Self-Harm

When I think of self-harm, immediately the sad image of a wounded soul cutting themselves is presented. A plea of physical, self‑infliction.

But in truth, it’s much more than that.

See, within the minds of the majority of human beings, is a program of self-harm running. Perhaps not to the dramatic and theatrical extent of cutting oneself. Nevertheless, by acting out of said destructive paradigm, it will most certainly lead to the sabotage of the physical body.

Identified with this program, the human mind will turn in on itself, echoing the self-deprecating dialogue, handing the mic over to the critical, negative voice and listening to it reiterate, how worthless we are.

Then from this space we enter into each experience as the shadow self, destined to pollute each of our daily activities with damage, disdain and ridicule.
When we mechanically gorge on the foods we instinctively know are not nourishing our bodies, we are acting with violence to our body, the vessel of our true self. The shadow mind, the spiteful companion, silently watching us shove unnecessary amounts of food down our necks, waiting to use the experience against us.

Redundant relationships we know no longer serve our highest interests, are still maintained out of misguided, loyal nostalgia, regardless of the empty feeling we walk home alone with.

The endless quest on our dopamine devices to make sense of the external world, the twenty cigarettes we robotically puff away on, the pints of lager we sink in desperate thirst of reprieve from the insidious voice of the not-self, the instant gratification of buying more superfluous things we don’t actually need, the hours of philosophical procrastination, cunningly keeping us just out of reach of our true potential.

On and on.

A continued dance with a program hell-bent on self-sabotage. Each of the aforementioned endeavours (and many more), are often corrupted by a mind virus conspiratorially, intending to make us unsure, unhealthy and remaining in the same limiting paradigm continually reinforced by the shadow mind or “Radio Danny” as I like to call mine.

If the mind runs the show, the show runs on.

However, through simply reconnecting with the most consistent part of ourselves, the shadow mind retreats into the shadows - where it belongs.

We do so by simply breathing.

Deep, full breaths into our innate calmness.
Slowly riding the rise and fall of our celestial current, until we arrive home to who and what we really are.

Until we meet our real self again.

Where star fire burns in our eyes and our uncertainness becomes definite once more.

Here, from this place, within and without – we know no harm.

Breathe like your life depends on it – because it does.

This Sunday on MYGA we will be discussing Truth. See you there.