The Voices Within

We all hear voices all around us, but how well do you listen to the voices within?

Your Mind, Your Body, Your Heart

Oh My!

The holistic approach to life involves being aware and seeking balance in all aspects of your being. Your total Self is the sum or combination of your Mind, Body, Heart and Soul ... and they all have their own voice. You may accuse me of having a wild imagination, and for that, I thank you! Now let’s explore …

Your Mind

The voice of the Mind is logical, analytical, clinical and makes practical judgments. It aims for the best intellectual outcome in every situation. It can feel a teeny-weeny bit cold, because it is as-a-matter-of-fact logical, not emotional.

Your Heart

The Heart’s voice is emotional. It is governed by love and stimulated by romance and duty to those you care about. At one end of the emotional spectrum is love and bliss. At the other end, are feelings like fear and guilt, which sabotage love, by pulling you away from it. Emotions like these tamper with our sweet Hearts.

The Body’s voice communicates its basic instincts of survival. The Body needs and desires nourishment, wellness and sensory pleasure. It calls for air, water, food, exercise, sleep and sex. It can be seen as wild and animalistic or simplistic and natural … depending on how your mind and heart view it.

Your Body

Do they talk at the same time? Yes. As they are all part of you, they have an interest in you. Depending on the situation, each voice might be louder or softer than its companions. Let’s use the example of binge eating;

The voice of the Body is not to be confused with the voices who trigger emotional eating. An upset Heart may gang up with a tortured Mind and kidnap the Body. While they tempt each other, they’re not lined up, in reason or to the Soul, as they are not acting in the best interest of the Self holistically. You know this, because you do not feel good in all areas.

Which voice do you listen to, when they’re all talking at the same time?

Your Soul – Your Best Friend

There is another voice that we all hear. This one voice has many names. It’s the same voice that we all hear and feel – we just call it different things! Some call it their Soul or Inner Voice, Inner Being or Higher Self. Some distinguish their Inner Voice as separate from themselves, as it sounds and feels different from the chitter-chatter of their other voices. Thus, some may call it God, the Goddess, Spirit, Angels, the Collective Consciousness or Spirit Guides. Scientist or Atheists may call it their Gut Instincts or Inner Wisdom.

Whatever you call it, it comes from the same place – the Soul’s voice is that serene, quiet voice, that feels like Inner Knowing. It feels peaceful, even when the circumstances are not. It feels like the light has been turned on in a room that once was dark. It is the light at the end of the tunnel. You know you should walk towards it, because that is where the sun shines. When you don’t follow that voice, your instant reaction is – “I knew I should’ve trusted my instincts!”

This Inner Knowing is You! The reason why it is also termed your Inner Being is because it is your pure positive essence, which is why it feels serene and loving.

If you listen with awareness, you will be able to clearly hear all four voices of the Mind, Body, Heart and Soul. Some will be louder than others. One may be screaming while another is trying to distract you, but your Soul, the serene one, will resonate with the best outcome for you and in essence for the greater good of all.

You might be thinking Voices! Voices! Voices! Those from within and those from others! Learning to hear each, assists our awareness of self and our surroundings. Sometimes we let the voices of loved ones speak louder than those within, which may create inner conflict.

An Example of Inner Conflict

A friend called yesterday and hounded you to join her at a gathering today and you have an inner conflict about going.

Your Heart says you should go, because you don’t want to upset your friend. You care about your friendship. She’s not even there, but you can hear her voice. You’re afraid she might get angry if you don’t go and you don’t want to experience those consequences. However, you don’t feel like going because your Body is exhausted and it’s begging you to stay at home and regenerate. Your Mind is torn between positive and negative thoughts about the evening. On one hand, it doesn’t want to miss an opportunity. On the other, it’s been a hard day and you’re not that interested in small talk or the possibility of annoying people.

Your Soul might tell you to stay at home and take care of yourself holistically – mind, body, heart and soul. You can tell your friend that you’re not feeling the best and need to take care of yourself. It might tell you to keep it simple and just say you cannot make it. Alternatively, your Soul might tell you to go, because social contact is a nice contrast to work. It might advise to go with the intention of feeding your body, feeding your inquisitive mind, nourishing your connection with your friend and staying only as long as you feel. Either way, the Soul’s voice is calm and when you listen, you feel eased.

Newsflash!

You DO have control! Others CAN’T hear the voices within, despite what they say. You CAN listen to your Soul, even when your Mind, your Heart and your Body kick and scream. The quiet one is the loudest, when you truly listen to what they are saying!

The first voice you hear is your Soul or Inner Voice. Sadly, the world has taught us to not listen to this voice, because it can’t be proved to exist. Others label it woo-woo, cuckoo or evil. So, many have drowned out their Inner Voice, by others sterilised Minds or tarnished Hearts.

Is it cuckoo to trust in your own instincts and not that of another? Is it really woo-woo to trust your own answers, rather than the reasoning of another? Is it really evil when you put your own intrinsic reasoning above the selfish reasoning of another? Why accept the label of selfish, when another is exercising that same right?

Practicing Your Connection

If you have lost the ability to listen to your Soul or even hear your Inner Voice first, then start practicing.

Find a quiet place to sit comfortably and think of a question or situation where you need/want clarification. What is the first thought? Listen to it. Can you hear your Soul speak? If not, you might need to listen to the others first.

Concentrate on your Mind. What is it saying to you? Listen to it. What does it want? Go into your Body. Do you have any noticeable feelings, any aches or tightness in the chest, twist in your tummy, shortness of breath, racing heart? What is your Body really saying? What does it need? Is it speaking in alignment to your Mind? Now go into your Heart. What is the first thing it tells you? Really listen to it. Are your Heart’s words tarnished by your Mind or your past experiences? What does it want?

Allow all voices to speak, until they feel heard. Only then, will they quieten. I didn’t say “shut up” – but until they feel respected to speak, they will not work towards working together. It’s the clearest path towards hearing your Soul and to achieving well-being in all aspects of the Self. With practice, you will hear your Soul with more clarity. The louder your Soul’s voice, the calmer the other voices become. What once was an internal argument or tug-o-war, becomes a discussion or debate.

Alignment is the Goal

The more the energies of your Mind, Heart, Body and Soul are aligned, the louder you hear when you step out of alignment and the clearer your Inner Voice will be. You feel whole more often. When you are aligned, your Heart is happier, your Mind has more moments of clarity, and you are comfortable in your own skin. You often feel peaceful and blissful.

Through practice you will discover that you don’t need to be still or in a quiet place to hear your voices. Your Inner Voice will quickly become your best friend. When your Inner panel start working together, you’ll notice when you step out of alignment. Negatives will feel like contrast.

Negative influences, fears and pains from the past might be drowning out the sound of your Soul. Insecurities or contrarily arrogance built up to create a wall of security, might be attempting to gag your Inner Voice.

If you have some internal dialogue that you are struggling with and wish to book a Private Session, you can contact Annette, here at Butterflynett. or email annette.erica@outlook.com

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