Holistic Healing + the birth of your Intuitive Wellness Toolbox
If you have been following along you know how LONG my healing journey has been. Why? Because I have chosen a path of healing my whole being which means mind, body and soul / spirit / auric field / whatever you want to call it. I have chosen to HEAL as opposed to just HIDE and that is a lot of work. Read on for a long winded explanation of what your Intuitive Wellness Toolbox is, and where it came from.
What does Holistic Healing or Intuitive Wellness mean to me?
TRUST IN Myself
I have never been a “pill popper”, I have never liked relying on others, I have definitely never liked not feeling my best, and I have never liked being in pain.
Let me tell you though have I ever been in some pain throughout my life to date whether mentally, emotional, spiritually and physically. I would preface this by saying I am extremely lucky that none of my misalignments have manifested as anything “big” ie. major disease, life threatening illness, etc. But they have definitely been chronic.
This trust in myself that I have been working on and deepening means that I have made the following choices:
When I was diagnosed with Anxiety and prescribed with medication, I said no. I did not want to live dependant on pills, I did not want to live in a haze or fog, I did not want all the side effects my doctor described, I did not want to live as a victim to this. This is not to say that medication for anxiety, depression, PTSD, post partum, etc are not important and life saving for many, I was very lucky things were not that dire. I have chosen to live with my anxiety, as opposed to being a victim to it.
Some alternative holistic healing options I tried were:
✧ Therapy, Trauma Therapy
✧ Yoga
✧ Meditation
✧ Journaling
This does not by any means say that I am “healed” from anxiety and that I don’t have down days! My brain is still wired to run with some mis-programmed mindsets and triggers that cause me to be very anxious and down. But I am not letting this define me. I choose to journal when I wake up feeling less than ideal, I meditate or move my body when my energy is stale. I keep regular counseling session even if I “feel better” because inevitably something always comes up. When none of this works, I let myself have a down day, or a little pity party. The most important shift in my mindset, is not being a victim to this dis-ease. I do not let it define me. I give myself the space to work through it, as opposed to beating myself up for not being good enough to overcome it. It is not always possible to overcome it. But having a toolbox and resources to be the best version of self and heal your whole being certainly makes it easier to move through it, as opposed to being fully consumed.
When I was diagnosed with a mystery illness that had me lying on the floor for 2 months and was prescribed with muscle relaxants and opiods, I said no. Again, I did not want to live dependant on pills, I did not want to do more damage by masking the pain, I did not want to live a life of chronic pain and sadness anymore. I will again say, I have been very fortunate to make this choice. I could take time off work; I could focus on my healing. But I believe that even if you are living a “normal” life you can incorporate some of these to help you out and heal fully. You can make the choice to get ahead of these issues, so they do not fester and become life altering. Or maybe you need to adjust your path, that is your decision to make.
Things that have helped me heal from chronic pain:
✧ Massage, Chiropractic, Physiotherapy
✧ Walking, connecting with nature
✧ Reconnecting with my Inner Being (breathwork, free writing, quiet time)
✧ Vagus Nerve Treatments (to get me out of fight or flight and reprogram my pain body)
I do know how lucky I have been to have the opportunity to try all these avenues. It is not always possible whether through investing time or money for many to try these healing options. It has taken me years to figure all this out, and at least 2 years so far to become a functioning member of society again with minimal pain. That is why I feel it is so important to share with you what I have done, what I have tried. We all deserve to live our best life, to thrive in this lifetime. Healing our whole being is a massive part of that healing and that thriving. Learning to trust yourself is the biggest part of that healing journey.
You will get the questions and comments like: have you gone to the doctor? Why don’t you just take medication? Must be nice to just get massages all day, I can’t do that I have to go to work, etc. This is why trust in self is so important for your Holistic healing journey. You must be solid in your decisions. Whether you have the information or resources to back up your decision is actually not important at all. I can tell you 100% that I have not researched any of the modalities I have tried. They have come up through trusted sources, and then once in my awareness they are reinforced by coming up through a few other people or resources I trust. If it feels right in my being I try it, if I don’t feel it resonates with me, I leave it. That is the truth of Intuitive Wellness. It is not in believing what another says will work for you, or that “this is as good as it will get”. It is in knowing that you deserve the best, and only you truly know what that is, as only you truly know what feels best in your body. You are a free and sovereign being, and nothing helps you heal more than embracing that and being your own healer.
The first step is knowing there is more out there for you than a dependant life, or a life of pain. Second, is to have the mindset that you truly want to heal, and heal your whole being fully. It is a lot of work, and if you are not committed, or want the easy way out, this may not be for you. But I am hoping that by sharing my experiences I can save you some time and money by showing you what is out there, and that IT IS OK TO CHANGE YOUR MIND! If you start journaling and it’s not for you, you do not need to do it forever. If you start with a therapist and you don’t jive, you can find someone else. I have had: 6 different RMTS, 3 chiropractors, 2 osteopaths, 2 physios, 2 therapists, etc. This is your healing journey. Always do what is right for you.
Third step is leaving your shame at the door.
Do not be afraid of what you are trying to do to make yourself a better evolvement of self. Not everyone will understand. But we are not all meant to have the same journey. It may be pills and constant doctor’s visits for some, reiki and meditation for others, or a combination of medication to get you to a place where you can try other options for the rest. Do what feels right for you, leave the rest.
As you go down the avenues of trying different things, check in with your Inner Being, ask yourself what you like, don’t like, if this modality feels right for me. Honour your being, and again, don’t be afraid to change your mind. Don’t be afraid to ebb and flow with the energy or ups and downs of your healing journey. You may only need rehab Pilates to get you to a certain point, then you lessen your appointments or move on from it. Knowing it is in your toolbox if you need it again. You may know you need a sauna after your osteo so you are not sick for 2 days. Maybe you need a chiropractic adjustment after pelvic floor or soft tissue release. Do you like to do some heavy journaling prior to having a counseling session to get your thoughts in order? Or do you just spend some time in nature, connecting with self, knowing that what will come through will in divine time?