to do it, share your plan with other people whom you know would offer support.  Ask some to check in with you and help hold you accountable.

I hope you have fun with the process and I wish you success and fulfillment in 2011!

A Core Energetics Process Group is a place for people who are commited to working on themselves, to do just that.  Working on yourself means you are dedicated to  understanding your role in creating your life as you know it.  It means having an intention to become more conscious. The group provides a feedback loop for how you present yourself, and how your energy affects others in your relationships.  It gives you support and love to heal and  walk on your journey in good company.  It's a place to try on new ways of being. It's a place to check-in and connect.  At the end of one of my groups, we do a one-word check-out.  The word I most often hear is some version of "gratitude."    

 Have you ever wanted to start a meditation practice? Maybe you've had one in the past and want to get back to it, but just haven't found the time. Maybe you have an image of how a meditation practice has to look and it doesn't fit in your busy lifestyle. Picturing a straight-spined yogi on a cushion, in a sanctuary, surrounded by incense and candles? That's one way it can look. But you can have a meditation practice that is more you (unless, of course that is you.) 
Meditation is good for your energetic system, your intuition, and your overall health and wellbeing. Studies show a regular meditation practice lowers blood pressure and cortisol levels! Here are some suggestions to get started:
1)Set an alarm for FIVE minutes. Anyone can find five minutes. If you start small, you'll eliminate the "I don't have time" excuse. Find a nice alarm tone, like a chime. This way if you want to press the snooze to continues five more minutes, you can do so, without disturbing your peaceful state. The chime or tone can be a signal to bring your attention to your breath.
2)Find a quiet space where you won't have distractions. You may want to light a candle or some incense or crack a window to allow fresh air into the space.
3)Before you 'sit', stand and shake out your whole body until you feel complete. You might even want to vocalize your resistance, "I don't feel like meditating!!!" A few gentle stretches can help loosen your muscles.
4)Sit quietly and breathe. Allow your mind to do what it does. As thoughts come in, notice them and then notice your breath. 
5)When your alarm tones, congratulate yourself for your practice. You may decide to grow the amount of time you spend in meditation, or not. Give yourself permission to do it your way!
You will notice that even a five minute practice has benefits. As you move through your day, or find yourself feeling stressed, you can take one full easy breath and recreate the level of quiet within yourself that you achieved during your practice.

Growing up in the Catholic tradition, I was always concerned about the practice of praying for the “faithful departed.”  Didn’t those who were faithless, need our prayers even more?  It struck me as a subtle scare tactic for the living, implying, you’d better get to church or we won’t pray for you when you’re dead. Perhaps it is a leftover from a time, not so long ago when suicide deaths and deaths of convicted murderers were assumed to be faithless and were not allowed to be buried in a Catholic cemetery with the traditional Catholic rites.  Whether you knew of this, or practices like it, directly or not, you may have internalized its effects.  Ask yourself, am I forgivable?  Do you bump into a place where you’re not so sure about that one thing?  No matter how your loved one died, no matter what you have done in your life, we are all worthy of love now and at the hour of our death and after we pass.   The judgment and fear-mongering aside, praying for souls who have departed and honoring ancestors is a practice inspired by love.  In Celtic tradition, Samhain marks the beginning of the pagan year and is considered a time when the veil of separation between life and death becomes thin. Accordingly, it is set aside as a time to honor ancestors and remember the dead.   All Saints Day and All Souls Day, evolved out of this, as Christianity ‘spread’ throughout the West.   In the tradition of Tibetan Buddhism, the practice of the Essential Phowa is offered for the dying and deceased.   According to the Pathwork Guide, in any moment, we are all moving away from or toward the ‘center’ and physical death is the ultimate move toward the center.

 

"When a loved one dies, the process of grieving is a completion that allows us to honor that person's life and claim the wisdom we have gained through the relationship.  As we receive the gift of understanding, it transcends time and space, simultaneously gifting the soul of the one who passed over.  Grieving is more than learning to live without a dear one.  In many cases, we are required to forgive them and ourselves as we bring the story of the time we spent together to meaningful completion.   One of the most important things a dying person can know is that their life has had meaning.  This knowledge helps put their soul at peace... Regardless of what realm a soul is in, when we grieve as a completion, our love and wisdom reach through space and time as a help and a blessing.  It is never too late to help those who have died."

                                                      from   Pocketful of Miracles  by Joan Borysenko

 

The work of grieving is a challenging completion.  We first need to believe the loss is real.  We need to feel, express and heal the multitude of feelings associated with the ended relationship.  Some relationships are more complicated than others.  Some deaths are more complicated than others, such as elective or spontaneous abortions, accidents, or violent deaths.  We need to let go and we need to find meaning as we move forward. The work of grieving has no prescribed time limit.  We do it, when we do it.  In fact, some people shelve it for a time when they can get the support they need to do this work. If you have shelved some of your grief work or if you are actively grieving a loss, right now, I’d like to invite you to attend the Mourning Out Loud workshop on November 21.  There is also an eight-week, Wednesday evening grief process group to help you get through the holidays.  You don’t have to do it alone.

I offer this meditation for those who have died, especially for those souls who need it most. It is inspired by the faith traditions mentioned above.  If you use this and find it helpful for your grieving process, I invite you to post a comment about it here, on my blog. 

 

 

A Meditation for the Dying and Deceased

Stretch your body in all the ways that feel good to you, then find a comfortable position that supports relaxed awareness.  Close your eyes and feel your breath.  Allow your breath to gently expand as you become aware of moving your consciousness toward your center, whatever that means for you.  Become aware of the surfaces supporting you. Soften your belly, your jaw, your throat.  Take as much time as you need to quiet your mind and become centered.

