Have You Lost Your Magic Tortoise?

Spokane Hypnosis Services-Intentional Hypnosis

In the Wilhelm Baynes version of the I Ching in Hexagram 27 the top change line reads, "You​ let your Magic Tortoise go and look at me with the corners of your mouth drooping". Tortoises in ancient China were seen as mystical creatures who seemed immortal as they can live over two hundred years. 
This Hexagram is focused on how we choose to feed or nurture ourselves on physical, psychological and spiritual levels.
This nurturing can take two forms either positive or negative self-nurturing. Very few Coaches, Spiritual Teachers or even Therapists, address this with their clients even though it is a major contributor to most of our addictions. It also ties into the above statement regarding our "Magic Tortoise". When we let go of the believe in our capacity to nourish ourselves on either a physical or emotional level we then do so through largely unconscious behavior patterns.      

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​The lower three lines apply to nourishing oneself specifically the body and the upper lines represent the care of others in a higher spiritual sense. We are asked in both cases to consider what aspects of our on nature we feed as well as who and what we choose to feed outside of ourselves.

We give our attention to that which is most important to us. When we are feeling alone and believe that connection with others, a form of positive self nurturing is unavailable to us we will seek to satisfy that urge either consciously or unconsciously.

Satisfying an unconscious belief often results in a pattern of negative self-nurturing such as overeating, excessive consumption of alcohol, drugs, and all kinds of other non-productive behaviors. 

The solution involves bringing conscious awareness to our feelings and first acknowledging then honoring them, with actions toward that which we desire. It's not only okay to have needs and wants it's important to express them.

This is the best way I know of to sever the link to unconscious behavior patterns that reinforce our shame spiral. When we start asking for what we want, we will not only get more of it, we will soon start acknowledging that we deserve it!