So, I’ve been thinking about this whole idea of The Healing Journey and found myself wondering, “Why? Why would I or anyone else want to try this exploration into The Healing Journey by way of the chakras, yoga, the mudras, etc.?”
A couple of answers came to me. One reason is curiosity. I’m curious to know if the knowledge and wisdom of thousands of years can really make a difference in my life today. It seems our modern culture, with all its advancements and technology, often dismisses the wisdom of the ages. But think about it. If these methods have survived and are still being used after thousands of years, there must be something to it. Right?
I also chose this journey because the idea of a more holistic approach appeals to me. Since becoming a holistic practitioner and yoga teacher, I’ve learned to understand and appreciate how together the mind, the emotions, and the spirit can affect our physical well-being (the body).
For several years, I was focused only on the physical body because that is where I felt pain; pain in my lower back, neck, hands, shoulders, and hips. To resolve those issues, I worked on cleaning up my diet and exercising in a gentler way. Let’s face it, I’m not getting any younger, no matter what Annie tries to tell me. These changes, which were solely physical changes, worked for a little while, but then the pain would return.
Last year, I read the book, The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel Van Der Kolk, which influenced my thinking about a more comprehensive way of healing. The subtitle of the book is Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma. This book kept showing up in other readings that I’ve done, so I finally decided I needed to read it.
From Van Der Kolk’s work, I gained three important take-aways about healing. First, everyone experiences trauma at some point in their life. Second, trauma is different for everyone. Third, trauma that affects the mind can manifest itself in the body. Van Der Kolk helped me understand the importance of healing the mind and emotions to heal the body. That is what inspired me to create The Healing Journey.
This journey isn’t specifically about trauma, but everyone has experienced trauma in some form during their life and everyone responds to trauma in their own way. We all experience some form of unhealed emotional wounds, mental blocks, or spiritual struggles and recognizing this is an important first step in healing. For many years I thought I was “normal.” All it took was one life-changing event to show me that maybe everything I thought I knew wasn’t what I thought it was. For me, that life changing event was the death of my husband of 21 years. When you find yourself suddenly traveling alone on the journey of life, you begin to see life, your life differently.
That’s how my new journey began at the age of 51. A major life changing event can happen to anyone anytime. It could be a medical diagnosis, a divorce, a death, or an accident. It could be meeting someone special who helps you see life through a different lens. And sometimes, it’s simply that you’re beginning to understand that your time on this planet is growing shorter by the day.
There comes a time when most of us have some sort of awakening moment. Maybe that voice in your head has been telling you for a while that it’s time to make some changes, but you haven’t listened. Perhaps you’ve tried in the past to make certain life changes but without success.
You’ve probably begun to feel like you’ve tried everything, and you just can’t change, ever. Well, I say, “Never give up!” There are as many ways to change as there are people on the planet. That’s nearly eight billion ways to change, so something is bound to work! How cool is that!?
So, if you’ve been trying to create change in your life, whether it’s physical, emotional, mental or spiritual, it’s never too late. Once again, I invite you to take this journey with me. What have you got to lose? There’s no fee, no grades (but maybe a little homework!), and no expectations from me, just an opportunity to learn and maybe heal something that’s been needing attention.
If you decide to take The Healing Journey, begin with this question, “Why? Why do I want to take this journey?” Think about it. Write about it. (Have I mentioned the value of journaling?) What do you have to gain from this journey? What do you hope to gain from this journey?
As always, feel free to share your thoughts or reach out to me directly with your questions or comments. charlotte@wbhintl.com
With Love & Gratitude,
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