Thoughts on healing

Healing is a process. Your feelings will always be there, but coping skills can improve, giving you the ability to respond to stressors more effectively. Learning how to recognize how our body feels and breathing during times of stress is key. You can start by doing this during no or low- stress situations, which will make it more natural and easier to do when you are in a very stressful situation.

Begin by noticing how you are sitting. Are your legs crossed? Shoulders crunched up a little bit or hunched over? Is your jaw rigid? Put your feet flat on the floor, relax your shoulders, align your head over your shoulders and release your tongue from the roof of your mouth (yes, I knew your tongue was there and yes, it helps to release it!).Take a deep breath in through your nose for a count of 5, hold for 1, release for 6. Repeat this 2 more times. What do you notice?

This simple practice, as well as a more fine-tuned version of this, is paramount to reducing stress and anxiety in your body, which in turn will calm your mind and put you on the path to healing and wellness. Your mental health is just like your physical health. If you cut yourself and let it fester, it doesn’t heal. If you don’t practice self-care for your soul, the internal healing process can’t happen.

Knowing we can be loved exactly as we are gives us the best opportunity for growing into a whole, healthy person who feels worthy of being loved by others.