See your loved one in your mind’s eye.  (If you are doing this for someone who is actively dying, you can do it in their presence.) Trust the image that comes to you. Visualize within this image, a Divine spark.  Imagine the Light of this essence, expanding in all directions to envelope the whole person.  Imagine a Light-filled Angel standing right next to him (her.)  See the Angel’s love pouring over your loved one.  Ask the Angel to lift this soul to the highest realms of Light.  See this Angel gently lift your loved one with loving arms.  Invoke with all your heart the loving presence of the Divine Beloved. (Use whatever image you and your loved one may have shared.)  Visualize the Angel lifting your loved one to merge with the Divine Beloved.  Ask for this Light to bless this soul and cleanse it  of any illusions or negativity that may be weighing down upon it.  Wish your loved one well upon the journey.  See all three images merge and dissolve into Pure Light.  Dedicate your practice on behalf of your loved one and for all souls in need and for your own healing. Find a way to transition gently to your next activity.

 

 

 

I like to think I contribute to the solution rather than the problem by doing little things, like driving a fuel efficient vehicle or diligently recycling. But when I saw the call to action to blog about climate change today, I thought that my spiritual practices are probably an even more powerful way to impact the earth. The earth, a living organism is in need of healing and purification. That's what Core Energetics work is all about. So as I work in my practice and in my own process, I "ground" to connect with the earth's energy. Moving forward, I intend to be mindful of the bi-directional nature of that connection and trust that there is no separation. As we heal, the earth heals and as the earth heals, we heal. For this knowing, I am grateful.

    Stopping Smoking was a huge turning point in my evolution as a human being.  I had been a hard-core smoker.  I really liked smoking and found it hard to believe that I would ever be able to stop.  I shamefully smoked through four pregnancies.  What I really wanted was to be FREE of the desire to smoke because I had little faith in my own willpower to resist the potent urges that come with nicotene addiction.  My body was giving me many signs that smoking was not right for me.  My chest felt tight in the morning upon awakening and this was ususally resolved with moving around and coughing.  Very attractive!  I got about three colds per year and with each one, bronchitis would last for several weeks.  Laughing made me cough.  Coughing made me feel short of breath.  I was miserable. My self-esteem was pretty poor.  And still, I thought I'd never be able to do it.  

    When all of my own attempts failed, I decided to try hypnosis on a whim.  I saw an ad in the newspaper for group hypnosis that was happening that very evening.   I went to a hotel in King of Prussia. There were about 75 smokers in attendance.  I had used hypnosis for stress management in the past, so I knew I was hypnotizable.  ( Most people are!)  I was surprised though, how easily I was able to go into hypnosis, sitting in a straight chair in a crowded room.  The experience was very pleasurable.  I left at the end of the session with a Smoking Cessation audio-tape in my hand.  I lit up a cigarette in the parking lot to prove it didn't work.  (I was very stubborn.)  But then I realized I hadn't even given it a fair chance.  I threw my cigarettes away, drove home and didn't smoke for two weeks. It was easy!  However, I knew I wasn't finished yet.  I went back to smoking for several more months.  

    Just after turning 32, (I had been smoking since 14) I realized I was more than half, as old as, my father was when he died.  He had been a smoker and died from heart disease at age 63.  I knew that I wanted to live and be healthy enough to continue raising my children.  It was one of those moments of consciousness,  an awakening of really wanting LIFE.  I dug out my audio-tape and set a date and started listening.  That was October 1990.  I have been free of the smoking habit ever since, really free as in, no desire to smoke.  Cravings came in that first year but they were so fleeting, there was almost no effort to resist.

    In 1995, I took an opportunity to train in the use of therapeutic hypnosis.  I was so impressed with how powerful hypnosis had been for me that I wanted to learn to use it with other people.  One of the first "suggestions"  given by my teacher, Pat Trowbridge,  during that training was to "keep an open mind."  I soaked it up and opened my mind to so many more possibilities.  Despite hypnosis working in the subconscious mind, there is always an element of conscious choice.  I opened my mind by choice, another moment of consciousness.   This opening forged me on a path of spiritual seeking.  It led me to my first experiences with energy work, which ultimately led me to my life-work of Core Energetics, (so far.) I am grateful for remembering my profound desire for LIFE and for the journey since that remembrance.

    Perhaps you or someone you know will be inspired to make smoking cessation your turning point.  I am offering a Holistic Smoking Cessation program that will include hypnosis, tools and a support system, starting November 7.  Participants may use the Great American Smoke Out as their quit date.

    
    
    

"What is up with my friends?  Half of them take ambien to go to sleep.  The other half open a bottle of wine after work, every day."  This is a very curious concern coming from a thirty-year old client of mine.  It saddens me to hear it.  I think of the old adage about a clear conscience being a soft pillow.  But could it be that so many have a nagging conscience that won't let them sleep?  I don't believe so.  It occurs to me that many of us keep ourselves so busy (numb) through the course of a day that there is no time for quiet reflection or just plain 'feeling."  Caught in a whirlwind of being busy in the head, they may have difficulty shutting it off when it's time for sleep. This combined with the constant barrage of advertising telling us which pill will save us from what ailment, it's no wonder, really.  My client who wants to be fully alive, wants to feel her feelings and allow them to be an integral part of her decision-making, feels isolated for not wanting to numb out.  I recommended she consider a  Core process group, where she can be with other people who work to be vitally alive and fully feeling.