Yesterday night I had a realisation of how lucky we are as a generation to have access to a tremendous number of healing modalities. We use words like 'childhood trauma' and 'generational trauma' as part of our day to day conversations. We invite each other to shamanic breath-work sessions and gift each other access to meditation apps and self-development courses.
We live in a time where access to therapy, support, coaching, guidance and energy work is abundantly available at the tip of our fingers.
Each and every one of us has now access to everyday tools that can help us create a future that we dream of. You are now even able to learn how to manifest your dreams into reality, create abundance and invite opportunities into your life, purely through the power of thoughts and emotions.
But is there an over-obsession with healing & self-development?
When I first started my own self-development and healing journey, I wanted to try and study everything. Sound healing, breath-work, meditation, hypnosis, art therapy, movement meditation, yoga and the list goes on. I attended so many classes and workshops, to a point where I felt pressure to 'self-develop'.
My journey at one point, became tiring. I had a 'to do' list of all the meditations and self-work I committed to daily. I was on a 'healing schedule'. Meditating for more than hours a day, practicing yoga daily, attending daily sessions, chanting, journaling, inviting gratitude and the list goes on.
I was drained and exhausted! Suddenly mu growth journey was overwhelming and not truly serving me. What is the point?
I would feel bad if I missed a meditation.
I would feel bad if I missed a class, as if that was slowing down my growth journey.
After a lot of self-reflection, I realized that I was becoming a victim of the 'need' to heal and grow. The obsession in being always immersed in that world started taking me away from what actually mattered - living life!
Here is what I learned:
Less is more
Probably my biggest realisation was this: I do not need to try and do everything to heal, grow and expand into my potential. All I really needed was to commit to one thing that I enjoyed.
At one point, I went back to remember how 11 mins of daily meditation was enough and actually felt amazing. So I decided to restart and go back to that. After years of doing an immense amount of daily self-work, I went back to the simple '11 minutes' of meditation a day...sometimes even less. That definitely served me more than attending a ton of classes a week to feel 'better'.
So my learning was to stick to one thing. For me it was Kundalini yoga and that's all I did.
I am not saying do not enjoy a chakra healing session or learning about crystals every once in a while, but please realize that one 'that felt amazing' session is never enough on its own and that is why you will keep going for more. On the other hand, committing to 5 minutes a day to yourself is more than enough and will allow you to maintain a sense of centering and connection.
Remember, all modalities are there to support and guide your journey...they are not the journey itself.
The journey is life
You know what has been my biggest healing journey? my marriage.
I promise, my marriage has given me the best opportunities to self-reflect, learn about my own insecurities, face my shadows, learn what commitment, unconditional love, sacrifice and gratitude truly mean. No class could have ever given me that!
I did not plan for my marriage to be part of my self-development, but that's what happens when we consciously see different aspects of our lives as opportunities to grow and heal.
Take it easy
My invitation is for you to take it easy on this healing journey. Do not rush things, do not feel pressured to figure it all out, enjoy the ups and down, see life itself as an opportunity to learn and grow, keep it simple and go back to your natural ability to connect to something higher.
We have been relying on so many tools that are 'outside' of us, that we sometimes forget that all we really need is to go back to nature. Go to the beach, spend a weekend in the mountain, breathe fresh air, eat whole foods, sit with your family, connect to community, spread your fingers into the sand, lay down, laugh, cry and enjoy the ride. This is healing. This is the real journey. How do you think our parents made it?
