Aphrodite and the Recovery of Innocence
by Joseph Dispenza and Dr. Beverly Nelson
She was the most beautiful of all Olympians -- the goddess of love, grace, and beauty. You may remember that when young Paris, Prince of Troy, was asked to award the Golden Apple "To the Fairest," he handed it without hesitation to Aphrodite.
Her name in Greek is derived from two words, Aphro (foam) and Dite (born), which indicates that she originated from the sea. Actually, there are two different stories concerning her origin. In The Iliad she is the daughter of Zeus and the Titaness Dione. Most poets after the time of Homer tell how she was born from the combination of the sea and Uranus' body pieces. After Kronos threw his father's parts into the sea, the waves swirled a mass of foam to create this goddess.
Aphrodite had a marvelous quality. As the goddess of love, she roamed the world giving and accepting love. But whenever she bathed, she was restored to her virginal state.
The ancients used Aphrodite as a metaphor for personal transformation and perpetual renewal. They knew that we had within us the power to restore ourselves, to get back on the path when we fell off, and to regenerate and revitalize our lives. We are hard-wired, it appears, for constant renewal.
Undertaking your own renewal might sound like a daunting task, but even a few simple activities or changes of attitude can add up to a whole new way of showing up to the world -- and to yourself.
Some Suggestions
Get some rest. 'Beauty rest' restores your body to balance, offers a respite to frayed nerves, calms and heals the emotions, and brings a sense of peace and well-being to the soul. A good night's rest -- and some daytime napping, also -- actually can make you healthier in body, mind, and spirit...and your health will shine forth as beauty.
Create yourself as your Best Self. You have the magic power to be the highest form of yourself. To do this, you need only take a short step. Sit quietly and say to yourself: "I am here. I am showing up. I am ready, willing, and - most of all - able to become my Best Self." Then, stay centered and empty, and wait for some response…some indication that, since you have taken the first step, all the rest will now unfold effortlessly. Sometimes it comes in the form of a deep breath or a sudden feeling of contentment. Take some time each day to show up for the transformative energy that is coursing through you right now. Feel it. Know that you are already your Best Self.
Write a mission statement for your life. Then question if -- in light of the mission statement -- you are on the right path. If not, seek ways to get onto the right path by asking what you want to be (not "do") for the rest of your life and what steps you need to take to make that a reality.
Express yourself emotionally. Self disclosure (expressing your feelings to others) has been found to improve physical health, enhance the immune system, reduce cardiovascular complications, and may even prolong life." Plus, taking care of your "emotional business" has been found to be extremely freeing. So what are you waiting for?
Cancel negative thoughts and think positive. Cognitive psychologists have found that of the approximately 50,000 thoughts we have each day, about 90 percent are the same ones we had the day before, and many of them are negative. One way to reverse this is to listen to your thoughts. If you notice that most of your thoughts are negative, such as "This situation will never get better" or "I'm trapped in this job," you must consciously stop and rethink these into positive terms. Instead say, "I can take steps to improve this situation," or "I can choose to leave this job, make it better or reframe my perception."
Get a massage. Once considered a luxury, massages are now seen by many as an important tool for renewal. And with good reason, according to new research. Studies have confirmed that massage has many health-boosting effects including reducing heart rate; lowering blood pressure; increasing blood circulation and lymph flow; relaxing muscles; improving range of motion; boosting the immune system; and increasing endorphins, not to mention increased mental and emotional well-being. Mentally, massage provides a relaxed state of alertness, reduces mental stress, and enhances capacity for calm thinking and creativity. Emotionally, massage satisfies the human need for a caring and nurturing touch, creates a feeling of well-being, and reduces anxiety levels.
When it came to how life works -- and how we work as humans -- the ancient mythmakers had enormous insight, and great wisdom. At the start of this new year, good luck on your own path of renewal.
Learn More
For more information about the myth of Aphrodite, see this site.
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