So you have been sitting on the sofa pouring your heart out for months. You and your therapist have been working through hard things together and you are feeling a little better, but there are some things that aren’t shifting no matter how hard you try.
Or…
Maybe things shifted for a little while. You created new habits and began to respond to emotional triggers in healthier ways. Perhaps you started feeling good again, and then suddenly something happened and you now find yourself right back to behaving from those ingrained responses that you have tried so hard to let go of.
You feel disappointed in yourself and begin to worry that you may never be free from the unhealthy patterns and limiting beliefs that you are trying so hard to shed. I want you to know that it’s not that it isn’t because you aren’t trying hard enough. In fact, chances are high that you are actually trying harder than you really need to.
You have been attempting to solve a very complex problem with only one piece of the puzzle. The old “work smarter, not harder” saying comes into play.
See, most of us like to put all the pressure to change on our minds. We think the mind is responsible for so much of what we do and say. The decisions we make, the actions we take. This isn’t the whole picture though, You have other parts of yourself running in the background that have a lot of influence on your feelings, thoughts, and behaviors.
Your potential to become mentally and emotionally healthy resides in your physical body. Scientists have discovered that cells hold past memories and emotions. These are things from your personal life experiences, and now through the study of epigenetics, we know that you also inherit imprints from your ancestors and hold those as well.
This may seem overwhelming, not only do you have to deal with your own messy life, but also that of the family who came before you. So not fair! However, there are ways to release those unpleasant emotions and memories from your cells, unlocking your freedom to evolve and heal for yourself and future generations.
The old emotions do, in fact, live in your body and until you release them from your cells they are going to continue to overpower the mind and bring you right back to the behaviors and beliefs that you have been trying so hard to let go of.
The great news is that when you take time to heal your physical body, your mind will stop getting alarm signals and rerouting back into survival mode.
Your mind will check in with your physical body, receive a signal that everything is good, and finally be able to move forward with all the new things that you and your therapist have been working on.
When you prioritize healing the physical you will find that creating shifts in your mind becomes much easier. Your mind will no longer be fighting against parts of yourself that still feel upset and unsafe.
If you are looking for full healing and therapy alone doesn’t seem to be working, consider seeking out someone who does somatic (body) healing. This could be someone who offers craniosacral therapy, Reiki, or sound baths.
These modalities bring healing to both the physical and the energetic body. You could also do practices like the Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) and breathwork.
In my practice, I intuitively use all of the above modalities and coach my clients to be able to extend healing practices into their time off the treatment table. Every person is unique in what somatic technique will work best for their healing journey. Keep exploring until you find something that clicks for you.
Most importantly, don’t give up. Within you exists a version of you that is already healed, completely whole, and ready to live out your purpose in the world.
You can do this and it’s going to be so worth the journey!
Heathir Brown is an intuitive healer and mindfulness coach. She works with clients in her West Los Angeles treatment room and virtually across the globe.