Discover Your Authentic Spiritual Self | Reconnect to Your Inner Guide and Intuition | Wu Wei Wisdom
Summary
TLDRIn this episode of WOAI, hosts David and Alex discuss connecting to our spiritual and authentic selves. They clarify that spirituality is an inherent, natural part of us, termed 'Shen' in Chinese, and emphasize it is not something supernatural. The talk explores how disconnection from Shen manifests as negative emotions like anxiety and stress. David and Alex explain that living authentically involves dismantling barriers formed by ego and inner child fears. They advocate for meditation and mindfulness as ways to reconnect with Shen, thereby leading a more fulfilling and truthful life.
Takeaways
- 🌟 Everyone is inherently spiritual and possesses a non-material essence called Shen, which is natural and intrinsic to who we are.
- 🔗 Shen cannot be damaged or taken away, even through physical or emotional trauma.
- 🛑 Emotional disturbances such as anxiety, stress, and fear indicate a disconnection from Shen, often due to layers of life experiences masking it.
- 💡 Denying our Shen, by believing in lies like 'I'm not good enough' or 'I'm unworthy,' creates a barrier to accessing our true spiritual self.
- 👶 The 'Shen test' involves treating oneself with the same compassion and affirmation as one would a beloved child, acknowledging our inherent worthiness.
- 🧘 Meditation and mindfulness practices help quiet the loud, ego-driven thoughts and attune us to the quieter, inner voice of our Shen.
- 🌿 Living life through the lens of Shen rather than the ego allows for a fuller, more authentic experience.
- 🛠 The golden thread process involves self-inquiry, recognizing that we create our emotions and understanding why, thereby reconnecting to Shen.
- 🎧 Guided meditations and consistent mindfulness reminders throughout the day can reinforce this connection to our spiritual essence.
- 🔄 Regular self-checks, such as focusing on breath and body relaxation, help maintain mindfulness and stay connected to Shen.
Q & A
What is the definition of 'spiritual self' or 'authentic self' according to the speaker?
-The 'spiritual self' or 'authentic self' is described as an intrinsic, non-material part of who we are. It's a natural essence that we are born with, not something external or supernatural.
Why does the speaker emphasize that spirituality is not something external to us?
-The speaker emphasizes that spirituality is not external because it is an inherent part of our being, something we are born with and cannot be taken away by external factors or traumas.
What does the term 'Shen' mean in the context of this discussion?
-'Shen' is a term borrowed from Chinese to describe one's spiritual essence. It represents the intrinsic, unchangeable part of who we are, which remains intact regardless of external circumstances.
How does the speaker describe the relationship between 'Shen' and traumatic experiences?
-The speaker explains that while traumatic experiences can affect the physical body, they cannot touch or alter the 'Shen'. Our spiritual essence remains untouched and constant despite such experiences.
What are the signs of disconnection from one's 'Shen'?
-Signs of disconnection from one's 'Shen' include experiencing negative emotional feelings like anxiety, stress, fear, and tension. These emotions are seen as disturbances or layers that mask our true spiritual essence.
What does the speaker mean by 'Shen disturbance'?
-'Shen disturbance' refers to the layers of negative emotions and beliefs that obscure our true spiritual essence. It is described as putting barriers or blocks that prevent us from connecting with our 'Shen'.
How does the speaker suggest one can reconnect with their 'Shen'?
-The speaker suggests reconnecting with 'Shen' by practicing self-awareness, mindfulness, and meditation. This involves listening to the quieter, inner voice of one's true self and dismantling the barriers created by negative emotions and beliefs.
What is the role of meditation in connecting with one's 'Shen'?
-Meditation helps in connecting with 'Shen' by calming the mind and allowing one to focus on their inner voice. It serves as a vehicle to settle the ego's racing thoughts and attune to the quieter guidance of one's spiritual essence.
What is the 'golden thread' process mentioned in the discussion?
-The 'golden thread' process is a self-inquiry technique that starts with acknowledging that we create our emotions. It involves tracing back to understand why certain emotions are created and building a connection back to one's 'Shen'.
How does the speaker suggest using the 'Shen test' to support oneself?
-The 'Shen test' involves imagining how one would respond to a child expressing feelings of inadequacy and then applying the same compassionate and supportive approach to oneself. It is a method to treat oneself with the same kindness and understanding as one would a child.
