The work of Core Energetics is work that leads us to live more and more from our Core Essence. The work often follows overlapping stages of confronting our mask, accessing and expressing our lower self, transforming lower self energy, having a fuller experience of our higher self or Core Essence. Taking this road to the higher self helps us to clean up negative energy that might distort the truth of our Core Essence. Here's a simple example: One of your Core qualities is kindness. But sometimes, your kindness gets distorted. You may be genuinely kind or your kindness may at times have a less than genuine motivation. You might be kind in order to get something back or as a way to control how others view you. The work of Core Energetics helps you to gently discover your truest motivations, bringing your most genuine qualities forth.

There are other inroads to the Core such as prayer and meditation. Gratitude is another. Many years ago, I began keeping gratitude journals. No matter what is going in on in my life, I can always find things to be grateful for. Gratitude became a habit. In 2004, when my son died from a drug overdose, I was grateful that he was resuscitated and kept alive with mechanical respiration for a few days. It gave me three more days to hold him, care for him, love him. It gave his friends and family time to say 'goodbye.' I am grateful for the 23 years that he blessed my life and for all the lessons since his passing. I am grateful for my little grandson that he left behind. There is always something to be grateful for! Gratitude contributes greatly to my healing from this devastating loss.

It is a Higher self choice to focus on gratitude. When we look around and see negative things in our lives, in the people around us, in our world; gratitude gives us a wider lens to see the bigger picture. It can loosen our grip on negativity and shift our energy from tightly held to flowing. Before you go to sleep tonight, notice your energy. Notice your breath. Then, make a list of five gratitudes. Notice your energy and breath again.

Happy Thanksgiving!