en*theos Academy

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Context:

Elevating personal growth as a lifestyle, Ashley Turner, M.A., MFTI brings a fresh approach to yoga as a modern day psychotherapist with a soulful bent on celebrating the body’s wisdom and inner spirit. Known as a passionate voice bridging east and west, Ashley is a leader in the next generation of body-mind-spiritual teachers. She is the creator of several best-selling yoga DVD's, author of Aroma Yoga, frequent contributor to Shape, Self, Yoga Journal, Fitness and weekly blogger for The Daily Love and Positively Positive. Details and free training videos available at AshleyTurner.org.

Terri Cole, founder of Live Fearless and Free, is a licensed psychotherapist and an expert in transforming fear into freedom. Terri has spent the last two decades empowering companies, celebrities, professional athletes, Broadway performers, supermodels and individuals across the globe to Live Fearless and Free. This program combines harnessing the power of intention, practical psychology, and thought innovation to create sustainable change and grew out of Terri's work and research as a psychotherapist and her personal experience, or as she calls it, her "PhD in Fear."

Let's check out some of our favorite Big Ideas from this week:

Big Idea #1: How to Love Yourself.

1. COMPARISON IS THE THIEF OF JOY

Keep your eyes on your own paper. Comparison is the THIEF of Joy.

The Three Egos

• HIGH EGO = Powerful - Outside Self - False Self (Defense Mechanisms)

• LOW EGO = Powerless - NO Self - Selfless (Co-Dependent)

• BALANCED EGO = Empowered - Inside Self/Unique Self/Core Self - SELF LOVE

EGO IS NOT BAD! Aim is to cultivate a healthy sense of Ego and boundaries.

How are you powerful? How does being powerful feel?

How are you powerless? How does being powerless feel?

How are you, or can you be, empowered? How would being empowered make you feel?

We get into a power struggle when we are not sure which Self is running the show.

Big Idea #2: Shadow Work.

* Quick exercise on SHADOW: Who annoys you? Who do you gossip about the most? What are you critical of in other people? You own these qualities, too.

GOLDEN SHADOW: Who do you most look up to? Who do you most admire, envy, want to be like? You own these qualities, too!

"A wonderful realization will be the day you realize that you are unique in all the world. The world is an incredible unfulfilled tapestry, and only you can fulfill that tiny space that is yours."

Leo Buscaglia

When we embrace our uniqueness, our gifts and talents come to life.

When we conform in order to fit in, be accepted and avoid rejection, we shut down, numb out and give our power away.

We all long to be seen for who we really are; not just our physical image and personality, but who we are as spiritual beings expressing our uniqueness in human form. 

If we don’t embrace our uniqueness we may strive to be special. Special implies better than, more talented or gifted than others. 

Big Idea #3: Your Uniqueness.

Questions To Ask Yourself.

What is Unique About You?
Is it your bluntness, kindness, whacky sense of humor?  What are you known for? What are your strengths? What about your so called weaknesses, perhaps these are just part of your unique package that makes you perfect as you are. 

What Happens When You Try to Conform?
What happens to you when you try to fit in with a group or blend in with others in a way that covers up your uniqueness? How does it feel? What about when you embrace your uniqueness? How does it feel to be your authentic self?

Embrace all aspects of your unique self.

Other Cool Stuff

Check out loads of materials on the topics discussed here at Terri and Ashley's websites. AshleyTurner.org and  TerriCole.com