The work of The Empowered Heart offers a methodological approach to assist people in the process of identifying and healing from emotional pain, struggle and suffering.
Through applying the concepts and tools offered through the approach, we learn to stop turning away from the pain and instead, face towards it so as to better understand it and fully overcome it.
Artwork by Masha Pimas • Design by Erica Ekrem
How it works…
The Empowered Heart is a methodology (+ book & online community) that assists people through the process of identifying and healing emotional pain and discomfort residing from unresolved trauma.
Rather than turning away from the pain, we face towards it, so as to understand it and fully overcome it. Because the ultimate goal in doing this work is to bring us Home to our true selves––the heart of light and sacred pureness within us––the cycle & diagram begin (and end) with the Heart.
Then, the painful Wounds and occurrences that happened in our lives and the lineage of Pain, Need, Protection and Defense we have learned to endure in order to deal with the discomfort from those original traumas. Eventually, finding ourselves in a prolonged state of Suffering.
It’s here in these initial stages that we transcend out from the Home of our hearts to the realms of Experience & Avoidance of trauma, eventually residing in a state of suffering.
HEART : The whole, trusting, honest and loving essence of our true selves.
WOUND : The traumatic woundings (abuse, death, loss, divorce, etc.) that impact our tender hearts.
PAIN : The feelings of discomfort, sadness, insecurity and pain resulting from those wounds.
NEED : Our necessary response to being hurt— the need to heal, soothe and ease the pain.
PROTECTION : Our attempt to care for ourselves by disconnecting from the sensations of pain when our needs for relief and healing aren’t met.
DEFENSE : The state of aggression and outwardly display of protection we embody to keep our hurting hearts protected and safe.
SUFFERING : The painful result of being disconnected from our true Selves and the World around us.
Once we have a full understanding of what happened in order to get us to the place of struggle and suffering, we then turn things around through the act of Realization (“I’m done struggling and suffering through life”) and enter fully into the Steps of Empowerment.
It’s here that we enter into the phases of Awareness & Resolution.
OBSERVE: The necessary act of witnessing what happened in the past (looking at the wounds) and consciously acknowledging what’s happening right now.
FEEL : Bringing ourselves back to our senses by re-awakening our ability to feel the tender emotions (pain and fear) that lie beneath the surface of protection and defense.
CONNECT : Giving ourselves permission to explore trust and engage more deeply with our selves and those around us.
RELEASE : Allowing ourselves to speak, cry, express and emote the honest feelings and withheld energies within us.
COMFORT : Embracing vulnerability by allowing ourselves to be internally and externally comfortable in receiving constructive forms of comfort and soothing relief.
LOVE : Understanding and embracing the power of forgiveness and compassion, while also practicing self respect through discernment.
EMPOWERMENT : The result of being self aware, forgiving, compassionate and confident in our ability to remain connected to our authentic and true selves through the twists and turns of life.