Hello Everyone! Are you ready for deep healing this week? Read on and find out how...
I have been a bit under the weather this past weekend. It was just a minor cold, and thankfully I had no fever, but boy, when we are sick, we really come to appreciate all the things we take for granted when we are healthy. As I rested in bed, hoping to get rid of the congestion that was starting to affect my chest and lungs, I discovered a few yoga exercises to help open up my chest.
Doing those yoga exercises cleared up a lot of the congestion! I felt lighter, less "sick" and my voice sounded less congested. One of the exercises was to make a fist and tap the center of the chest for 2 minutes to activate the chest area and break up the tightness. At first, the tapping was a bit counterintuitive to go right into the sensitive, sick area, but after seeing the results, I must admit that it was exactly what my body needed. As I recovered from the sickness, I started to ponder how this applies to our lives.
I wonder if we treat fear like sickness. I wonder if we sometimes lie with our fear, feel powerless and just let our body be consumed by the fear leaving us immobilized. Furthermore, I wonder if our fears can be lessened or even moved out of our bodies if we actively address fear like the chest-opening yoga did to my chest.
A long time ago, I did a journal exercise for fears, and this will be this week's journal topic:
List all your fears, anxieties and concerns. Don't leave anything behind, and don't stop until you have nothing left to list.
I did this exercise as a way to face my fears and anxieties. I remember I kept going and going, with tears flowing through my eyes, my nose sniffling, and writing about a 10-page list of everything I was afraid of, from the most minor small things to major triggers. After I was done, I felt like I was finally able to unload the heavy weight that I had been carrying for far too long. I never dared to look inside or touch them until I wrote them down. I just let them take over my life slowly and allow them to become obstacles in my life. I didn't know I had a 10-page list of fears, and that alone was quite shocking.
As I was flipping through the list and letting this sink in, I had only one choice left: to heal. There were many reasons why I started embarking on my spiritual journey back in 2018, and I can say that this was definitely one of them.
This exercise is like tapping on the fears and allowing them to break up their tight binds around us, letting them flow out of our bodies. Sometimes, we have to look at the things we are running away from. Facing them head-on one by one and feeling each one in our body is the only way we can start our healing process. It won't be easy, but I guarantee you that this process will be the most brave thing you can ever do to love yourself.
Most importantly, this exercise will help you cement your journal as your safe place to unpack things privately, especially if you feel any shame attached to your fears. It's totally ok to feel shameful or not want to share that side of yourself with anyone. But you owe it to yourself to have a safe haven where you get to unpack things and work on yourself. You might not know what to do with the list now. That's totally ok. This exercise is to create the space for yourself to heal.
After making a list, take a deep breath in and out 5 times and drink a full glass of water. It will facilitate moving the fear out of your body and flush out the residual toxins left in your body from holding those fears for a long time. As you look through your list, smile knowing that now you have a potent tool and super safe place for your healing. And do your best to take it easy for the rest of the day. A lot happened in your energetic field. You deserve some rest and recuperation.
Congratulations on tackling this difficult but extremely rewarding inner work!
Happy journaling,
Noriko
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