First… what IS self-abandonment? Self-abandonment is what happens when we turn away from ourselves. When we ignore what we feel. When we silence what we know. When we override our truth to avoid discomfort, rejection, or conflict. It can look small. Saying “it’s fine” when it isn’t. Laughing when something hurts. Staying quiet when something matters. Trying to be who we think we need to be. What are the effects of self-abandonment? When we disconnect from ourselves, certain patterns appear. Low self-esteem. Emotional suffering. Difficult relationships. Addictions — to people, substances, or activities. We start seeking outside what we no longer give ourselves inside. We look for validation. We try to control. We blame. We overwork. We numb. After a while, we may collapse. Look around you. Can you see how often we are encouraged to ignore what we feel, override what we know, and disconnect from ourselves in order to belong, succeed, or survive? Most of us were taught to abandon ourselves… quietly, early, and repeatedly. Can you see it?

Today I experienced a guided practice of self connection with @Josée LaRoche, with the kind company of @Eric Ouellette and missing the presence of @Kosta Pagonas. I arrived overwhelmed, blocked and confused. I left sad but present, with a tender heart, with a deep clarity of the huge pain I was avoiding but that was preventing me from moving. Josée asked me: Do you want to learn more about what you are feeling? I said yes, but I was feeling my resistance. She gently asked me questions to help me see below the layers of "Fear is stoping me from doing what I need to do" and get to this very old feeling of "I feel so helpless". Those were words of a tiny child inside me. And instead of ignoring me, I could be present to myself. I didn't "solve" my issues there, but feeling the actual feeling I was experiencing felt so true. It allowed me to know where I was standing, and the very real next steps I could take. Very grateful to have this guide available in the community and to be able to learn to do it for myself!