Awaken Awareness with Voice Dialogue Techniques

Awakening Awareness with Voice Dialogue

by Rainya Dann, Director, Institute for Transpersonal Studies

(This article appears in the February 2013 Issue of "Connections" Magazine.)

Rainya Dann is offering Voice Dialogue training on March 9-10 & 30-31 at The Institute for Transpersonal Studies (ITS) and a free Voice Dialogue Meetup event at The Pacific Cultural Center on February 27.

"Just wake up!" say the mystics throughout the ages. Traveling deep into our hearts, minds and spirits to awaken our consciousness from the daydreams, and sometimes nightmares, of living will lead to more fulfilling lives. It is in our moments of true awareness we find the presence of peace and contentment.

Over the past 30 years I've researched HOW to awaken from old feelings, beliefs and memories that seem to project unconsciously into the present. I found Voice Dialogue to be an easy and inspiring method for revealing a map of one's psyche, for understanding how our "inner selves" subconsciously limit or inspire us. Developed by Drs. Hal and Sidra Stone, Voice Dialogue techniques let you discover your own inner cast of characters, to fully realize "Who" you are. A masterful tool for clarity, it increases your capacity to exercise more conscious choices and to see yourself and others with more compassion, awareness and grace.

Voice Dialogue work explores your inner "selves" that were formed since you were a vulnerable child. Those primary selves developed to protect that child and they now form the core of your personality. Since before birth you were feeling, watching, and making decisions about the way life is, forming your core beliefs. As you grew you encountered rules and judgments in your family system, behavior-guiding experiences that caused you to "disown" some inner selves. Those "disowned selves" eventually became an energy pattern that could be judged or even punished. You might have developed inner selves such as a strong "protector," a "perfectionist," an "overachiever" or a "rebel." These are like your inner parents that are still deep in your subconscious causing you to react to situations today in ways you may not understand. For example, one part of you likes staying up late and another part of you likes getting up early. One part of you loves ice cream and another part wants to eat greens...

Voice Dialogue techniques give you the power to make more conscious choices! You realize it's okay to feel conflicted in areas of your life and to accept who you are. When you identify and embrace all parts of yourself (and conflicting needs) you can make more conscious choices rather than reacting out of habit or duty.

Voice Dialogue will give you more understanding of others, too. Anything you judge in another person is an opportunity to examine your own "disowned selves." Try this exercise:

1. Close your eyes, take a deep breath. Think of a person who annoys you.

2. What quality are you judging in them?

3. Were you allowed to have that quality as a child?

4. Your reaction to that person reflects a part of you that you have not accepted inside yourself.

5. Open your eyes and write down that quality. That's a "disowned self"!

6. Ask yourself to honor that part of yourself, it needs your acceptance.

When we shine the light of awareness onto our selves, consciousness awakens!
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Rainya is Director of ITS, a Certified Clinical Hypnotherapist and NLP Trainer and has been teaching hypnosis for over 30 years. To learn more about any of these techniques or get a free private consultation call 831-425-7837 or visit www.RainyaDann.com