Pathwork is a program in which through which you can develop your spiritual self and your spiritual potential. It is based on the teachings from the Pathwork Lectures, 258 in all, created by Eva Pierakkos. The lectures, provide support, encouragement and tools for self-awareness, self-acceptance, self-love, and self-responsibility. The Pathwork names theses as the necessary building blocks for an honest, grounded and real spiritual life.
Also see the book Path to the Real Self.
And what do these terms mean and why do they matter?
Self-Awareness – Pathwork is a path that will support spiritual development. Becoming self-aware is the first step. Most people start with awareness just on the conscious level. We can say – you know, what you already know. But self-awareness is learning to tap into and expand in the area of self that you don’t know. This is a learned skill, and involves touching into and reading the language of the unconscious.
Meditation exercises, creative expression, tuning into the body, feeling our feelings, and noticing and working with our reactions, working with dreams and aligning with a conscious intention to open into the unconscious, are all tools we use in Pathwork, to become more self-aware. It is a gradual growing process that is deeply rewarding as a tool for change and growth.
Self-acceptance – when we’re fighting with our selves – wanting ourselves to be different than we are “right now”, in essence we create a war inside. Pathwork teaches that anything we want to change must first be recognised and accepted. By habit we deal with parts of ourselves that we don’t like or find inconvenient, by alienating them, We try to ignore or actively try to kill them off. This approach doesn’t work. It only serves to strengthen the cut-off parts – sending them into the shadow realms, where they continue to operate, often more potently then when they are held in our conscious awareness. We say these aspects of self, live in the unconscious.
In Pathwork work you will learn how to bring these aspects of self into awareness and to actively work with them in self-acceptance, and compassion, thereby bringing unity to what was previously separation. In this way, we learn the unitive principle – a bedrock of all spiritual traditions – from the inside out!
Self-love – grows from building a healthy, realistic relationship with yourself – learning how and practicing being aware and accepting of the best and the worst that lives in you fosters self-love. Deep self-compassion for all that lives in you and truly opening your heart to yourself is the practice. Self-love doesn’t include indulging and ignoring our negative traits or habits, or making excuses or blaming others. These are aspects addressed in self-responsibility.
Self-responsibility is an aspect of emotional maturity. It’s the willingness to take responsibility for your life and your life creations. It’s is said that we can’t truly open to spirit and build a healthy spirituality without self-responsibility. Otherwise we’re in a child/parent relationship with the Divine – hoping our good behaviour will earn reward, or being helplessly dependent on “God” to save us – mostly from our own unconsciousness. Part of being self-responsible is being willing to accept that life holds both the pain and pleasure, often in equal measure. And to be at peace with this reality.
In active self-responsibility there’s no blame, making excuses for yourself, or playing the victim. Being able to see your part in the events of your life is key. Knowing that difficulties and challenges are part of life, you are able to ask the question and hear the answers – How do/did I contribute to this situation? Both in the positive and negative creations that occur.
In Pathwork we work with the spiritual paradox of two truths – “We have to do it alone and we can’t do it alone.” This means we fully take responsibility for our lives AND we know we need to open and receive support from our human companions, and from the divine source.