What is Self-Honoring? Self-honoring divides into two for me. One, self-honoring in relation to others, and self-honoring in relation to one’s self.
Self-honoring is the practice of becoming aware of your body, beliefs, thoughts, time, intuition, gut feeling, and other parts of YOUR self. After becoming aware, you then honor or respect the call of these parts of YOUR self.
Sometimes, we dishonor our bodies in an act of self-abandonment, by letting our bodies break down in pain or exhaust; or perhaps by abandoning it in dishonoring sexual acts. More about self-abandonment in a different article.
Self-honoring in relation to others feels like not “shrinking” in the body to please others.
If someone does not honor your time by being constantly late. If someone does not honor your body by constantly making transgressions. If someone consistently does not honor your ideas in meetings. You then practice self-honoring by taking yourself out of the equation or by speaking up. You listen to the call of YOUR self.
Self-honoring in relation to yourself feels like a big “Yes” in the body.
If you see the constant pull of the mind by the usual “shoulds” or “shouldn’ts.” If you see your inner voice becoming negative towards your heart desires. If you try to downplay your intuitive feeling. You then practice self-honoring by respecting the gut, the heart, the intuition and allow yourself the pleasure of rest over a networking event that you “should” go to.
Self-honoring practices for the self are often few and far between in comparison to self-abandonment practices. Here is a big one, allow yourself the honor of loving, that is a true self-honoring practice!
