98% of my clients are women and I love the work I do with them in therapy! We as women are such powerful, intuitive, empathetic, and resilient beings that we tend to absorb all the pain we encounter and yet somehow keep going despite what life and the world hurls at us. However, slowly and gradually all this pain that gets absorbed, starts to dim our inner light. We still take care of everyone else, we still anticipate everyone’s needs, we still perform efficiently at our workplaces, but somehow when we go to bed at night, we lie awake and wonder if life could BE more, if we need more…and then we struggle with how to achieve that “more”.In my 16 years of work as a therapist, I have inferred three primary types of barricades that dim this inner goddess within us all: Past emotional pain Every time our heart is broken in a relationship, we have already given a piece of ourselves away, and what’s left behind is pain like the weight of a rock. Each subsequent heartbreak turns into an invisible chain that binds u to our past and casts a shadow on our present.Societal conditioning There is a prevalent fallacy that the more a woman sacrifices the better human being she is. But no-one talks about replenishing her positivity reserves which keep running out after every sacrifice.Not enough boundary setting skills Boundaries are often mistaken by people as walls; but according to a wonderful quote I read somewhere “Boundaries show people where the door is”. Boundaries help us communicate to people how we’d like to be treated. But when we start to set boundaries it gets uncomfortable for people because we’re breaking a familiar pattern. At those times it is easy to step back and compromise on our boundaries if we don’t have the right skills.So what can you do to awaken the Diva inside you? How can you find that inner light again? You just need to remember the FOUR ESSENTIAL COMPONENTS that make up a Diva! D is for Driven A Diva is always driven. She never gives up the drive for life. She is driven with purpose even in the t ughest of times. She may not always have the means or the opportunity to attain that purpose but she also has the patience and perseverance to wait, plan and prepare to get there eventually! I is for Intentional This is the single most important quality to have if you want to stay connected with your inner goddess! We go through most of our life on autopilot – going wherever our emotions take us. That’s not an intentional way to live! A Diva learns how to be conscious and deliberate in all her actions so that every move becomes a CHOICE and not a compulsion. She can be intentional about what she wants to do and draw boundaries around that which is not good for her soul.V is for Victorious If you thought being victorious meant a big line-up of accomplishments, certificates and trophies, you couldn’t be more wrong! This is the fallacy perpetrated by a materialistic world! To be truly victorious you need to learn how to master your emotions so that you can harness their true power. Emotions are a woman’s super power but she is made to feel like they are her greatest weakness. A woman in touch with her inner goddess walks with her head held high, having been victorious over all the past pain and shadows that cloud her inner light! A is for Acquainted with SelfAll of the above qualities can be easily achieved if you start by looking inwards and getting to know who you are in the here and now. When we build a relationship with ourselves, we don’t feel the need to shut down or run away from the uncomfortable parts of us. We learn how to embrace them and love them, and that’s how the journey of being a true goddess begins. A goddess isn’t someone who never experiences pain; instead, she’s the diva who has learned how to turn that pain into her power by looking at it with compassion! So if you think it’s finally time to awaken your inner goddess, then the journey has to start from within you! This article has been written by our founder Prachi S Vaish who has used the essence of 16 years of her practice to create a uniqueand luxurious healing retreat for women. This year its happening in Goa from 18-21 February and there are only 10 spots available! So if you would like to sign up, you can access the full brochure here!