“To be free is to be capable of thinking one’s own thoughts…Not the thoughts merely of the body, or of society, but thoughts generated by one’s deepest, most original, most essential and spiritual self, one’s individuality.”
– Rudolf Steiner
As long as I can remember,…I sensed I was different and loved to be alone,…
It has been said that for Introverts, being alone with our thoughts is as restorative and nourishing as eating and sleeping…However, (like many others) I grew up in a culture and time in society when being “introverted” was not as acceptable, widely shared about or even celebrated like it is today!
Despite this, (and the wounds I accumulated to work with over-time) as from the age of 20, I was questioning and longing to “unfollow the herd”!…
I sensed that to find true happiness and self-fulfillment on my path in life, I needed to learn to disyfer, truly listen and follow the guidance of my own intuition and heart…Developing and nourishing my individual, Spiritual core became very important to me and still is today…I’m grateful to have met a partner who shared and supported these core values…
Now in my early 40’s, I am embracing a life and a future of not “needing” to be “understood” by others,…while at the same time, I am allowing myself to truly feel the unlimited, sovereign power, uniqueness and freedom within that….
If you resonate with these musings about Introverts,…
I hope despite what is happening in your life or whichever stage you are at on your journey, you keep following and finding strength in your intuition and unique identity.
Above all, keep walking at your own pace and find the solace, clarity, balance and restoration you need in your alone time.
The earth needs the unique essence and energy you carry within you!
Over many years, I have been offering support and intuitive guidance for sensitive empaths/introverts/mavericks/creative souls – born for this curent paradigm shift we are moving through…Drawing on my artistic expression and my experiences of a self-awareness, healing path of 20+ years, I write, ponder and offer inspiration about similar themes and ideas in many of my blog posts.
…Feel free to browse through this website/blog and also follow my/our journey in the Alps on Instagram.
Life is a journey…are we making life choices, which support and nurture our inner-soul-growth?
…On reflection, I see that from the “outside” the choices I made and the path I/we forged and created may have appeared irrational, unconventional, obscure and unplanned to some people. However, as I began to view my life choices more from the “inside” and less how others and society perceived me, I came to realise that the most important was that I listened to my own intuition and followed my heart and soul. I now know that this way never demonstrates a carefully-calculated-straight-path because it is open to flow and spontaneously change as we grow to become more authentic and self-embodied…
Jaymie Elder
Excerpt from: “The Soul Purpose of our Journey” This post is about looking at life and our journey from the perspective of our soul, where I share much from my own personal life teachings, wisdom and journey…it was written in May 2018.
…Which life choices have you made lately, which may have appeared irrational, “unplanned”, or obscure to other people or society – but they felt TRUE to your heart and soul?…🌺
Jaymie Elder is a soul journey guide, artist, writer and traveller offering intuitive guidance/Soul Sessions internationally via Skype. Jaymie is dedicated to supporting others to heal and grow towards their authentic self – and a life in harmony with their heart and soul being. Learn more about Jaymie and her work here
Have you noticed that now as the earth is receiving much more light than ever before, the shadow parts in many people, as well as dysfunctional power structures, have become much more visible or less “hidden” from plain sight?
If we are continuing with our own most important inner work, we find we can transmute and move through old wounds/triggers much faster than ever before. But at the same time, it appears that relationships or people who are no longer an equal resonance of energy simply fall away – more quickly than ever before.
Carl Jung left us with some amazing insights and revelations about his “shadow work”. He said that we do not grow/become “enlightened” through only focusing on the light or imagining “figures of light”, but by looking deep inside i.e bringing to light the unconscious, through facing and transforming our shadow *. He also said that “to confront a person with his own shadow, is to show him his own light”…
This article was written by me several years ago. I wrote it to honour the journey of shadow work in a relationship, which over time, with steady commitment and devotion, allows us to grow to become a much more authentic expression of our true selves.
As we continue with this shadow work, we open ourselves towards a deeper capacity to feel and share love, and attract relationships that are more supportive, authentic and harmonious with who we are becoming.
