Learning to connect with our own inner healer
Healing means to bring together parts that have been separated, as in the healing of a wound. Healing our psyche means to move towards wholeness, with all of our parts working together in harmony as one being. As children, through the conditioning of the culture and our familial experiences, we lose or exile many of our parts. Our own need to survive convinces us early on that in order to be loved and cared for, we need to reject or abandon parts of ourselves that we fear might appear "wrong" or "bad" to others, especially to those in whom our survival depends, like our parents.
We've also been conditioned to believe that if there is something 'wrong,' someone must be at fault for it. Finding the culprit can become the overriding focus.
Another way that our culture has taught us to "fix" things is to use "mind over matter". This essentially just teaches us to ignore or deny our emotions, which further disconnects us from our inner healer. Unfortunately, these coping strategies help us to cope, but not to heal. True healing comes from acceptance. Accepting every part of ourselves and all of our feelings and experiences.
We've also been conditioned to believe that if there is something 'wrong,' someone must be at fault for it. Finding the culprit can become the overriding focus.
Another way that our culture has taught us to "fix" things is to use "mind over matter". This essentially just teaches us to ignore or deny our emotions, which further disconnects us from our inner healer. Unfortunately, these coping strategies help us to cope, but not to heal. True healing comes from acceptance. Accepting every part of ourselves and all of our feelings and experiences.
Inner healer as parental figure
How do we nurture the parts of ourselves that are traumatized and suffering? When looking back at your life, try seeing yourself as a child. That child is learning and growing and making decisions in the best way capable at that time. When we look at our life from that point of view, we don't need to judge, just understand.
As my adult self, I could look back with understanding and empathy for that little kid. Where I had been critical of myself, I came to realize the child had to do the things she did the way she did them, she didn't have the resources to do otherwise.
Now the wiser part, our inner healer, can be the parental figure. We can notice that when painful emotions arise it is a message. Some part of us feels separated and needs loving acceptance.
Significant shifts can happen when a part of us that has felt ostracized and shunned for most of our life finally receives acceptance.
As my adult self, I could look back with understanding and empathy for that little kid. Where I had been critical of myself, I came to realize the child had to do the things she did the way she did them, she didn't have the resources to do otherwise.
Now the wiser part, our inner healer, can be the parental figure. We can notice that when painful emotions arise it is a message. Some part of us feels separated and needs loving acceptance.
Significant shifts can happen when a part of us that has felt ostracized and shunned for most of our life finally receives acceptance.
Developing our intuition
One way to nurture and develop your intuition is to trust all of your intuitive insights. Trust encourages the intuition to be more present. Its information is then more accessible and the conscious mind finds less reason to question, analyze or judge intuitive insights. You can practice this by focusing your attention in your abdominal area and imagine you have a 'belly brain'. As you feel into and sense this area, 'listen' to what your belly brain has to say. This is often referred to as listening to our 'gut feelings.' You can close your eyes for a moment when you do this and really connect to your body and notice the feelings and sensations there.
When our intuition is the source of what we say and do, our words and actions will be coming from a place of authenticity.
When our intuition is the source of what we say and do, our words and actions will be coming from a place of authenticity.
Embodiment
Notice how you're holding your body in space. Use your awareness to notice how you're standing or sitting, how you've placed your hands, if you're jutting your pelvis forward and letting your tailbone slouch, if you're rounding your shoulders forward and caving in through the heart, etc. You can do this in the shower, at the kitchen sink, when you bend down, when you reach up, when you're carrying something, when you're walking, sitting at your desk, or texting. Simply notice. The goal is not necessarily to change anything, but to simply start to be in your body rather than in your head. Be in your flesh and bones and start to feel your way through life, rather than thinking your way through all the time. Be embodied and grounded.