emotional healing
Grieving The Loss Of Loved Ones With Grace
Few of us have not experienced the loss of a loved one, a parent, a partner or even a child. Most of us have also witnessed or experienced the many ways in which people try to cope with such an insurmountable loss.
Coping with the huge gaping hole that such a loss leaves in our lives can have a negative impact on people’s behaviour. Some turn to extremes: alcohol, drug abuse, overeating, prescription drugs, or any of the other things people use to numb their pain and deflect the overwhelming feelings associated with loss and grief.
What we ultimately learn is that there is no set time frame in which such profound pain can be dealt with. It can take weeks, months, years or even decades for some. But even when the worst is over, we never really get over the sense of loss. We simply learn to cope and get on with our lives, forever changed, as best we can.
However, the greatest tribute we can pay the loved ones we have lost is to grieve with grace and dignity. Abusing substances or indulging in other distractions may temporarily numb our pain, but how does that honour the memory of the one we professed to care so much about? It also does not allow us to confront and process our emotions in a healthy and constructive manner. Grieving is natural and necessary. When we try to avoid our grief, we miss out on opportunities for personal growth, self-reflection, and ultimately finding peace with the loss.
Replace Nighttime Overthinking With Morning Clarity
As night falls and the world quiets down, our minds often do the opposite. Many of us find ourselves caught in a relentless tide of overthinking as we replay the past and stress about the future. This mental whirlwind of worry can leave us feeling mentally foggy and emotionally drained, far from our true selves.
But within all this turmoil lies a powerful opportunity for personal growth and empowerment. How is this possible? Well, the key to ending the constant spiral and realigning ourselves with our highest good lies in cultivating greater intuitive awareness and mental clarity.
Overthinking at night is a common problem for many of us. In the silence of the night, after being on autopilot all day, our overactive minds become a breeding ground for worry, fear, and regret. Over time, this leads to a vicious cycle of anxiety and insomnia, which leads to more stress the next day, which leads to more anxiety and insomnia the next night, and so on.
The results are not only that we feel constantly tired and energetically drained, but we also lose our sense of self and connection to our soul purpose. Feeling energetically drained and disconnected from our authentic selves, we begin to question our choices and direction in life, leading to increased anxiety and decreased self-esteem. It becomes a very toxic spiral that is devastating to our physical, mental, emotional and spiritual well-being!
Energy Self-Care Strategies For Empaths And Sensitives
Empaths and highly sensitive people (HSPs) often feel drained by other people and certain environments due to their inherently sensitive nature and the way they interact with the world around them.
We face unique physical, mental, emotional and spiritual challenges because of our innate ability to deeply feel and absorb the thoughts, emotions and energies of those around us. While our sensitivity is a blessing and a gift to the world, it can also become a curse through overwhelming experiences of empathic overload and energy depletion.
Energetic self-care is therefore of paramount importance to the sensitive person. Every empath or HSP should adopt a daily routine of energetic self-care practices designed to cleanse, protect and rejuvenate their aura or personal energy field.
Mastering these practices is not only beneficial to our health and well-being, it’s essential for maintaining holistic balance, protecting our mental health in particular, and nurturing our deep connection to the world and those around us.
As empaths and HSPs, we can manage our energy more effectively by employing several strategies that help us maintain our energetic well-being, while navigating a world that can often feel overwhelming. The following are essential tools and strategies that can empower empaths and HSPs to thrive in their sensitivity and turn their deep empathy into their greatest strength through effective energetic self-care:
Exploring The Benefits Of Reiki Healing
Reiki healing offers a variety of potential benefits for both your physical and mental well-being. Reiki teaches that when our life force is high, we feel happy, radiant and vital, and when it is low, we feel sick, drained and stressed.
Reiki is a form of energy healing in which practitioners use their hands to channel life force energy to the recipient. This universal energy or life force flows through all living things and is called ki in Japanese. The concept is similar to qi (or chi) in Chinese culture and prana in Indian culture.
A qualified Reiki healer is trained to channel healing energy to balance the flow of your life force energy and return you to a state of harmony and vitality.
Reiki has grown in popularity in recent years. Once viewed with skepticism by mainstream medicine, there’s a growing openness to complementary therapies, and Reiki is seen as a gentle and relaxing practice.
In today’s fast-paced world, stress is a major concern. Reiki’s reputation for promoting relaxation and reducing stress makes it attractive to many. Celebrities like Angelina Jolie, Nicole Kidman, Sandra Bullock and Gwyneth Paltrow and any mothers have spoken openly about their use of Reiki, giving it a touch of glamour and social validation.
Interesting Facts You May Not Know About Reiki
People all over the world are turning to Reiki for its healing power, and it is now even being used in the medical field as a complementary therapy for the treatment of physical, emotional and mental illnesses.
Reiki is a spiritual philosophy and energy healing practice that was developed in Japan in the early 20th century by founder Mikao Usui.
Usui was a Tendai Buddhist whose lifelong quest for spiritual knowledge and healing techniques took him on a journey through many religious and spiritual traditions, including Shintoism, Buddhism, and Christian teachings, as well as the study of martial arts.
The most pivotal moment in Usui’s life occurred on Mount Kurama, a sacred mountain north of Kyoto. After 21 days of fasting and meditation, Usui had a profound spiritual experience of enlightenment that gave him the knowledge and ability to channel healing energy.
This experience led to the development of a healing system he called “Reiki,” which means “universal life energy” or “spiritual energy.” It’s based on the wisdom that “universal energy” can be channeled to support the body’s natural healing processes. Reiki is an extremely powerful energy, yet a remarkably gentle form of healing.
Anger Awareness For The Empowered Empath
Of all the emotional energies that empaths have to deal with, anger is one of the most powerful and potentially destructive, because empaths feel and react first, and think later.
An empath’s initial reaction to someone else’s angry feelings is usually some form of intense “fight or flight” response.
The more extroverted empath will often respond to the anger with equal force, usually involving a very intense and potentially catastrophic emotional outburst. The introverted empath will usually “flee” the scene or do everything possible to avoid the person who is emitting the anger.
After the initial reaction, the empath’s emotional state will often then shift to sadness, anxiety, or feeling drained and depressed at seemingly inappropriate times and for no apparent reason.
Because it is very common for empaths to be intensely aware of the feelings, moods, and motives of others, sometimes even before others are aware of their own feelings, a strong emotion like anger deeply affects us. And if the other person is a spouse or partner in a romantic relationship, anger can become a proverbial land mine. Ditto if it is a co-worker or employer.
The Truth About Being “Too Busy”
It is good to be busy. But some people are always too busy. Too busy to do the things that really matter. Too busy to go where we really want to go. Too busy to make a difference. Too busy to love. Too busy.
I admit that I am one of those people who, when asked how I am doing, often gives the standard one-word answer: “Busy.” Some people who like their jobs and choose to work a lot are called workaholics. I have been called a workaholic by friends and family. My response is always that I am grateful to still be able to do what I love.
Yes, some of us like to be busy. We like to be doing something all the time. For me, being busy gives me a sense of self-worth and security. When a task is completed, it gives me a sense of accomplishment. Being busy is also a way to thrive. Some people do their best work when they are very busy and under pressure. We are indeed blessed when we have a job that we truly love to do. But that does not mean we never need a day off without feeling guilty?
The pandemic has been a challenge for us busy people. How do you stay busy when you cannot leave the house? One thing it did for me was give me “permission” to take an online art class without feeling guilty. Also, friends and family have given me more puzzles than one could ever have in a lifetime. In the past, I would have felt guilty about doing these things for pleasure instead of work.