Own Your Core Strength
When we Live from Our Center and Tap Into Our Infinite Power Source, we naturally have a core strength that flows through us. There is a verticality to this flow as the universal energies circulate through us into the earth and back again.
When we are in balance between the two realms we have a sense of vitality surge through us. Like being a bead on a taut string, this tensile strength allows us to vibrate to a frequency that is uniquely our own. This resonance gives us a powerful sense of Self and a lightness of being.
Recognize the Many Forms of Your Core Strength
Our core strength takes many forms physically, emotionally, mentally and energetically. Physically, the center of our being, from which our core strength derives, is located in our belly. When we access our core strength, we breathe all the way through our body without energetic blocks. Our posture is straight and we feel grounded. It is from this center within that martial artists draw their strength to break bricks with ease.
It is also the place where our center of gravity is located. Aikido Masters do not use brute strength to thwart attackers, but instead use their center of gravity as a pivot point to step aside. As a result the attackers’ momentum continues forward, often propelling them to the ground.
Emotionally, our core strength gives us the resilience to bounce back from adversity and successfully adapt to changing circumstances. When we feel stressed, we rely on our internal tenacity to give us the strength to effectively deal with the situation. When our whole world falls apart, we dig deep for the heroic resolve to use our experience as an opportunity to adopt a “transformational mindset” to alter our lives in some profound way. Knowing we have access to our core strength at anytime, helps us trust ourselves and our ability to handle whatever life sends our direction.
When we operate from our core strength, we mentally carry ourselves differently in the world. Since we are more grounded, we feel safer and less fearful. We feel comfortable in our own skin. We tend to exude more confidence, which makes it easier to embody our heroic character, stand behind our principals and actually follow the values we espouse. We become acutely aware when we are out of alignment and more readily make the course corrections needed to bring our thoughts, emotions and behaviors back into alignment with our True Self.
At a deeper level within us, energetically, our core strength helps us align with our Intention. It gives us the stamina and resolve to carry out what we came to this life to do. Even when we may not yet consciously know what is calling from within to do, we follow our inklings. We take each new step with purpose and passionate enthusiasm. We know that even if that step seems to lead us astray, it may be exactly what is needed to help us discover what we are NOT meant to do. Each time we clear away what doesn’t lead us in the right direction, our true path comes more clearly into focus.
To reclaim our inner treasures and confidently bring them into the world, takes courage and dedication to find our own path. Owning and accessing our core strength makes this process easier and more enjoyable along the way. It also helps us feel proud of the heroic story we are in the midst of creating that is uniquely our own.
Tips to access Your Core Strength
Our core strength is there for the taking, but many times through conditioning or traumas we have learned to block that natural access. There are many tips that can help you access your core strength. Here are a few to get you started.
Make Yourself at Home in Your Body - It is difficult to own our core strength when we don’t feel at home in our body. This may be especially true if we experienced physical or emotional abuse or shocks to our system that left us feeling unsafe in our body. In an effort to escape pain, we may have unconsciously shifted our energy up and out of our natural center. We may have developed this defensive technique many years ago in our misguided attempt to make a quick escape from our body if life seemed too difficult to endure. To bring yourself back fully into your body, so you can practice being in your core strength, you may want to try:
Martial arts, such as Karate or Aikido to locate and practice operating from your core strength.
Walking on a dowel to feel your feet under you. This can help you reconnect to the earth and shift your energy back down into your body.
Hitting a tennis racket on a mattress to energetically release anger and energy blocks that impede access to your core strength.
Paying attention to your posture. Do you hunch your shoulders in protection? Is your body twisted or one limb shorter than the other? Purposefully stand up straight and unkink your body. Notice the difference in how you feel. The more you pay attention to your posture, the more comfortable you are in your natural alignment.
Strengthen Your Resilience “Bounce Back Quotient” - Sometimes when we have had repeated situations that have rocked us off our center of gravity, we might have lost touch with the fact that we even have core strength. Here are some ideas to help you reconnect with this essential part of yourself:
Rid Yourself of Your Victim Mentality - If you often find yourself feeling like a victim of circumstance, at the mercy of a capricious external world or abusive people, it may be a sign that you are taking a victim stance in life. You may need to be honest with yourself and acknowledge that you are not actually a victim, but likely playing out a victim role you learned from your early conditioning. As an adult, you may not have control of all your circumstances, but you do have control about your perception and behaviors related to the situations and people you encounter. By Removing Your Mask, you can release the persona of victimization, so your natural strength and magnificence can shine through.
Extract Yourself from Emotional Overload - When you find yourself emotionally overwhelmed or absorbed in the drama of others, it can suck the vitality out of you, scatter your energy and make you want to shut down from the overload. If you find yourself in this situation, you may need to pull yourself out of the horizontal connection of the “Trauma Drama” Whirlwind and instead reconnect yourself to the verticality of your own core strength. This redirection of your energy can help you regain your strong center and sense of Self, no matter what happens around you.
Build Your Self-Confidence - It can be challenging to align with our core strength when we don’t feel a good sense of ourselves or we don’t have the right tools to effectively operate in the world. Becoming consciously aware of the mental and emotional blocks that inhibit our self-confidence is an important step in feeling good about ourselves and our ability to effectively deal with the world.
Know the Difference Between Cockiness and Confidence. Cockiness comes from our Ego rather than our Core Being. It is an over inflated arrogance that covers an internal sense of not feeling good enough in comparison to others. Confidence is a quiet self-assurance that emanates from our Core. It comes from an inner knowing that we possess what it takes to figure out how to effectively move into action when needed. If you have a need to act cocky, it may be time to look within, so you can get in touch with the pain that is under your cockiness defense mechanism. Once you truly understand this part of you and give it compassion, your need to be cocky will likely disappear. Then you will naturally radiate confidence without any effort.
Recover Your Self-Esteem. Self-esteem is key to having a good sense of yourself and carrying yourself with confidence in the world. We all have an intrinsic worth, just because we are alive. But, if you don’t know that, you may need to do a deep dive into your distorted self-evaluation. You might need to fill your self-compassion container. You may need to challenge your inner critic, who harps on you incessantly and consciously stop this bad habit of thought. Or you might need to clear your relationship triggers and do your emotional housecleaning or release yourself from unconscious contracts.
Get in Touch with Your Intention - Intention in this sense require a determination to take action toward what we want to do in life. When we align with this intention it helps us reconnect with the deepest part of who we are. This reconnection brings meaning and purpose to our lives and gives us an inner peace of mind and joy for what we do.
If you have clarity about your life path, state with intention what you know you are here to do and then take one step each day toward fulfilling your vision. If you don’t have clarity yet, jot down thoughts or words that come to mind about what brings you joy or passion. Keep adding to your list, until you see a pattern emerge that brings your vision into focus.
List all the times you felt you took a “wrong turn” in life. Now re-examine them from what you learned about yourself from what you didn’t want to do.
Are there things in your life you are doing now that are “busy work” or distracting you from what you know you want to do? If so, list three realistic things you will do next time you get busy or distracted, so you can redirect your energy toward what really matters most.
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