by Katie Walls, Australia
I have always been employed in professions working with and supporting people, one being a very large international chartered accountancy firm in the area of Human Resources. This position involved a lot of counselling and I had the true desire to support people, however I could feel I was getting exhausted and not taking care of myself.
I was starting to feel I would burn out. In being honest, I could feel that the way I was in my work was not assisting others or myself – it was not sustainable.
Nothing within my training so far had talked about how I could support myself whilst supporting another.
I started to look into organisations that provided training for therapies and found the work of Serge Benhayon and Universal Medicine. I was pleased to find practical and simple ways of understanding the importance of self-care in developing connection with myself and others – and I applied this to my workplace practices.
Observing and exploring totally simple things like eating, sleeping, how I felt in my body, how I expressed myself, what energy I was bringing to the workplace (my clients). As I have felt inspired by the simple choices Serge Benhayon makes in living a very healthy and loving life, the integrity, consistency and care that I now choose to live with daily has an effect on what I am delivering to clients.
I now offer the support I always wanted to give others without feeling the drain I used to feel.
I have always felt within myself that our thoughts, our actions, our choices on a daily basis all have an impact on our health and on others around us. I have felt supported in this through the exceptionally high standard of ethics required by the Esoteric Practitioners Association (EPA) *.
Universal Medicine is the only organisation I felt professionally ticked all the boxes and offered the same level of integrity I myself wanted to offer my clients.
* The EPA (Esoteric Practitioners Association) is the internal accreditation arm of Universal Medicine. It was instigated by Universal Medicine to monitor and accredit the modalities that were founded by Universal Medicine.
The Truth about Serge Benhayon 
Katie, most professions do not prepare us to support ourselves whilst supporting another and in this, we have burnout as we take on other peoples stuff.
Serge Benhayon and Universal Medicine offers practical and simple ways to self-caring. For me, it was one step at a time and from then on it became my foundation and it grew from there, it certainly did not happen overnight.
Self-care is not hard, it requires consistency and commitment to our wellbeing. We have that responsibility as no one else will do it for you. Taking care of ourselves mean we are taking care of others by the art of reflection and rippling effect, simple.
In the end we are equal in importance as anyone else we are supporting or serving. We all need to be looked after and looking after ourselves comes as a prerequisite for looking after another.
Exhaustion is without doubt one of the biggest world plagues. And it appears we want to keep it so. Some simple ways to counter exhaustion come from self care practices, but as it is we appear to be so resistant in taking any of these on board. How strange is this though? Something to consider very deeply for we hold the answers and yet we pretend we do not know what to do…
Exhaustion is the biggest world plagues, and there’s plenty of pick me ups in the world. But there is a better antidote, self-caring for one self lasts longer then anything else we put into our bodies.
This is a big and bold and amazing statement Katie: “I now offer the support I always wanted to give others without feeling the drain I used to feel.” – for within this lies the inspiration to get out of the world plague known as exhaustion.
“I had the true desire to support people, however I could feel I was getting exhausted and not taking care of myself.” I have had the same intention but I had no idea about factoring myself into the equation and beginning with my own self care. I agree Katie it is not sustainable to be focused on supporting others without that self care, because energy is going out but we aren’t caring for and restoring our own health and wellbeing, so not much energy is being used for ourselves.
I feel that this is what is missing in our lives and why so many people are inspired by Serge Benhayon as he offers another way to live by healing the hurts we carry, making simple choices, taking great care of ourselves it naturally follows that we want to take care of others there is no trying or drive it just happens there is a flow to life and being in the flow we feel the harmony.
The integrity of what Serge Benhayon offers is in the outcome, it’s a model of self care that really works, and it is a truly supportive and joyful way to live.
Absolutely, the EPA’s code of ethics sets the standard way above any others I have come across, and is much needed in the world today.
Many things have an impact on our health and well-being, ‘I have always felt within myself that our thoughts, our actions, our choices on a daily basis all have an impact on our health and on others around us.’
Supporting people is something many people do. The question is what we call support, what we do compared to what we could do. The key is to understand that is what we say yes to what we can offer others. So, the more we support ourselves, the more we can support others.