Outlines
🌟 Embracing Your Spiritual Authenticity
The first paragraph introduces the topic of connecting with one's spiritual and authentic self. It emphasizes the importance of understanding the intrinsic spiritual nature that is inherent in every individual, rather than something external to acquire. The speaker clarifies that spirituality is a natural part of being, not supernatural, and introduces the concept of 'Shen' as a term to describe this nonmaterial aspect of self. The paragraph also touches on the idea that no matter the life experiences or traumas, one's spiritual essence remains untouched and is always present.
🔍 Recognizing Disconnection from Spiritual Essence
In the second paragraph, the discussion shifts to identifying signs of disconnection from one's spiritual essence, often manifested as negative emotions such as anxiety, stress, fear, and tension. The concept of 'Shen disturbance' is introduced, which is likened to layers covering the true essence of a person, akin to layers of an onion. These layers are metaphorical barriers that individuals create, distancing themselves from their core spirituality. The paragraph also addresses the idea of self-denial and the impact of negative self-beliefs on one's connection to their Shen.
📚 The Shen Test and Honoring Your Spirituality
The third paragraph delves into the concept of the 'Shen test,' a technique to reconnect with one's spiritual self by treating oneself with the same kindness and understanding one would offer to a child. It highlights the discrepancy between how individuals treat themselves versus how they would treat a loved one, suggesting that self-compassion and self-acceptance are crucial for spiritual connection. The paragraph also discusses the importance of dismantling barriers to spirituality and living life through the lens of one's authentic self, rather than being guided by fear or ego.
🧘♂️ Meditation as a Vehicle for Spiritual Connection
The fourth paragraph explores meditation as a means to access one's spiritual self, correcting the misconception that meditation itself makes one spiritual. Instead, it is presented as a practice to quiet the mind and listen to the subtle voice of one's Shen. The speaker encourages mindfulness in daily activities as a form of meditation, suggesting that even brief moments of focused awareness can help attune individuals to their inner wisdom and guide their decisions and actions.
🌱 The Golden Thread and Self-Inquiry for Spiritual Growth
The final paragraph introduces the 'Golden Thread' process, a therapeutic model designed to foster self-inquiry and emotional understanding. It discusses the role of the inner child in emotional experiences and the importance of not being a victim to one's emotions. The paragraph concludes by emphasizing the power of self-reflection and the continuous practice of techniques to maintain a connection with one's spiritual self. It also invites viewers to engage with additional resources and teachings on the topic.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Spiritual Self
💡Authentic Self
💡Shen
💡Shen Disturbance
💡Inner Child
💡Ego
💡Golden Thread Process
💡Mindfulness
💡Meditation
💡Honoring Your Shen
Highlights
The concept of 'Shen' is introduced as a non-supernatural, natural part of us that represents our spirituality and authenticity.
Shen is an intrinsic, unwavering essence that cannot be added to or taken away, even through physical or emotional trauma.
Disconnection from Shen is associated with negative emotions such as anxiety, stress, fear, and tension.
The 'Shen disturbance' is described as a masking or hiding of one's Shen due to self-imposed barriers.
Recognizing disconnection involves identifying signs of emotional distress that indicate a move away from one's spiritual essence.
The 'Shen test' is a technique to reconnect with one's authentic self by treating oneself with the same kindness as one would treat a loved child.
The importance of using the same lens for self-evaluation as one would for a child, to honor one's Shen and authenticity.
The idea that we are spiritual beings having a human experience, not the other way around, emphasizing our intrinsic spirituality.
The concept of 'reparenting the inner child' as a method to reconnect with one's Shen and dismantle self-imposed barriers.
Meditation is presented as a tool for accessing one's Shen, not just a spiritual practice, but a means to quiet the ego mind.
The 'golden thread' process is introduced as a method of self-inquiry to understand the emotions one creates and reconnect with one's Shen.
The misunderstanding of meditation as a means to become more spiritual, rather than a practice to access one's existing spirituality.
The importance of mindfulness and being present in daily activities to maintain a connection with one's Shen.
The practical application of the teachings through simple exercises, such as focusing on breath, to experience the presence of Shen.
The encouragement for viewers to subscribe to the channel for ongoing teachings on spirituality and authenticity.
The emphasis on the continuous practice of the techniques discussed to maintain and strengthen the connection with one's Shen.
