Self-Compassion

Dear One,

How are you?

How was your October? My sister got married last weekend! It was not the wedding they planned to have originally ( it was just his and our immediate family) but it was beautiful! How do you feel at this moment? What sensations are you feeling in your body? Just give yourself a moment to notice what you’re feeling. Nothing is right or wrong. Just notice. Is there tension or pain? Can you offer your pain or tension your attention, just for a moment. No need to evaluate or judge. Just feel it completely. All the updates: Starting December 1st, I will be eliminating discounts from my practice and effective immediately, I am raising my massage therapy rates for new clients to $50 for a 30-minute session, $90 for a 60-minute appointment and $130 for a 90-minute appointment. My current clients will stay at the current rate of $45, $80, and $120 until January 1st! I will continue to donate my time to Hands for Heroes. I will also be sending out a gift for my current clients sometime in the next couple months so please let me know if your mailing address has changed so I make sure it gets to you. Being back to massage therapy has been so wonderful. It has definitely been a change, having to wear different gear and not see your smiling face under the mask, but just being with you and being able to offer you that space to feel your best is the best! If you have reached out to me for a massage anytime since March and I haven’t reached out to you to schedule, I apologize and please send me a reminder and we’ll get you on the schedule. I will be opening up my schedule to the public again within the next week or so. Yay! Here is my availability through the end of the year: 11am-4pm: 11/7, 11/8, 11/14. 11/15, 11/21, 12/5, 12/6, 12/12, 12/13. 12/19, 12/27. Let me know if I can schedule you for any of those dates or times! I just recently had my first massage since the pandemic began and it was so great. I look forward to being back in my routine of regular sessions. Today I share with you what I believe is the most important video yet: Self Compassion. Here, I discuss the biggest insights I got from the book Self-Compassion by Dr. Kristen Neff. Find out why we tend not to be compassionate to ourselves, why we should be, and how to begin! I also wanted to share with you the text to a recent Instagram post I shared: (@insafehandsmassage) I am not responsible for your feelings. You are not responsible for my feelings. I used to think I was responsible for yours and not mine! If you said or did something and I felt sad, angry, hurt in anyway- you did that TO ME. If you’re upset after I say or do something, I did that to YOU. It sounded like: “They made me so mad” “They ruined my day” And “I must have done something wrong because they are so upset with me” But life is much simpler and freer when I am responsible for my own thoughts, feelings, and actions and I allow you to be responsible for yours. Recognizing my own responsibility allows me to see where I may need to look into how I’m thinking about something, check in on if I’m processing my feelings, am I acting in accordance with my values? Recognizing your responsibility allows me to show up authentically. Since I know It’s your job to take care of your inner world, I recognize that someone else having an emotional reaction and response to something doesn’t necessarily mean I did something wrong. And since I’ve separated myself from their feelings, there is less defensiveness and more ability to take responsibility when I did act or speak in a way that isn’t aligned with who I want to be. This is not easy but it’s something I am working on every day. More than ever I know people can use help with this! I think a lot of the divisiveness going on stems from an inability to take responsibility for our own stuff. It doesn’t mean we shouldn’t fight for what matters to us but we’ll get clearer and so much more empowered when see where we can take responsibility! I am here and happy to coach you!💕 Wishing you all the best! In gratitude, Eileen

998 Farmington Ave, Suite 207, West Hartford, CT 860-805-6020 Eileen Dickinson, LMT's Website