And the other question is – how are we actually supporting the other and what are we actually supporting them with? Are we supporting them to be more true and loving or are we supporting them to do the opposite? One will energize and the other will drain both parties.
True self-care is vital in every part our lives and the workplace is an important area to take this with us. I love how Universal Medicine brought depth to self-care and made it more than the tick box exercises (food, sleep and exercise) that I hear a lot of people talk about. These are important self-care topics, but how you apply them for your body makes whether it is caring for you or not.
The EPA ethics require a practitioner not only to take responsibility while attending to their client but also for their day to day livingness, which energetically has an effect on the client, a great practice that we could all learn from.
We all have something to offer others. We can be happy with the level of our offer and people may appreciate it for what it is. Yet, we can all offer more but only if we offer it first to ourselves and live it.
We underestimate greatly the beneficial effects of true self-love and self-care in our daily lives.
I agree Doug. It is an exceptionally encompassing and deeply caring code of ethics that honours the practitioner and client alike to the utmost degree.
In working as a teacher, I know that when I don’t put things in place- like going for a walk before work and preparing for my day, when I let these things slip then I am much more likely to react in the day and come home more exhausted.
Yes, when we take care of ourselves we are more relaxed and receptive to children’s requests, which clearly improves the quality of what is shared with them.
Self care is a foundational facet to our daily life as when we don’t feel supported ourselves how are we to support another professionally within our busy and often intense workplaces.
I can relate to what you have expressed Katie. In my schooling and university training I was never actually taught how to support myself whilst supporting another. There were a few presentations on exercise and sleep etc., however not how to truly deal with my own emotions or how to observe another without taking on their issues. Thank you Universal Medicine for presenting simple ways of supporting ourselves which in my experience makes all the difference.
The huge lesson is to observe another or situations without reacting, going into sympathy, taking on the issue or getting emotionally involved. Universal Medicine gives us the tools that support us so that we don’t not get pulled into the issue, because if we are all swimming around in the issue who is there to pull us out of it… no one. But if we observe we hold the reflection to another that they can come out of what ever it is they are in if they choose to do so, this is where free will comes in and that’s what we all are given.
In a strong belief that says it is virtuous to put others before our own needs, learning to how we can care for ourselves is rarely a part of our growing up as an individual nor job training and I can imagine how it can be even harder for those who are in a caring position to put self-care into practice. But what I have been learning through my observation for the past few years is that self-care is a self-responsibility and it is something we each have to undertake – that way, we are actually ready and equipped to offer others support when needed, so self-care is not really just for our own benefit, it benefits us all.
The willingness to be honest with ourselves, with the quality in which we are living and how this feels in our bodies, is essential for us to make choices that will support our health and well-being, in order for us to maximise our true potential so we can live and work with natural vitality.
This is pretty significant and when I read it now it almost common sense and yet there was a time when I wouldn’t have seen things that way, “the integrity, consistency and care that I now choose to live with daily has an effect on what I am delivering to clients.” This makes life so simple in that you only need to dedicate to living everything you are to the best of your ability in every moment and this carries you through everywhere and everything. There are times when you are feeling more pressure then others and having key points to return to is supportive. For me it’s always to see how my body is feeling, every point I move just touching base to how my back, my knees, my shoulders etc feel. It’s like you send out an internal memo every point you move and constantly gather feedback to see how you are feeling. It’s not to make things better but to just keep growing awareness of how things feel. This put you in a mode of being always a student of life and it’s not that we don’t know everything but there is always a movement or an expansion of that ‘everything’ on offer and so our awareness to needs to expand to that.
This says it all . . . “I now offer the support I always wanted to give others without feeling the drain I used to feel.” . . . as this is exactly how I feel also, Katie. From making the appropriate small adjustments to my life and making sure that I keep checking into my body and adjusting what needs to be adjusted to suit each day I am more able to support myself in all I have to do and have the energy to also truly support others.
Self-care is a very important part in our daily lives, for our own well-being and others, and something we still need to understand what it really is and bring it to our day to day life.
Self care can certainly be deepened all of the time Esther so I love how you have highlighted this and how it does not ever stop. And from there it turns to self love and the next steps and stages as we grow to care more deeply on other levels.
