Friday, March 30, 2012

5 Ways To Heal Yourself Now!



In need of some extra healing this week? I know I am! I sat down, poured myself a giant cup of coffee and got to thinking about how we could heal ourselves using some techniques that involve universal energy, spirituality, and self-empowerment. This is what I came up with:


1. Meditation


Did you know that meditation has shown a 48% reduction in signs of depression? Did you also know that sufferers of anxiety who meditate show a 60% improvement in anxiety levels after only 8 weeks of practice? It's all true and it's all possible for you! Meditation is the personal practice of relaxing the mind and body. It is a way to heal your whole being by using visualization techniques and learning how to relax your entire physical body. Some people do this simply by sitting somewhere comfortable and allowing themselves to experience a visual journey using their third eye. Others do this by listening to guided meditations, which I personally prefer since I have a mind that tends to wander quite easily. Once you learn the technique that works for you, you will be able to refer back to your meditation throughout the day to revive and heal yourself. It's a really wonderful thing! One example of my favorite guided meditations include:



Andrew Johnson iphone apps

I really love the scottish accent and the soothing tone of Andrew's voice. He has a way of making your whole BEING relax. I began relaxing muscles I never even knew that I tensed. I get less headaches, am able to sleep SO much faster, and am able to refer back to his messages when I find myself tensing up.

Here is a quick resource to start you on your meditation journey!

2. Affirmations


I know a lot of people think that affirmations are a crock, but think about it this way - if you're having a crappy day and someone gives you a compliment, how do you normally feel? Happy, rejuvenated, proud, confident? So why not give yourself those compliments? Why depend on other people to make you feel like a better more wholesome person? When it comes down to it, you should be the one making you feel the most amazing because you are amazing. Don't wait for someone else - start NOW. Once you realize how fantastic it feels, start leaving sticky notes on mirrors for other people! Put them inside library books, on cars, tucked inside dressing rooms. Leave little love notes for others who might need that reassurance.





3. Feel Those Feelings! 


In our society we are taught to keep our feelings to ourselves. We are told to leave our problems at home, don't show fear, always smile. We are taught that crying makes us weak and that grieving should be done for a short amount of time and then we must get over our problems and go about life with a cheery disposition. I honestly feel that the reason so many of us are depressed is because we bury our feelings. As soon as we start to feel sad, we try to cover it with something that will make us feel better, something that will make us laugh and forget our problems. The problem is, we don't just forget our problems. They stick with us and they grow and grow until we explode. You may not even remember the reason you were so upset but your body has and it WILL show you until you deal with those issues and feel the grief that comes along with them. It's an easy process if you allow yourself to feel uncomfortable for a bit of time. No one wants to feel sad but sometimes that sadness is necessary. Just feel it. Cry as much as you need to cry. Talk as much as you need to talk. Allow yourself to really feel what you need to feel, and then bring yourself back.

4. EFT


EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques) is a mixture of acupuncture, affirmations, and energy flow. Also known as "tapping", EFT is a way to break down your issues by tapping on meridian points while stating your problem. You will cycle through different points on your body while saying something along the lines of "even though I'm unhappy with my (problem), I deeply and completely love and accept myself. Even though I (state problem more thoroughly), I deeply and completely love and forgive myself.” The tapping is getting our energy flowing while implanting a seed of love and forgiveness.
I highly HIGHLY recommend reading this article on EFT written by the lovely Gala Darling.



5. Write a love letter to yourself


This may actually be the most important of all 5 tips. Like an affirmation but much more detailed and personal. Sit down, open your journal, and get to writing. Write yourself the most gloriously detailed letter of why you're so amazing. Pretend you're talking to your best friend, how would you talk to them? You would tell them how wonderful they are. How amazing they are. How lovely they are. You would tell them how much you LOVE them. Do this for yourself. Stuck? Start with answering some of the following questions:

- List 5 ways you can be less hard on yourself.
- List 3 things you are absolutely amazing at.
- Give a detailed description of your best physical feature.
- Give a detailed description of your best internal feature.
- What is a memory you have in which you were so proud of yourself?

And go from there! You can do it! You can love yourself! Heal yourself! Be your best self!


Let's try some of these things out and report back, shall we?

2 comments:

  1. Love this! What a great and inspiring post. Meditating and EFT are both awesome ways to heal and de-stress.

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  2. I've been wanting to try meditation for years and now you've really inspired me to make it happen! <3

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