BEING A SENSITIVE - HSP (Orchid)

We all have our own path to navigate in life - we will have big meta themes and patterns to lean into over the life course. My journey in learning more about my ‘way’ of being an astutely attuned person in a world of masks, hidden agendas and service to self centred living meant my life trajectory was always going to look a little different to the ‘norm’. As a child I was often bombarded with knowing and sensing others emotions and hidden intentions (shadow aspects), it took many years to better understand that what I was sometimes ‘feeling’ didn’t originate within me and wasn’t actually me at all. This new awareness of how porous my sensory boundaries were meant I had to learn new skills to better understand and manage my self, relationships and expectations. I have inadvertently taken on a career that simultaneously harnesses my skills for the good of others whilst also exposing myself to the material that will burn out the Sensitives System if not understood and respected. A psychologist I was seeing for EMDR trauma work shared with me the analogue of the Orchid & Dandelion; whereby an Orchid has particular environmental needs for it to thrive while the Dandelion is build to thrive in almost any environment. As I grow older my sensitivity has become more of a gift and the nuanced nature of my intuitive senses are coupling together to bring about unexpected levels of development and refinement. Neurologically, Highly Sensitive People are wired to take in more environmental information via the sensory apparatus (sensoria) this influx can impact the ANS and other systems of the body if not understood and countered by tending to the whole systems needs. These needs often run in opposition to the pressures of contemporary living and our socio-cultural expectations for productivity and material gain. If you sense that you or children around you may also have HSP traits & tendencies please find supports that acknowledge the inherent challenges and strengthens of being Sensitive in a world that often invalidates these skills and qualities. From one sensitive soul to another I see you - and probably feel you too !

Lian ⭐️

Author : Elaine Aron (Pioneer researcher into HSP traits)