However, I believe because we are here to evolve and continue to grow, this journey is not linear, a straight path or finite,…Therefore, our inner work will always take us deeper and higher, much like an infinite energy spiral – returning to our innermost core and then expanding out towards the ether.
* Our shadow is made up of our unhealed, hurt, vulnerable parts of self – often originating in childhood but remaining with us throughout life. We can choose to ignore our shadow and unconsciously project it out onto others OR embrace and work with it for the many deeper gifts and insights it can offer us on our journey through life.
Everybody wants a loving relationship,… but few people are really open or prepared for the ongoing commitment and challenge of shadow work i.e. to take full responsibility for our own projections, inner child wounds and personal healing.
Relationships are so important because the deeper we are connected to someone physically, emotionally and spiritually – the greater the opportunity or catalyst for healing our inner child and transforming our core family and generational wounds.
Without this awareness, we may continue to protect or react from our wounds (hurt inner child) through becoming defensive, angry and blaming others, shutting down or avoiding intimacy altogether.
If we pretend that everything is wonderful and perfect on the outside, we deny ourselves the sacred opportunity to work with the truth – the unpleasant emotions that get triggered in us. It is only through acknowledging that our shadow/wounds exist, that we can begin to grow towards…
“When you know how to listen,
everyone is the Guru”
– Ram Dass
How do we practice compassionate listening?
We practice compassionate listening by spending time alone in communion with nature and becoming comfortable in our own inner silence.
Only then, do we begin to hear with our heart – our right brain, which is connected with a higher intelligence – present in nature and magnified in all of creation.
Only then, do we begin to tap into a magical vibration – the universal energy of love – which we are and always will be part of.
What does it mean to “commune from the heart”?
To commune from the heart simply means we listen for what the heart is trying to express.
In our relationships and encounters with strangers, we are receptive and open to the feeling, sensory and telepathic messages. Often for humans, these are the messages and clues about what is NOT being expressed, because the left-brain-mind is trying to convince, persuade, manipulate, impress, or control in a person.
We help another person, not by becoming like them and therefore losing our center of Self – but by helping them to see where their words and thoughts are not in harmony with their soul being, heart and body.
We help another person, not by overpowering them with our own thoughts, ideas, or projections of what we would like to see, have affirmed, validated or believed – but by offering a mirror where they have an opportunity to recognise their own light of truth reflected back at them.
Ultimately, we support and encourage a person to feel safe and not to be afraid of their own inner silence… because this is where they access their own innate wisdom and what can only be right and true for them.
Why did we not learn about this in school?
We did not learn about this in school, because instead we have been trained to utilise our left-brain, which is more easily persuaded and conditioned to obey an authoritative structure or power system. Now, more and more our world moves towards a new set of compassionate, feminine values with an appreciation of our heart’s intelligence at the core.
Anyone can practice compassionate listening – it’s not restricted to those with a degree in psychology, any form of elite status, religious or spiritual authority.
Of course, what we are speaking about is not only limited to human exchanges but how we interact and form relationships with all beings (“seen” and “unseen”) and with all of nature.
How do we know when we have achieved a “heart communion” or practiced “compassionate listening”?
We know when we have achieved a heart communion and practiced compassionate listening because both participants leave a conversation or exchange feeling received, uplifted, fulfilled, energised, joyous, lighter and more open.
These are the feelings and signs, which tell us we have truly listened and communed with and from the heart (as it is, in all of nature and magnified in all of creation).
Everybody wants a loving relationship,… but few people are really open or prepared for the ongoing commitment and challenge of shadow work i.e. to take full responsibility for our own projections, inner child wounds and personal healing.
Relationships are so important because the deeper we are connected to someone physically, emotionally and spiritually – the greater the opportunity or catalyst for healing our inner child and transforming our core family and generational wounds.
Without this awareness, we may continue to protect or react from our wounds (hurt inner child) through becoming defensive, angry and blaming others, shutting down or avoiding intimacy altogether.
If we pretend that everything is wonderful and perfect on the outside, we deny ourselves the sacred opportunity to work with the truth – the unpleasant emotions that get triggered in us. It is only through acknowledging that our shadow/wounds exist, that we can begin to grow towards being more authentic and truthful with ourselves and others.
