At the heart of this practice is a calling to hold space for people to be exactly who they are. We often receive messages that something is wrong with us, that we are broken. We think we shouldn’t have the longings we do. We believe we need to be small, to serve others’ needs before our own. We try to be a “good person” and, in doing so, deny the beauty of who we are. Who decided what a “good person” is anyway? And why can’t it be you, just as you are?

When we rely on external guidelines to measure our worthiness, we divide ourselves into acceptable and unacceptable, worthy and shameful. These judgments often take root when we are young, as we adapt to please our caretakers for survival.

Our fear convinces us it is unsafe to liberate ourselves. We think survival depends on hiding, locking away our “unacceptable” aspects, and conforming to the collective’s expectations. This is the prison we create for ourselves and those around us, perpetuated through belief systems, conditioning, and trauma.

The truth, as I have witnessed it, is that security comes from finding safety within ourselves. When we form a loving relationship with ourselves, we gain the freedom to embody our true expression. Our contributions to the world emerge as creative expressions of our spirit. As we free ourselves, we create space for others to be free as well. This embodiment is the magic that transforms our lives. To love yourself unconditionally, and to honor your own expression, is to live in heaven on earth.