Transcripts
hi and welcome to this week's WOAI
wisdom a life lessons teaching it's
great to be back with you all this week
we are talking all about how to become
more connected to your spiritual and
authentic
[Music]
self okay David so let's go back to
basics and cover some definition s what
do we mean when we say our spiritual
self or our authentic self well I think
this is where the the confusion arises
just on that first question because I
think so many people have a different
definition of what they mean by
spiritual for me most importantly in our
teaching it's not something external to
you it's not something that you have to
go and get and this is what I always say
to my clients you are are already
spiritual we have a spirituality a
nonmaterial part of us that is not
Supernatural can I repeat that this is
not Supernatural this is natural this is
who you are but it's I can't show it to
you hopefully when you watch these
videos with Alex and myself you get an
essence of our spirituality you see see
us moving our hands and people say I've
move my hands too much and you see us
laughing and joking and that's the
physical side of it but there is
something that's invisible and I believe
we all have that it's something that
we're born with I think we can recognize
it in other people particularly in
people that we love members of our
family particularly if your parent is in
your child mod you will see the and
experience their spirituality and that
in my model is what I like to call Shen
and I only call it that it's a Chinese
word because I don't want people to get
confused with other definitions of
spirituality and so this is something
you say we're born with we always have
and I know we say on many many teachings
it can't be kind of damaged no one can
take away from us no matter what kind of
traumas we experience in our life uh
physically or emotionally are the
essence of our spirit who we are our
intrinsic value is something which is
kind of unwavering within us throughout
our life yes very important that Alex
that teaching you've just given nobody
can add to it nobody can make you have
more Shen and no one can take your Shen
away
even if they criticize you even if they
abuse you or maltreat you yes they are
affecting your physical body and for
many of my clients they've been through
so many physical traumas in their life
they are absolutely amazing but one
thing they can't touch is your Shen no
one can touch your Shen so if and we
talking about the connection to Chen so
if no one can touch your Shen
then if you're not connected to sh it
must be something that you're doing to
create that barrier and that's what
we're talking about that's the life
lesson
so before we delve into why we create
this barrier why we
disconnect how would we recognize what
are the I guess the signs and symptoms
of a
disconnect from this spiritual essence
of who who we
are it's another great question Alex and
I guess that's the
reason that I've been doing this workers
all of my life it's a reason why we do
these videos it's a reason why many
people tune in and find us when they do
searches on the on the Internet is
negative emotional feelings that people
call anxiety stress fear tension and
those
in my sense in the DAR sense of what I
would call Shen disturbance so you're
not you're not um damaging your shin but
what you're doing is you're putting a
block it's almost like you're putting
layers as one of my client said to me I
thought it was quite a good description
it's like layers layers of an onion you
have this Center heart which is true
that can't be destroyed or added to it's
who you are it's your Essence if you
prefer that word but then through life
through experiences through our
childhood through our teenag years
through our adult years because we're
living in this world thank goodness
we're so blessed to be living in in this
world we kind of Disconnect from that
understanding it doesn't go away but we
draw away from it and we put layers like
layers of an onion which which creates
those red light feelings we call anxiety
fear being scared and that type of thing
and that tells you that really you've
drawn away from the essence of Who You
Are So when you say Shen
disturbance what you really mean is a
Shen like a masking of the Shen a a
hiding the Shen this disconnect we're
talking about a denial of the Shen for a
lot of my clients it will they will
denial if you think think of what we
call the three lies I'm not good enough
well that actually is a denial of the
Shen of your sh of who you are exactly
if you believe you're not good enough
exactly I can't
cope as I always say to my clients I
can't understand why you would say that
because you're a coping machine you've
always coped you always will cope you
have to cope seeing if you say I can't
cope you're denying your own shame and
then perhaps one good people would
relate to easily I'm unlovable or I'm
unworthy think of that word I'm
unworthy so you have a Shen everyone has
a Shen and you're saying but my Shen I'm
unworthy to have Shen and that is the
disturbance you're putting layers of
this onion on top of that beautiful
golden spirituality of who you are the
defines who you are I often say to my
clients the way that I like to view it
we are a spiritual being having a human
experience very valuable very wonderful
we're very blessed We're Not a Human
Being having a spiritual experience this
is who we are we are Spirit we're so
fortunate to be in this Human Experience
and I hope you're making the best of
your family and your career and your
friends and yourself and living to your
highest level but that to me means you
have to be connected to your shame so
this denial David it sounds to me like
it's it's a dishonoring of the gift that
we are born with yes
this intrinsic component of who we are
with dishonoring that and we're
rejecting it by lying to ourselves in
the in the way that you you've
