In many commonly used connection practices, from exercise to prayer to therapy and beyond, a common instruction is to ‘open up’. We are encouraged to open up with our ideas, thoughts and feelings. We are instructed to let go or release in artistic expression. Even some yoga-related physical methods are referred to as ‘opening’ in nature.
This should come as no surprise. In many cultures, but definitely in our western, mostly urban experience we are bombarded with an excess of stimuli and people to be interacting with constantly, leading us to keep to ourselves as much as possible, avoid eye-contact and strangers, and the conversations we do have with anyone but our closest humans, are generally limited to small talk. We close down, seemingly for our own good, our own mental health. And we are right.
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To break it down into a useful analogy I once heard, ‘you wouldn’t trust just anyone to do electrical work on your home, and you shouldn’t trust just anyone with your personal energy either’.
We and everything around us is energy. This is not even an esoteric belief anymore, it is proven science. And so our instinctive or rather, intuitive response to the constant energetic intrusion that is modern life is to shut ourselves off to the best of our ability. This of course does not mean we do not want connection, we just need it to be done the correct way and with full consent. However, once accustomed to being closed off for protection, we find it difficult to then pick and choose when we can be open and when to close off. After all, shutting down has proven to be effective security while being vulnerable often ends up hurting us.
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Do not judge yourself for closing down. It is a necessary protection method, more so than most of us are aware of. However, we cannot overlook that openness is a requirement for a connection to ourselves and by extension, to the Divine. When we open ourselves up to the full roster of emotional wealth we possess, we connect with who we truly are. When we open up to new perspectives and experiences, we literally connect to our potential, otherwise known as our Higher Self. When we open up our hearts, we heal our trauma, our Inner Child’s wounds and equip ourselves for making better, healthier more conscious decisions. In other words it is crucial that open up, BUT it must be done in safe, calm spaces. Alone, or in the company of like-minded people. We should not allow ourselves to be guided to opening up by people whom we do not trust whether they be teachers, entertainers or spiritual leaders. And whenever and whatever kind of opening practice you do engage in, remember to always close back down afterward. Protect your energy and care for it. Open it up only when safe to do so and tend to it as you would to any other part of yourself.
