BRYAN EDEN

The lyrics and music on my debut record- "Supernova Soul" - were written, produced and sung by me as an act of self-expression, service and... joy! The record was mixed by multiple Grammy winner Steve Thompson (Guns 'n Roses, Metallica, David Bowie...). The song "Empower" won "Indie Progressive Rock Song of the Year 2008" from the Progressive Rock Hall of Fame. As an artist my goal is to translate my message of love, unity and self-empowerment- that comes through in my blogs- into Rock-and-Roll form. ENJOY! LOTS OF LOVE- BRYAN

Deeply contemplate this- until you reach that "aha experience", that life-changing clarity, about it.

What is the Inner Child? Your Inner Child can be understood in these two basic ways:
1. It is the part of you that was hurt while you were growing up, and which is still in pain within you.
2. It is the place in your heart that can trust without fear of betrayal; that is unafraid to love and be loved; that is capable of full and joyful self-expression; that takes great pleasure in play, creativity and imagination. For you to feel free, and at peace with yourself, your Inner Child must have a Champion. That is, a compassionate witness that completely validates both your pain and your fundamental innocence and "rightness". This exercise teaches you how to become your own Champion!

We all know that worrying never solved a problem, and never made us feel better. Worrying simply doesn't work. But approaching life from a calmness, centeredness and kindness to ourselves always does. You deserve a life without the pain of worrying so I hope you will love yourself by giving this little practice a try. I believe that you will be thrilled by the results!

This is what I wrote to my friend, who lost her beloved dog named Prem (the Sanskrit word for love).

Shame is like an invisible "electric fence" that limits how much of our real selves we can allow to shine forth. It jolts us back before we feel too much, show too much, express too much. It is the ultimate inner prison, because it is largely unconscious, hidden in our deep emotional reflexes. The key is to revolt -- to start questioning the shame itself, rather than your own validity and worth!

I have discovered that a life of deep inner peace, daily happiness and inspiring love are possible on Earth and achievable in this lifetime. The Promised Land is real, and possible for you to reach.

I had found the healing power that was deeper than the disease -- the place that miracles come from. And the core of that power was love. Unconditionally loving myself was the exact opposite of the self-hatred and rejection that had fueled my auto-immunity. Love made my spirit want to live and love brought my body back to life.

What I'm pointing to is a spiritual adventure based upon putting your ultimate trust -- in yourself!

"Dear Brian: In the book "The Secret" they say we can have what we want. Is this true?"

I ask all of you to consider this: If you believe that the child you once were was born innocent, open-hearted, free of suffering, ready to love and be loved -- WHAT HAPPENED? Why do you now carry a painful burden of guilt, shame, self-doubt, self-criticism? Either you were born "flawed" (the Christian doctrine of Original Sin, echoed in the Hindu/Buddhist idea of karma from "past lives") -- somehow incapable of happiness and self-acceptance -- or real, concrete experiences programmed you to lose the ability to love and believe in yourself. It cannot be both, it must be one or the other! My heart tells me that we were all born innocent -- and ready to be happy! Our parents, our religions, our societies did NOT consciously intend to hurt the innocent and trusting children we once were -- and yet, for the vast majority of us, that was what occurred. I sincerely believe that if we can revolutionize our understanding of what children truly need from us, we will change the world more than all the religions and belief systems ever devised. BELIEVE IN YOURSELVES AND IN LIFE! LOVE -- BRYAN

This simple exercise, when repeated over time, will build up your subconscious voice of self-acceptance regarding your sexuality. Many of you will find that your sense of adventure and sexual enjoyment increases, while your difficulties fade. Examples: - "There's no need to feel guilty or ashamed." - "I completely accept your desires." - "It's good to let go and lose control." - "You deserve to be sexually satisfied." - "It's good to move and make sound during sex." - "I want you to have fun in bed." - "Sex is for pleasure, not a performance." - "I think your sexuality is beautiful."

Your openness to your sexual feelings and energy is essential for maintaining a mood of happiness, aliveness and inner peace. Since your sexuality is a vital part of your authentic self, fully accepting and enjoying it is equivalent to loving and believing in yourself!

From my point of view, the world's current lack of awareness about the "everyday" emotional and physical abuse of children is similar to how slavery was viewed hundreds of years ago. That was an unimaginable evil, directly in front of people's eyes, yet because it was socially acceptable the vast majority of people hardened their hearts to its complete wrongness. Most of the world, for thousands of years, was emotionally blind and numb to the horror of human slavery. I believe that we are in a perfectly analogous situation, here in the 21st Century, regarding our inabilty to see what we (unknowingly) do to our children. Because people generally block out the pain of their own upbringing, they can't see that they are treating their own kids in the ways that had once hurt themselves. And so the cycle of pain passes from generation to generation. Because a critical number of people will have to look within, break through the denial of their own suffering as children, and then see how they are passing that pain on, we will need a worldwide movement akin to the spread of Christianity or Buddhism. It will take hundreds of years, but it has to begin somewhere. Let it begin here, and in the heart of every person brave enough to feel their own pain -- and therefore become capable of seeing the pain of the children.

Don't you see? You are as precious, as innocent, as pure and as lovable as the day you were born. You are sacred, as sacred as a newborn child. And you have the same potential for a life of joy, if you choose to believe in yourself and begin again! This potent mirror of your sacredness will free your spirit to say "become yourself, believe in yourself. That's all you need to do!"

On my journey to heal and free myself I struggled for decades with an overwhelming burden of sadness and despair. Among the experiences that left me with a life-long, broken hearted sorrow were my father's beatings of me and my siblings; my mother's suicidal depression and abuse of alcohol; the complete lack of touching and physical affection in my family; and the cruel suppression and denial of my need for love and the expression of my feelings.

Now I know that it is possible to reach the promised land beyond fear. It exists! Paradise is the love in our hearts, shining forth like the sun when the long night of fear is gone.

Here is a practical exercise which, when used regularly, will shift you away from self-criticism and doubt and toward the happiness of loving and believing in yourself.

It is absolutely true that we are all connected on a deep and mysterious level. The proof is in front of anyone whose eyes -- and heart! -- are open to the facts of their own experience. Take heart -- no matter how isolated you feel, I swear to you that you are NOT alone!

In my work with my psychotherapy clients and students in my classes on self-love I champion a loving and positive relationship with one's anger. This is because I have come to see that everyone -- no exceptions! -- is carrying a significant burden of suppressed and therefore self-damaging anger. However "holy" we strive to be it is far better to strive to be ourselves and stay real with our authentic feelings. That is true self-acceptance and the path to inner peace and joy.