described and to me it's almost like you
still live your life you still have the
Human Experience you can still
experience new things learn new things
have
relationships live in different
places but you're not having those
experiences through the lens and the
fullness of the exper of being true to
yourself
through the lens of your Shen of your
spirituality of your authenticity it's
like you're operating on 25% rather than
100% of your capacity somehow yeah it's
very well explained Alex I can't
disagree with you I like the word
dishonoring I think you're dishonoring
your Shen I
think the majority of my clients they
are trying to live their life based on
their emotions living their life through
trying to avoid fear anxiety
depression stress and they are living
and very familiar with the emotional
side of themselves but they dishonor the
spiritual side of themselves I also like
your
teaching they don't look through the
lens of their Shen they look through the
lens of their
emotions so for instance in our model we
talk about reparenting the inner
child and during the reparenting of the
inner child there's a technique and
we've done videos and teachings on this
I call the shent test and most of my
clients will say to me but how do I how
do I talk to myself how do I convince
myself that I am good enough that I am
worthy and I say well you could do the
Shen test and this is the shent test for
new listeners imagine you had a six
seven yearold niece or nephew somebody
that was very close to you your
sibling's child and they came to you and
they said Auntie
Uncle I don't think I'm good
enough what would you say and my clients
have no difficulty
in TR not give them a hug and say baby
of course you're a good enough I love
you blah blah blah blah blah blah and
they would they would I can't stop them
talking the things that they would be so
hurt that a beautiful child would say
something like that and I said well why
doesn't that relate to you why can't you
do that to your own inner child and then
well it's not that easy well it is that
easy see you have the techniques this is
why I'm always teaching in these videos
and to my clients I can't teach you the
techniques you already have them I can't
teach you to be spiritual because you
already are what we have to do is to
dismantle or using Alex word which was a
wonderful word honor your spirituality
your Shen live through that
lens treat yourself in the same way as
you would that child child why is this
so difficult for you so you don't have
to learn anything new you already have
this technique you wouldn't say to a
child that came home from school and
said Auntie oh my goodness I did my
maths exam today and I only got two out
of 10 you wouldn't say to that well
that's cuz you're not good
enough you'd laugh if I said that to you
but that's what you say to yourself not
occasionally all of the time when things
don't go the way that your inner child
thinks they should go oh it's because
I'm oh I can't cope can't cope it's too
much for me oh because I'm not deserving
and you use a different lens Focus as
Alex says for yourself than you would
for someone else and being spiritual is
just using the same lens as you would
for that child so what I'm hearing here
David is that to be more spiritual or to
be become more authentic it's a kind of
a faulty way of looking at
it what I've understood is that we Are
Spiritual Beings we have an
authenticity the problem comes is if we
choose to live our life being Guided by
our ego or our inner child fears
worrying what other people think of us
or believing that we're not good enough
that we're not lovable that we can't
cope or criticizing ourselves judging
ourselves comparing ourselves if the
basis of our thoughts beliefs and
actions
are those kind of ego based
things then the ego is leading us rather
than the Shan the spirit or authenticity
what we in intuitively deep down know
it's the right thing to do to think to
say to
be well I hope people on YouTube who've
been watching Alex did you notice her
hands when she was talking about the ego
and the inner child her hands was out
there coming towards her and you did you
see what she did when she talked about
her spirituality she put her hands right
down deep by what I would call your
lower Dante you your root chakra if you
do yoga and she did this movement coming
from inside out and there's a wonderful
teaching in DSM that says to know the
difference between the voice of the
inner child and the voice of the Shen
the inner child talks at you just as
Alex was showing with her hands talks at
you you're not good enough you won't
cope it's too much for you we can't do
this there thinking about you what do
they think about you the Shen talks from
you the Shen is a much quieter voice and
that really is all you have to learn
because so many of my clients are
distracted by the loudness and the brush
of the inner chars ccj criticizing
comparing and being judgmental using
very intense I'm never underestimating
the emot tions extremely intense
fear
anxiety
scared these are very intense emotions
but they're very overpowering emotions
and what we do we don't listen to the
more gentle subtle voice of our real
Shen who we really are and that is
really the teaching as Alex has just
demonstrated and that's why I'm a great
advocate of meditation and before you
roll your eyes and go oh my God he's
going to tell me to sit crossle for 2
hours no I'm not talking about I'm
talking about what we're doing here now
as you're listening to me with a cup of
tea or a glass of beer or whatever we're
meditating meditation is just focusing
and we can do it now I can just say to
you take a
breath and just for a moment literally
for 30 seconds just be aware of your
breath entering and leaving your
body nothing complicated just as I'm
talking listen to my voice but focus on
your breath and drop your
shoulders take all the tension out of