I likewise had found nothing that supported me whilst supporting another prior to my work with Universal Medicine, and yet this should be fundamental. ‘I now offer the support I always wanted to give others without feeling the drain I used to feel.’
What Serge Benhayon presents around self-care is very powerful because he lives a life that is deeply honouring, loving and full of integrity. When we live self-care in a true way we can then support others by our reflection that is more effective than any words we can speak about self-care.
The integrity and ethics of the Esoteric Practictioners’ Association are second to none – transparent, full of integrity and commitment to humanity. Contrary to most organisations’ codes of ethics, this one’s a pretty inspiring read.
Agree, there’s no fuss about what Universal Medicine presents and I love that.
We don’t expect our car to run a long distance with its fuel light on empty but yet as carers caring for others we can often run on empty ourselves.
I have found to build confidence of true health is to be consistent in a way of living that continually beckons love or self-care towards yourself – your choices define your health and wellbeing. Once it is marked and felt in your body it is always there to be connected too. So, if you are down on yourself and your thoughts are belittling, it’s your choice that can redefine it!
For me Universal Medicine has been setting new standards for what self-care is and is an outstanding role model in this regard.
The building of such a foundation within the self is integral to any role we may play in life, isn’t it Katie… That we may know how to hold ourselves and such deep care and concern for others, without being drained and depleted in the process.
I have also experienced this in embracing the work of Serge Benhayon and Universal Medicine and the plethora of teachings that support such self-awareness and transformational change. Where once I would be depleted in giving what I thought was ‘my all’ to others, now I am actually energised by my day. This is absolutely amazing, and I find I have more energy available in my late forties, and consistently so, than I’ve ever had. Again – simply amazing, and testament to the power of restoring a truly loving way of living, for us all.
I love that the understanding Universal Medicine offers around self-care and the ability to develop it is so simple and yet at the same time so incredibly powerful at transforming not only the way we are with ourselves, but with others. This is a must in all industries as although burn out can be predominantly seen in some areas more than another, no one is immune and self-care is the greatest coping strategy for whatever life throws at you.
Great thing to shift how you were in your daily living instead of trying to work things out by say drinking more coffee.
“Universal Medicine is the only organisation I felt professionally ticked all the boxes and offered the same level of integrity I myself wanted to offer my clients.” I only can agree Katie – especially Serge Benhayon is living what he is talking about. He is so inspirational . . .
“I have always felt within myself that our thoughts, our actions, our choices on a daily basis all have an impact on our health and on others around us”. Yes Katie, I absolutely agree as this is truly taking responsibility for ourselves in every way.
I work in an area where self-care is known to be important, but it remains a struggle for many for many reasons. Like you Katie, self-care has changed much about how I am at work and how I am with myself. But it’s not so much about the what I do, but how I am in what I do. Knowing that I can care for myself in every single activity, in all that I do each day is actually super enjoyable and more importantly that I am worth taking care of myself in this way.
Great to read your blog again Katie. It’s so simple what Universal Medicine and Serge Benhayon offer around self care, yet it has profound effects on our personal and professional relationships, as well as on our own health and wellbeing. It’s also very practical and easy to apply to all facets of life
It’s amazing Katie to feel that simply by choosing to live another way – a life of responsibility for self and to others that we are then available to offer true support.
The impact of our daily choices on what we take of ourselves into our workplace and therefore to our colleagues, clients and suppliers cannot be underestimated. The Esoteric Practitioners’ Association’s Code of Ethics has reset the bar for what should be the standard expectation in all lines of work – and that is to take responsibility for how we affect others through the choices we make for ourselves in our daily lives. It’s these choices that determine the quality we’ll be functioning in and therefore the quality we’ll bring to all our interactions, thoughts and decisions. Responsibility redefined.
“Nothing within my training so far had talked about how I could support myself whilst supporting another.” This is the sad truth about most of the world today. Even Health & Safety ‘rules’ are there to protect the business from being sued or staff being absent from work because they are injured or sick. Universal Medicine puts people first and demonstrates clearly that by each individual taking care of themselves that they are then able to take this care equally to others. It just makes sense.
