Be Your Own Healer

Our modern world is filled with a lot of information, both helpful and not, and it comes at us hard and fast, starting the instant that we’re born. Our beautiful brains are wired to constantly filter, process, and digest staggering amounts of data (perhaps just not at the level we’re currently asking them to, but that’s a separate blog post!) 

I think most agree that the biology we’re born with plus our external environment shape our personalities from day 1 and these personalities eventually come to represent us in the world, showcasing our beliefs and governing our choices. Some humans come into the world with a hearty sense of inner self that stays intact as the external world shapes their outer personalities. Some humans arrive with a more malleable and sensitive inner self that is very porous to outside influence, making them susceptible to morphing into whatever the environment needs, like chameleons*. When there becomes a disconnect between what the world sees in a human (personality or ego) and what’s on the inside of that human (soul or essence) discontent usually follows. Regardless, for every single human, chameleon or not, when the stressors of the external world create too high of a trash heap of unprocessed stress inside of the body, discontent also follows (and many would argue disease follows, too.)  

Many of us need to realign our inner and outer worlds and all of us need to release of accumulated stress in the body in order for us all to move through life feeling healthy and fulfilled. Every human’s overall health can benefit from a practice that brings their ego and soul into alignment, strengthens their nerves, and takes out the subconscious trash. You can be your own healer for free, anytime and anywhere. Enter Kundalini Yoga (KY), an ancient tradition with cures for modern life. 

*A side note for chameleons: Chameleons are anyone who shape shifts as a coping strategy, whether consciously or subconsciously. I consider chameleons to include highly sensitive people, empaths, people pleasers, and trauma survivors (and more.) I find that if you stray far enough and for long enough from your true self you will eventually start to feel like something is off in your everyday life. This “offness” could feel like a low hum of anxiety or an undercurrent of dissatisfaction or sadness with a life that may even seem quite nice on paper. Or it could be a full blown mental health crisis. And often this “offness” is not something that you can pinpoint easily so don’t be hard on yourself if it snuck up on you and you feel a little or a lot off-track. The good news is that if this is the case for you, everything you need to get back to yourself is already right inside of you. It’s hard work, but you CAN unearth and dust off your intuition and start living from a place of truth, meaning you make everyday and life decisions more from your soul than your “shoulds”. You can be your own healer.

I am a chameleon. On the positive side, I am adaptable and can relate to anyone. On the flip side, I can morph into anything and easily lose myself. When I started practicing KY five plus years ago I became aware of unhealthy coping strategies that had put my intuition on ice and I started to tap into who I am, what I desire, and what I need. I continue to practice most mornings and am now a Certified Kundalini Yoga teacher.

I am sticking with the trash metaphor. Like many healing modalities, KY is energy work. It’s basically a weird trash service. Through breathwork, meditation, movement (minimal, not like vinyasa yoga), mudra (hand placement), and mantra (chanting, but don’t let that deter you), KY excavates the subconscious trash that is stuck inside of us, releases it, and transforms it into positive energy. You may assume you need a complicated solution to your complex problems and may also assume someone else (a coach, teacher, doctor, therapist) has to give you the answers. Sometimes that is the case but no matter what you can be your own healer.