your
biceps and just for literally 30 seconds
see if you can hear that inner
voice that inner truth that Honesty that
Integrity about you who you
are we believe in you that's why we do
these
videos and I have to believe in you
because I believe in
myself the question is do you believe in
you
you see that was less than a minute and
all I'm asking you to do is to bring
that mindfulness that's what mindfulness
means simple see we use these words it's
not complicated use that mindfulness
during your day so if you're writing if
you're at work if you're speaking to
your friend just be mindful of your
posture make sure you're nice and
relaxed check your breathing
and try and connect to that inner voice
and that's your Shen never go away it'll
always be there and the more as Alex
quite rightly said you see life and your
life through that lens this will make a
major change Alex and I think David what
you've kind of just Illustrated there is
a common misunderstanding about
meditation that you know
meditation is a spiritual practice and
if I can learn this spiritual practice I
will become a more spiritual person but
actually meditation is
like practicing meditation whatever form
so whether it's a more formal form or
just quietly clearing your mind on a on
a walk through the park or while you're
kind of preparing some
food it's just a time in your day that
allows you to settle down the racing
thoughts of the ego mind and the
busyness of the mind and the inner child
fears and start to
listen for that
quieter voice of your intuition of your
Shar of your inner knowing your inner
wisdom so it's a vehicle meditation is a
vehicle to help you access your Shen and
I guess the more you practice little
meditative practice is every day just
for short periods of times you will get
quicker at settling the racing ego mind
down and quicker at tapping into that
quiet ashem voice within that can guide
you in your thoughts and your decisions
and your
activities in in in daily life and
that's right Alex and I would just add
one more on to that you become more
attuned to the quieter voice how many
times in your
life when things you made a wrong
decision and you said to yourself I knew
that was wrong I knew I shouldn't have
done that I knew what the right thing to
to do and that really is a tuning into
that quieter voice and this is why so
many of my clients are
misunderstanding that they've been
living to
that kind of very loud voice and
connected to the emotions and we I won't
go too much into the inner child but the
the real power of the inner child is it
has a direct connection to emotions and
for a lot of people when they experience
fear anxiety it's almost like the
shutters go up and they can't hear hear
that voice and that really we call it
the golden thread is starting off on the
premise you are the creator of your
emotions therefore you can't be the
victim o of them the golden thread then
can ask you well why have I chosen to
create this emotion the emotion might be
appropriate it might be appropriate to
be fearful might be but then at least
when you do the golden thread what
you're doing really you're building a
bridge and I see it as a spiritual
Bridge back to your sh and you're saying
let me now Look through the lens that
you said whether it is correct to be
fearful of this job interview is it
fearful to be fear to be is it correct
to be fearful of doing something new is
it is it correct that I should stick to
the whole pattern even if it doesn't
work and that that golden thread of
self- inquiry again we've done many
videos on this is such a simple and
Powerful technique that you can do for
yourself it just starts with the premise
I am the creator of the emotion let me
understand why I've created the emotion
that's all it is wonderful and for new
for new listeners the golden thread or
golden thread process is the therapy
model that David has devised and that he
uses with all his clients and I will put
a link in the show notes to our golden
thread process uh teaching playlist as
well as links to our Shen teaching
playlist and our free guided meditation
teaching playlist which has many many
hours of free guided meditations with
David that you can use as part of this
reconnection to your authentic self and
your spiritual self and in your Shen I
really really hope you have enjoyed this
teaching please do let us know just
before we finish let me just as one
thing check your breathing
[Music]
now check your
shoulders as it changed from when we did
that little
exercise now bring it back as Alexis
says her byby just bring it back breathe
deep drop your shoulders
thank thank you David that was a good
reminder yeah well it's see how and
that's why you have to keep on reminding
yourself at the beginning you're
learning a new simple technique but you
have to just keep on reminding yourself
and just to do it until you'll be
surprised in a few days a week then
you'll be doing it how's your shoulders
dropped dropped dropped now yeah they
dropped thank you so yeah please do let
us know if you've enjoyed the teaching I
always love talking about the the topic
of shen it actually Tunes me into my sh
and talking about it so um you know I've
definitely benefited from this teaching
um as I say check out the show notes if
you'd like to learn more about David's
onetoone sessions he works with client
all over the world every week on exactly
this sort of topic how to be more
authentic how to be more connected to
your spirituality and use that as a
guide in your life I'll put a link in
the show notes so you can learn more
about David's sessions and finally
please don't forget to subscribe to our
YouTube channel we produce new long form
teachings every Saturday as well as two
midweek short Snippets of wisdom as well
for you so don't forget to subscribe we
look forward to seeing you again very
soon bye-bye
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