What Does Love Mean to You?
by Sharon Thom

Ever since I have been using and teaching the Yuen Method™ I am finding that most people have some form of attachment to the word love. When asked what is love, do you “think” it or do you “feel” it? Do you connect it to an experience with something or someone? Is it a good feeling or something from which you shy away?

About halfway through pregnancy and up to age six, we absorb much about our mother. We are like a sponge to everything around us. Then from age six we acquire a filtering system that filters out what is right or is not right for us.

In those early developing years what was it like to grow up in your family? Depending on the situation, you may have received some mixed messages about what love is. For example, you may have come from a family where your parents did not get along, they would argue or fight and afterwards act loving to each other, argue again, act loving, and argue some more. As you watched that you soon learned to believe that that was love, and you may therefore have attached negative emotions to what you call love. In this case, you may sub-consciously be drawn to someone who may abuse you physically, or mentally, because this is what you are energetically attracting to you.

What about a father or mother who was not around much, or so busy they did not have time for you. You may be attracted to someone who is emotionally unavailable and not there for you either.

As a child, you did not know any different.You were taught from the environment around you. As you were growing you may not have even realized what was happening until you went out into the world looking for your mate.

So, after you found a partner and were with her or him for a while you may have some confusion about what love is and doubt your choice in partners because, to you, this should be love but it does not feel right.
In both of these above cases, you could also have met someone who is very loving, kind, and considerate of you, and there for you no matter what, and yet you may not want to be in a relationship with that type of person because to you, that is not love as you know it.

If you are not aware of what is happening on a sub-conscious level you may be stuck in a circle or loop where you are consistently attracting the same types of relationships or partners. After awhile you may close down because you are tired of getting hurt over and over again. You do not go out consciously looking for someone who is like your mother or father, but you are sub-consciously attracting the energy of what love is to you.

Examining the word love, as I have done above, is only one example of how we each attach different meanings to words. Another could be, if your mother had money issues and worried whether there was enough or not, you could have the same feelings attached to your money as well. This could be applied to anything in your life. If you want to know what kinds of issues you may have, go back and ask your mother what was going on in her life when she was pregnant with you.

It is not a matter of blaming anyone or anything for where we are at. Regardless of where our attachments come from, it is about taking the responsibility to help ourselves clear whatever is there.

The Yuen Method is a technique used to help clear blocks in your energy. By using this method you can start clearing what is attached or connected to your feelings or words. You can also clear belief systems you were raised with that have become yours.

You can have the courage to love again! What have you attached to your word love?

Sharon Thom is a Leading Certified Practitioner and Reflexologist who lives in Regina, SK. She is a Master Instructor of the Yuen Method and travels back and forth from Regina to Calgary teaching it. For more information on varying workshops visit www.sharenergy.ca and/or call (306) 775-0274 or (306) 539-1651 and also see the Directory of Services ad on page 27 of the 15.3 September/October issue of the WHOLifE Journal.