Indeed very much agree with everything you say Katie.
The importance of caring for ourselves so that going to work does not lead to burn out and illness sounds very basic but it took Serge Benhayon breaking it down for me to hear and understand this and I certainly was not living with self-care prior to this. Thanks Katie for the blog on a simple topic that most of the workforce can afford to be reminded of often.
What EPA represents is a level of care and responsibility that we could choose to commit to as an individual, it is not just limited to professionals in certain roles/sector/industry. As you say, Katie, “our thoughts, our actions, our choices on a daily basis all have an impact on our health and on others around us” – we all are practicing one energy or another at every moment, with no exception. So, we have a choice to become aware and start making wiser choices, or pretend that’s not happening (even though that wouldn’t stop it from happening).
With so many people living with exhaustion, depression, living to get through the week, longing to be at home, at golf or on holidays whilst at work proves a very dismal workplace.
Through the teachings of Serge Benhayon and Universal Medicine I have personally experienced the joy of working and being present at work. Loving what I do because I feel the connection with the purpose of supporting our clients, and my colleagues throughout the day.
With the understanding that work is part of life (not separate to it) I know that how I am at home, at the shops, with friends, by myself etc impacts my ability to work with a particular quality and level of care throughout the day.
Yea Katie, I agree. The level of integrity that Universal Medicine has is second to none. It really is a business model that should be studied and shared with everyone everywhere !
I agree with you Emily, the business model Universal Medicine offers should be studied and be taken as an example how to run a business where you make it about people. This business has won this year another price for their success, because there are so many satisfied customers. For me, they lead the way in how I am working now too.
The lack of self care would be behind all kinds of burn out and exhaustion in both workplaces and personal situations. For something so simple and so necessary it’s surprisingly absent in our society. Like yourself Katie, Univeral Medicine supported me with self care as well which has transformed my life. What they have to offer is really vital with the way the world is currently.
Hello Katie, your right Universal Medicine has set a new benchmark for the word integrity
Hi Katie, the simple techniques that Universal Medicine offer are brilliant in allowing us all to connect back to the truth of who we are. It’s wonderful to know that you are now able, through applying these techniques, to offer the level care you always felt was needed by your clients. What a wonderful support this must be!
Thankyou Katie for such a simply expressed article. With the overwhelm of our fast and rushed society merely been intensified in many ways in our workplaces, and with burnout and job dissatisfaction being such a major issue in those workplaces, where are we as a society that the concept of self care, of caring for ourselves before we care for others is something we don’t choose to do unless someone else presents it to us or even worse, we get sick and are forced to reconsider how we are living our each and everyday? I know I never considered self care with its true logic and value before I started attending Universal Medicine presentations. This is even though it is a completely sensible and logical practice for anyone to lay self care as the foundations in all that they do and in every aspect of their life and build their days and care of others from there.
Thank you Katie and Doug, I agree it is common sense to be self-caring in every way, so we can care for another. When self-care becomes a way of life lived it then feels absolutely normal.
I agree as well – how could it even be logical or make any sense what so ever to think that we can care for another when we are not caring for ourselves?! It is crazy to think what thoughts we can have and run with, which seem almost absurd when we stop to question them!
From reading your blog I can feel the quality that you bring to your clients. It is inspiring to read that you no longer bring the exhausted you but one that can truly support.
As we are practitioners of the livingness we must take responsibility for our own energetic state as this is reflected to, and therefore impacts on, those around us.
Reading this blog and your comment Peter is a timely reminder for me, thank you.
This is Beauty-Full Katie “I now offer the support I always wanted to give others without feeling the drain I used to feel”.
Hi Katie, very true what you present here. If we support others but do not take care of ourselves there is no true service. It cannot be since we the practitioner is left outside of the picture. So, what Serge Benhayon presents through self care is being able to truly serve.
Thank you Katie – I guess wherever one works it’s important to be aware of how we are energetically and what we might take on from others. I have recently been aware of how super important it is for me to have a constant connection with my body and how my body feels. Just lying down feeling my body is a great support for me and it feels like I re-fill myself with a fuel that is actually me.
