As I write this, the sun has come out and a swarm of ladybugs has landed outside my window. Ladybugs are a sign of good luck and kindness, including kindness to oneself.
The perfect symbol. After all, my blog topic today is kindness to self. And in that pursuit, it’s been my great fortune this week to interview Corinne Cayce, the great granddaughter of the late Edgar Cayce who was known as “America’s greatest psychic.”
Corinne Cayce is coming to East West Bookshop on Saturday, October 20 for an all-day workshop. This is one not to miss. As a working mother, Corinne is the first contemporary Cayce woman to carry on the family teachings. Her approach is kind, esoteric and practical -- in line with the Cayce legacy.
Corinne Cayce lives at the base of Virginia’s Blue Ridge mountains, not far from the 10-acre Cayce seaside farm where she and her sister were raised. She loves nature. She views nature as a self-healing system, one always striving to renew itself. That belief colors her own approach as a coach.
Simply put, the best way to motivate yourself is to treat yourself with kindness. That’s contrary to the messages most of us hear growing up. Too often, we believe we need to struggle to get ahead. We put ourselves down. We play an endless loop of self-criticism through our subconscious minds.
What if there was another way? An easier way? This is the way of loving kindness – not just to others -- but to ourselves.
In the last few days, I’ve done a lot of thinking about Corinne’s kind approach. I realized I was too hard on people – to others and to myself. I hadn’t intended that. But there’s always been a long to-do list. I could call it a Japanese American thing, but it’s mostly just a “me” thing.
You see, every day I usually force myself to do the hardest thing first. How has that been working? Not very well. Many days I never accomplished that first thing!
With that sobering self-assessment, I tried Corinne’s approach, melting into the moment. If I were truly kind to myself, what would I do first? I realized how much I held my breath most of the day, how I tensed my muscles. Frankly, I didn’t think I was that hard on myself. Guess I was wrong.
However, this story has a happy ending. I realized two things. First, that if I acted out of kindness to myself, I got immediate results and scratched off items off my to-do list a lot faster. Not only that, but I realized that what made me happy completely aligned with my best interests. If I were truly kind to myself, I naturally wanted to eat healthier, exercise more, work more productively and love others more.
In other words, if I tried less – I actually accomplished MORE!
The word TRUST came up. I realized that I could trust myself to do the right thng. I spoke to Corinne Cayce about it. She validated my experiences– and added one more word -- joy.
In her genteel voice, Corinne pointed out that we naturally move toward joy. Our bodies want to feel healthier, more joyful. Our minds naturally seek happiness. Our spirits want to soar. The data proves it.
“Research shows so much today that we didn’t know 10 years ago,” Corinne tells me. That research has upended a lot of staid myths about conflict resolution, meditation, nutrition, etc. Funny thing is, the latest scientific research is proving what Edgar Cayce saw a century or so ago.
I’m looking forward to Corinne’s lecture at East West books. Hear my interview with Corinne Cayce here. With characteristic charm and gravitas both -- Corinne is a singular force.
Ina Woolcott: writes about the symbolism of ladybugs: “Their small size symbolizes a gentle loving nature, and they give off an energy of being harmless. This shows us how to stop harming ourselves. Though small in size the ladybug is fearless. As fear cannot exist amongst joy, the ladybug brings a message of promise, for they get us back in touch with the joy of living – we must let go of our fears and go back to our roots, to love.”
Fearless Love. Thank you, universe. Order Corinne Cayce tickets here.
Deni Luna does Lip Print, Voyager Tarot, and Clairvoyant Readings at East West Bookshop. Learn more here.
