Understanding that healing work isn’t linear can help us be more compassionate with ourselves and our process
Consider healing more of an ongoing, ever evolving journey within that if done consistently, will bear fruit over and over again
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Healing work isn’t linear unfortunately. I think we like to think in terms of our time, effort, energy, commitment that we invest, that we want that return on investment from our healing journey. And sometimes we can feel it goes backwards, it goes forwards, it stops, it goes upside down, it gets messy and we wonder what’s gone wrong. And actually nothing’s gone wrong at all.
Healing is more of a vortex. We go within, we work within, we keep going deeper and deeper, peeling away those layers of the proverbial onion, and getting to know all parts of ourselves, all aspects to ourselves, especially doing the shadow work, the parts in ourselves that we don’t particularly like, the parts of ourselves that we hide from others and that more importantly we hide from ourselves, we squash, we repress, we keep covered.
And it’s this work that’s important to do, because the more we do this work, the more we uncover and get to know ourselves deeply. So that then we’re able to go out into the world strong, complete, whole, feeling that nothing can touch us, because we know ourselves so well, so intimately, we accept all parts of ourselves.
And there’s nothing better than that, it is rewarding. Inner work is supremely rewarding, but we have to keep going and try to not get upset when we seem to think it might be failing or something’s gone wrong. Because it’s never gone wrong, it’s always worth doing.
I found a journalling practice of 30 years really supportive for me. It helps me ground in, I segregate off that sacred time to do that written work and it helps me get grounded, centred, focused. There are many ways to do this work, some people paint, other people find creative ways to do that work.
But it does take time, energy, effort, commitment and this is why I offer somatic massage - because this supports clients to grow the resilience they need to do their inner work.
So, whatever you choose, whatever practice you choose to engage with, I wish you well with it and keep on going. It’s not easy work, it’s challenging, it’s confronting, but ultimately it’s super worth doing it and I wish you all the very best.