The truth is, we need relationships to trigger the wounds we have protected and tried to bury deep within our unconscious. As children, we developed unhealthy patterns, behaviors and beliefs in order to survive our family and society’s circumstances. However, as mature adults, we have a responsibility to consciously work with our history, our family story, our inner child, so that we do not continue to pass on our unhealed past and wounds.
Our soul acts like a magnet to attract the perfect partner and circumstances for healing and transformation to occur. As we work with the opportunities a soul partner offers us to heal and grow, we can embrace our shadow with love, forgiveness and soul understanding. As we continue with this work, we open ourselves towards a deeper capacity to feel and share love.
The soul purpose of a relationship is to share love and help each other heal and grow.
“Love” by Sculptor Alexander Milov
In life, and especially in our relationships, we often do not “like” what is being mirrored back to us or triggered by another.
We can choose to protect or defend our wounds, turn our backs on each other and walk away from the challenge presented to us.
However, life experience shows – our unconscious, childhood wounds tend to follow us into the next relationship… and the next.
In time, we realise that wisdom, self-awareness and maturity come from looking deep inside the childhood wounds we carry with us.
Wounds, which require another to bring them into our conscious awareness so that they may be faced, transformed and healed.
When we are conscious of our inner child’s needs, we can step away and disengage from a cycle of outer criticism, projection and blame.
We can recognise our own shadow parts – longing to be transformed with love, understanding, non-judgment, compassion, patience and gentleness.
We focus our energy and time on the inner changes, we need to make and the most important personal work we are here for.
When both partners are open to feel and connect with their unhealed childhood wounds that get triggered, they have an opportunity to progress with their inner work of healing and growing.
An intuitive guide can be very helpful to support us in connecting with what is at the core of our triggered emotional reactions.
He or she may also offer us beneficial tools to support our inner child’s needs for love, compassion and inner safety.
We can therefore approach our challenges as opportunities to share and grow more together towards wholeness, love and respect for each other.
With each obstacle on our path, we have an opportunity to rise together, reaching deeper levels of love, intimacy and healing.
A soul union is about complementing, supporting and enhancing our unique energies and gifts.
It’s also about being challenged – to confront our old identity, conditioning and past limited ways of being in the world.
A soul relationship can liberate us from our past – supporting and encouraging us to become all we can be.
The soul purpose of a relationship is to share love and help each other heal and grow.
The most important journey in life leads us deep inside ourselves!
If we can not be honest with ourselves, how can we be honest with another? In a nurturing and loving relationship with the Self, we acknowledge our shadow in a way that we do not criticise or judge ourselves harshly. We understand its purpose for being there – to provide the lessons and challenges so that we may grow.
In an honest, conscious relationship both partners know that we touch each other’s wounds – and therefore the relationship can offer us a powerful tool for healing, growth and transformation.
“Every moment, it is our sacred choice, how open we are to forgive, heal and grow in love, compassion and soul wisdom
– on our Sacred Journey.” Juerg Dreamturtle
It is of course always our choice how deep we wish to go and how much we wish to face, transform and heal on our own journey.
The true gift and fulfillment of journeying with someone who is open for all of this – someone who also has a good sense of humour, sensitivity, honesty and capacity to love – is the solidity, strength and union you build overtime within yourself AND together as a couple.
Our work is to support people on their soul journey. I am dedicated to my own personal healing and shadow work in a relationship with Juerg Dreamturtle (we have been journeying, traveling, creating and doing this healing/shadow work together for 15 years).
We do not pretend to be perfect because we know we can always continue to heal and grow more. Juerg and I share a core belief that our inner work of healing and growing is the most important, beneficial part of our journey we can devote ourselves to in this life…not only for ourselves and our relationship, but for all people and Mother Earth.
Juerg and I are offering support for this very important personal work, which helps us to heal and grow to a deeper level of love, compassion and soul wisdom. Both Juerg and I offer personal sessions for individuals/couples. Sessions are available internationally via Skype/Telegram/Facebook Messenger.
