“The authentic self is the soul made visible” -Sarah Ban Breathnach
Coming from a place of power–being empowered–is remembering our authentic self, speaking our truth, and allowing ourselves to be seen. Unfortunately, Western culture, historically, hasn’t supported women in stepping into their own power. Rather, we have learned that in order to be successful, heard, or respected, we must assimilate to the ways of a patriarchal culture, letting go of our own ways of knowing and being. With this, we are left feeling that something is missing–we are disconnected from part of our brilliance and authenticity. It’s like we’re playing big without our authenticity–which isn’t really playing big. Additionally, many women feel a bind between standing in our power and the cultural messages we’ve received around the importance of being likable, being ‘nice’, and taking care of others at the expense of our own needs. How do we honor our own needs and those of others? How do we stand in our power and take care of relationships? The combination of these messages can leave women feeling conflicted, overwhelmed, not good enough, exhausted, and out of alignment with who we are at our core.
Do you resonate with any of the above? Feel exhausted, overwhelmed, disconnected, conflicted, or stuck? This is so normal–and it’s time to let go of these old patterns! We are now being called to unlearn these cultural lessons and recall the deep ways of knowing and being that are at our core. We are being called to bring our authentic gifts into the table, to nurture ourselves as we nurture others, to shift old cultural paradigms to ones in which we honor both the feminine and masculine.
A little about my personal WHY: I had been feeling this nudge to play bigger than I was playing but a lot of internal resistance and blocks. I felt a sense of not knowing how to step into my power in a way that felt authentic and grounded in who I was. A few different friends and colleagues had recommended the book Playing Big by Tara Mohr. Even before I had finished the book, I found myself recommending it to practically every woman I know. Tara did such an amazing job of explaining why it’s difficult for women to play big and offering tools and practices to support women in stepping into their power. I found myself wanting to build a community of women to support one another on this journey and I emailed Tara to see if I could offer Playing Big groups. A couple of weeks later, I got an email back saying that Tara was getting ready to launch a facilitators training, teaching other women the skills and tools to support women in stepping into their power. My path was unfolding before my eyes! I’m almost finished with the training and am offering my first women’s group. This group draws heavily from Tara Mohr’s Playing Big and integrates other practices that have been invaluable to me on my own learning journey. I am so excited about this offering!
Are you feeling called to be part of a circle of women who are reconnecting to their essence, nurturing themselves, and stepping into their power? This group is about creating community, building awareness, learning tools and strategies for strengthening connection with self, letting go of limiting beliefs, and creating personal accountability. It’s about playing big, stepping into our power as women and changing the world. (That may sound cheesy, but it’s true!)
Fall 2015 Re-Source Your Life will begin Monday September 14 and meet bi-weekly from 5:30-7pm. Cost is $150 for the 3 month circle, which can be paid all at once or broken down into payments. Check out the group page for more details about the circle.
There are only 4 spots left so email me: lauraktorres@gmail.com to sign up soon if you are interested!
Suggestion: Share this opportunity with any women you feel called to share with!
Affirmation: May you feel connected to your essence and your power.