After the expansion of energy I experienced while performing with my theater company, Living Arts Playback Theater, this past week, I was fascinated to take stock on how my self–esteem has shifted over the years. During the time of post-show “contraction,” I found to my satisfaction that I no longer evaluate what I do with the same level of harshness. My beloved, Sherry Mouser, once proposed giving her “inner critic” the new job description of “quality control expert.” Maybe her idea rubbed off on me.
In generally, feelings of contraction that are self punishing often accompany this Autumn season, which in Traditional Chinese Medicine is associated with the element of Metal and the emotion of grief. This is a time of letting go and releasing, like a tree losing its leaves. The question is how might you experience times of contraction as an opportunity for discernment and, rather than experiencing only loss, allow yourself to let go in the spirit of coming home to yourself?
Vicki Dello Joio, founder of The Way of Joy: A Spiritual Fitness program, is a teacher, speaker and performing artist. Integrating over 40 years of Chi Kung practice with other martial arts as well as her work in Yoga, Feldenkreis, physical fitness and theater, Vicki has developed a dynamic set of tools to increase awareness, transform obstacles into opportunities and enhance creative potential. Book: The Way of Joy: An Evolutionary Process to Awaken Inspiration, Focus Intention and Manifest Fulfillment, CD: Short Meditations for a Busy Life.