All of You Is Welcome: Creating Safe Space to Be Your Whole Self
A Beautiful Soul Asked Me a Question
A Beautiful Soul asked me this question the other day:
“What do you do?”
In the past, when someone asked me this question,
my answer was, “I teach and I guide retreats. And I write.”
THIS time, the question-asker sparked a different response.
I wrote her back, speaking directly from my heart.
“My mission in life is to hold a safe space for you to explore and find
and make joy and ease in your life. So that you can do the things you love and be your truest self.”
What “Safe Space” Really Means
When I read my answer a few days later, I wondered if my words, “offer a safe space for you” were as clear as I want it to be.
Because a deeper truth,
the truth beneath the words, “safe space”
is that my mission is to empower YOU to feel and to be and to do and to live YOU.
“All of You” Is Welcome
The photo for this post is of one of the books I created for the women who joined me in France last September.
Notice the title (because this is my foundational practice!).
“All of you” is welcome.
When I first used this phrase, “All of you is welcome,”
a colleague said, “You used the wrong verb tense. It should be, all of you ARE welcome.”
Well, yes and no.
Speaking to “you” as a group, all of you are, indeed, welcome.
But here? “All of you” means every inch and cell and atom of you as you are right here right now, your whole self—the good, the bad, the ugly, the beautiful, the kind, the sad, the angry, the happy, the peaceful, the confused—ALL OF YOU…
Your Whole Self…
is welcome.
You’re Welcome
You’re welcome to read my words.
You’re welcome to come to my workshops.
You’re welcome to write me back.
You’re welcome to share what I send you.
You’re welcome to join me.
You’re welcome to think about joining me.
You’re welcome to disagree.
You’re welcome to wonder.
You’re welcome to laugh with me.
You’re welcome to cry.
You’re welcome to wonder.
You’re welcome.
You’re welcome.
All of you is welcome.
Feeling “All of Me” as Welcome
This place of feeling “all of me” as welcome
has been a rare thing in my life
and others tell me that it’s been the same for you.
For example,
I’ve received countless notes in response to my book—
“Whispers, Screams, and Crying Out Loud: Poems, Prayers and Essays to Help You Find, Feel, and Trust Your Voices, Your Truths” telling me:
“You write my heart.”
“You read my mind and put it on paper.”
“I feel exactly like this.”
I see you.
I hear you.
I feel you.
I know you.
I love you.
I am you
in some very important ways.
So What DO I Do?
So what DO I do?
I welcome you,
all of you, so that you feel the power, the energy—YOUR energy—
to be and do and feel and speak and live as you are,
right here, right now.
Maybe as you’ve always dreamed of being.
Maybe as you used to be before life and circumstances silenced or quieted you.
Maybe as you’ve sort of been and wanted to be more of.
Maybe as you’ve lived anyway, but always felt a nagging need to apologize for being.
Here. Right here. Right now
and in whatever form fits you,
I’m here to support you.
A Partial Menu of the Care I Offer You
Here’s a partial menu of the care I offer you—what I “do.”
Workshops (tho I like to call them playshops, no one really knows what I mean when I say this! ;-) )
Life Coaching
Retreats—mini, day-long and weeklong retreats (including my upcoming retreat in France)
Classes
Restorative sessions (where you are surrounded by pillows and blankets and do NOTHING)
Courses
Sacred Days (one-on-one totally devoted to you)
Sound sessions
Penpals
Forest Bathing
Intention cards
Books
YouTube channel where you can practice "with me"
As you can see,
all of me is focused on welcoming all of you.
One of the greatest compliments I ever received was when a client said,
“You’re the bridge to me.”
It’s an honor to see you and hear you and feel you and be with you.
All of you.
blessings,
paula.
