3 Challenges During Healing
Much of what we have felt in the past has left an imprint on the mind, which directly impacts how we take in and show up in the present moment. Healing is a combination of coming to know ourselves at a deeper level and letting go of the old imprints/behavior patterns that keep us caught in a loop that repeats the past.
The unbinding of these knotted up burdens, acknowledging and releasing old hurt that weighs us down, unchaining ourselves from old conditioning that does not lead us into a better life – this sometimes causes moments of turbulence where the past becomes alive within us, making the mind feel cloudy and dense, as it passes through and finally exits our being.
Times of deep release, where the debris of the past is being cleansed from the mind, can make us feel weighed down for hours or even days. Breaking our allegiance to our past by saying no to old patterns and intentionally giving our energy to new positive habits can sometimes make us feel fear or doubt as we enter into a new era of our life. Recognizing these temporary moments as the shedding of the past, focusing on treating ourselves gently, and trusting the process can help us more wisely ride the ups and downs of healing.
Healing is not easy because it is full of back-and-forth movement. When we begin, we often expect linear upward progress that takes us immediately out of our old ways and into a new life. In reality, the journey is full of twists and turns, occasional stumbles, the common few steps back before a big leap forward and more unique movements depending on our own emotional history.
When we take up the inner journey, we are essentially accepting the challenge to evolve and flourish. Real progress certainly happens but it is better measured over long periods of time instead of short moments. The best way to get a good look at our journey is to intentionally examine the changes in our behaviors from when we started to where we are now.
Healing is a deconditioning process which ignites personal transformation. To let go is to literally release old parts of ourselves. A difficulty many of us come across on our inner journey is releasing our attachment to who we used to be. How we see the world, our preferences, our likes and dislikes, and much more will shift and morph as we align with the genuine expression of our inner evolution.
We may at times feel odd when we outgrow the preferences that we were familiar with. We may even feel a little lost when we realize that we have outgrown our old life. In these moments, it helps to remind ourselves that it is fine to have new favorites, new ways of expressing ourselves, and new aspirations. To fully embrace growth, we must be willing to venture into the unknown.
Committed to the Journey:
It has been great hearing the positive responses to the video series, I’m glad it is serving many people well. My goal with this project was to go deep into topics that I normally talk about during an in-person event and bring that quality content to you in the comfort of your home. For $20 you can get continuous access to all of the videos, which is the same price for a ticket to one of my events. Accessibility is important to me, so I tried to bring you a good quality production for a low price. The topics are listed below, each section is between 20-35 minutes long, altogether they add up to 3+ hours of content. Click here to view the trailer and access the videos.
Book Recommendation:
One of my all-time favorite books is The Dispossessed by Ursula K. Le Guin. The story is utterly captivating and her writing is extraordinary; the world that she creates is an impressive thought experiment that examines the interactions between two societies that are polar opposites. The book left me inspired and wondering about what a humane society that respects the freedom of the individual and honors our collective interdependence would actually look like.
Journal Prompt:
In what ways can I be more gentle with myself? In what ways am I struggling to let go of the old me? Am I recognizing the progress that I have made?