It is irresponsible to think that we can live life any way that we choose and then take an exhausted body to work (or home to our family) and think that we can support others. As you share, it starts with self-care. Only once we start to care for ourself with love and attend to the way we eat, sleep, talk and move, are we able to truly care for another.
This is so true, and so important that it needs to be bought into primary education. It has become ‘natural’ to not look after ourselves or our bodies anymore, and the effects are far reaching. We run ourselves into the ground, and then look for support from others, who are also unable to truly support us because they are in the same boat… Serge Benhayon is someone who has a deep love and care for himself with out compromise, and therefore is able to offer this to others if they are willing, and it is incredibly powerful.
It is so lovely to read how the simple changes you made through your Universal Medicine training have had to such a profound affect on your work and your life. Your ability to now provide the support you offer your clients without being drained yourself is invaluable and very much needed in a world where burnt out practitioners are way too common.
Katie I love what you are offering here about self-care. Simple, practical, every day and it’s a choice that we make. I was in a Uni class recently where it was shared that burnout is expected at some point if we are caring and empathetic practitioners. What I love about what Serge Benhayon and Universal Medicine present consistently is that there is another way for us to be, that doesn’t drain us and in fact doesn’t run out. Something that you yourself are benefiting from as well as all under your care.
I love the simplicity and realness of Katie’s blog too Jennifer.I was heading towards burnout too in working as a physiotherapist and in 2000 that all turned around after attending the early presentations of Serge Benhayon and Universal Medicine.What appealed to me was not only that it was obvious that he ‘ walked the talk’ but also that everything he shared that he lived and the benefits to his well-being and to all others around him – were natural, simple ways of living and they made sense.
“I could feel that the way I was in my work was not assisting others or myself.” This is the reason that self care is not selfish (as is the commonly mistaken understanding). The better I am feeling in myself, the better I am able to provide a service to others…
Thank you for sharing Katie and I can really relate to ‘I now offer the support I always wanted to give others without feeling the drain I used to feel.’ Amazing how learning simple, practical ways of taking care of oneself allows us to offer true support to clients. Universal Medicine presentations provide tools to enable everyone to take care of themselves and thus be able to offer that level of care to others as well. Much needed in workplaces around the world.
Katie it’s amazing to hear how so many individuals whose ‘job’ it is to care for others are not shown how to ‘care’ for themselves. This is certainly needed and from the individuals I speak to during my work, I can see it’s being called for. Thank you.
Beautiful Katie, I too used to become very drained from working with clients. I eventually had to stop working as an acupuncture practitioner as I absorbed my patient’s ill conditions, and made myself really ill.
Through bringing in self care, observing not absorbing, and a much greater understanding of all at play I am able to practise Chakra puncture and Connective tissue without feeling drained.
Thank you Serge Benhayon and Universal Medicine for inspiring me to live my life based on love, responsibility, truth and integrity.
Taking on other people’s stuff can make us feel quite ill. Even if we’ve changed our lifestyle and are no longer harming ourselves with foods and drinks we know don’t work for us, if we’re poisoning ourselves with other people’s emotions, or even our own emotions and thoughts, nothing changes. Learning to absolutely love ourselves, by being gentle in our movements and thoughts, and observing instead of absorbing, slowly starts to turn things around.
This unwillingness by human beings to go deeper than just the knowledge in each and every profession is astounding. We are under the assumption that if we memorise everything there is to remember let’s say in law, we make a good lawyer and that is enough. I was talking to my lawyer recently and as he was only slightly late for our appointment he felt obliged to tell me who kept him on the telephone – it was a woman he was representing whose husband is a very well known QC (Queen’s Council) and he went on to say (possibly partly to make me feel that my case is not ‘the bleakest of them all’) how her husband has been desperately trying to find every single loop hole in the law to avoid paying for certain things. I sat there and thought – imagine if one such person represented me, how would I possibly expect honesty and integrity if he does not hold that in his own private life? So when Serge Benhayon stands in front of hundreds and speaks, his integrity and the fact that he walks the walk and doesn’t just talk the talk, is felt afar and it is very tangible.