The Gift of Being
by Guest Writer Kim Dietrich, kimdietrich.ca
At the age of 37, Dr. Helen Gitlevich ended up on the operating table having open heart surgery. As she relates in her radio show, her life at that point was all about doing. The combination of a high-stress profession and perfectionistic tendencies led to that health crisis. In the wake of her surgery Helen was forced to re-evaluate her life, recalibrate her choices and set out on a new path. Today her life focuses on being, rather than doing.
When Helen changed professions and left her marriage, she went through a time of rediscovery. Having spent so long living according to what she thought would please others, she was no longer in touch with her own desires. Discovering the tools of Access Consciousness led her to a new way of being. She learned to listen to her body and move into the energy of being, rather than always being focused on doing. Helen says, “The space of being has a very high vibration”.
To get to that place Helen recommends an expansion exercise; a meditation of sorts that allows you to get in touch with your true self. Expanding your consciousness allows you to move beyond focusing on the needs and judgements of others and move into truly being. Close your eyes and focus your attention on your body, Helen instructs. Think about the top of your head, your crown, opening up and filling with light. Allow that light to travel down through your body and connect to the earth through your feet. As you become connected to the energy of the earth, allow the energy to flow back up through you body and out into the universe. Feel your consciousness expand out into the room where you sit, out into the sky for miles above you and then into space and out into the entire universe.
Once you get to this place of expansion, bring your thoughts to your body. If you can come back to this energy of expansion whenever you feel yourself tense up and contract, you will move towards learning to invite new possibilities in. As Helen says, “Whenever I expand it feels amazing - it feels like I can conquer anything, be anything, do anything. That space is magical.”
Listening to our bodies is where we can make choices that honor ourselves and focus on being, rather than on doing. When faced with choices, ask your body what feels light and fun – move towards those things. Being you is all about choosing what feels fun, Helen explains. We don’t need to move through our lives feeling obligated, feeling heavy, existing in the energy of having to do things. If we shift our energy, expand our consciousness, and focus on our own true desires, we can move towards truly being. If you find yourself concerned with the judgements of others, remember, as Helen says, “the people who truly love you will love you when you are being you.” And that is truly the gift of being.
Kim Dietrich is a content writer specializing in personal and career development.
Check out her print and online work at kimdietrich.ca.