Skip to main content

An Imbalanced Root Chakra

Written by Enlightened Recovery on . Posted in Addiction Recovery, Alternative Therapy. No Comments on An Imbalanced Root Chakra

Our chakras, or energy centers, can develop imbalances, especially after traumatic experiences, which can contribute to our feeling depressed, anxious, insecure, unstable and off center. Imbalances in each chakra can lead to unique emotional difficulties correlated to our energy.

The root chakra is our first chakra, and it represents our sense of safety and security. It governs the energy pertaining to our survival and instincts. It is associated with how safe, secure and grounded we feel, both within ourselves and within the world around us. When our root is healthy, balanced and in alignment, we feel supported, guided and protected, both by our inner strength and our higher power. We have confidence in ourselves, in who we are and in where we’re headed. We feel sure of who we are. We feel connected to our purpose, we can set clear goals for ourselves, and we can take steps towards accomplishing them. We believe in ourselves, and we know that we are strong, powerful and capable.

When our root chakra is imbalanced, we can feel ungrounded and uncentered. We can feel as though we don’t have a strong sense of security or stability. We can feel insecure, suffer from low self-esteem and be overly anxious. We can feel lacking in emotional and financial support, not only from ourselves but also from the people around us and the world as a whole. We don’t feel self-assured or at peace within ourselves. We struggle with feeling bad about ourselves, we feel guilt easily, and we carry shame within us, often for many years.

When we don’t feel grounded within ourselves, we struggle to make decisions. We can feel as though we don’t have a clear sense of direction and aren’t connected to our inner guidance system. We often feel stuck. We can really struggle with our sense of purpose in life and have a very hard time following our intuition. We can feel lost and overwhelmed.

When our root is imbalanced, we can have a very challenging relationship with fear. While fear is a normal and natural part of life that helps to keep us safe, we can really struggle with fear when we don’t have a basis of groundedness and self-assuredness. We can suffer from phobias and debilitating insecurities. Because we don’t feel safe and secure, it can be very hard for us to express our fears and to get help facing them. We can become caught in cycles of suppressing our emotions and our fears, which can greatly contribute to depression and anxiety. We can seek solace in things that aren’t good for us, making ourselves susceptible to developing addictions.

Recovery involves the holistic healing of our minds, bodies and spirits. Enlightened Recovery is here to help. Call (833) 801-LIVE.

The Importance of Chakra Healing

Written by Enlightened Recovery on . Posted in Addiction Recovery, Alternative Therapy. No Comments on The Importance of Chakra Healing

When working to heal from our addictions and mental health issues, sometimes we focus disproportionately on our minds, on our troublesome thoughts, on the fears and pain we mentally have a hard time letting go of. We forget that all of these things – our thoughts, our emotions, our fears and painful memories – impact our energy not just our minds. Our energy governs and affects everything in our lives. Working to heal our minds without also working to heal our energy is like trying to solve half the puzzle. The remainder of the puzzle has yet to be clarified and processed. Working with our energy centers, or chakras, is a powerful way to heal ourselves in a holistic way.

Healing our energy is of critical importance to our recovery. When our energy is healthy, we can work with our thoughts and emotions in productive ways without being derailed by the sheer power of them. We can heal from our traumatic experiences without being completely overwhelmed by them. We can process our painful memories, and although we may never forget them, we can release the hold they have over us. Our energy doesn’t have to be dictated by our pain. We can heal our energy and as a result be able to incorporate our pain into the fullness of our being, into the light and love of our inner power. This process enables us to accept our pain in order to heal it. We can allow it to be a part of what strengthens and empowers us rather than what ultimately takes us down.

When we have unhealthy energy imbalances, we suffer from debilitating anxiety, depression, panic attacks and other mental health issues. We can struggle with other related challenges such as insomnia, eating disorders, body image issues, deep insecurities, complexes, phobias and neuroses. We can live our lives in pain and fear, not knowing there is another way to live. Many of us turn to whatever we find helps ease the pain, whatever makes us feel better, distracts us and helps us to escape. For some of us this escape becomes an obsession with food and we self-destruct by overeating, bingeing and purging, or we starve ourselves, all in an attempt to forget our original pain with food as the medium. For others, the escape comes in the form of addictive substances such as drugs and alcohol. For many people, it is a compulsive behavior such as sex, gaming, gambling, or other risky behavior.

Healing from our complex emotional issues means taking inventory of how our energy has been impacted over the course of our lives. Our minds are not the only things affected by our mental health issues and addictions. They are ailments that are related to the health of our energy, emotions and spirits, just as much as they are related to the health our minds.

We’re here to help. Call (833) 801-LIVE for information on our treatment programs.

Grounding Exercises to Help You Feel Secure and Balanced

Written by Enlightened Recovery on . Posted in Alternative Therapy, Healthy Living. No Comments on Grounding Exercises to Help You Feel Secure and Balanced

One of the reasons we experience extreme mental and emotional health challenges is because oftentimes we aren’t grounded or centered within ourselves. To help us manage our thoughts, moods and emotions, we can practice grounding and centering exercises.

When we don’t feel grounded, it is often because we have an imbalance in our root chakra. This energy center governs our sense of stability, security and safety. When our root chakra is balanced, we feel rooted in our purpose, confident about who we are, centered in ourselves. We feel stable and secure in our daily lives. When our root chakra is out of balance, we often feel highly anxious and depressed. We can feel lost, confused, distracted and unmotivated. We might feel overwhelmed and stressed. We might feel like we don’t have a sense of direction or purpose, we might not feel at home in our own skin, and we might be struggling to feel at peace within ourselves.

Everything in our lives can knock us off center if we allow it to. Interpersonal dynamics, daily stresses, challenging life experiences. When we are grounded and centered within ourselves, we feel a stronger sense of resilience. We feel better able to handle our thoughts and feelings. We feel confident facing challenges. We can bounce back more easily from setbacks. We can better protect ourselves from extreme breakdowns in our mental, emotional and physical health.

Here are some simple grounding exercises you can try.

Walking barefoot in nature is a powerful grounding tool. Feel yourself connecting to the power of the earth underneath you. Embrace the magnificent beauty of the natural world and remind yourself that you are a part of it. Know you are being supported by the universe. Walking meditation is a wonderful healing technique you can easily incorporate into your self-care routine.

Visualize yourself rooting downward into the earth. We are connected to the land. Allow yourself to feel that connection and let it help you heal. Visualization is a powerful healing technique. Visualize roots extending downward from your body into the core of the earth. Feel the earth’s strength empowering you.

Practice repeating affirmations like “I am safe. I am secure. I am balanced. I am being guided and protected. I am loved and supported.”

We believe in the importance of holistic healing for recovery. Contact us today for more information on treatment.

Prayer for Healing

Written by Enlightened Recovery on . Posted in 12 Step Program, Alternative Therapy. No Comments on Prayer for Healing

Prayer can be a helpful healing tool, whether or not we consider ourselves to be religious people. We can pray to any higher power, and what we call that higher power matters much less than how we can connect to it. If we believe our higher power created us, then we are a manifestation of it. That power is within us. We have the power to heal ourselves, to create the lives we want for ourselves. Accessing our inner higher power allows us to do that, and prayer is a helpful way to connect to it.

Prayer is not something that is limited to people who attend church. Anyone can pray, and you can pray to whatever higher entity brings you comfort. You can pray to your inner self, which has all the strength and wisdom of your higher power.

Prayer can take any form as long as it resonates with us. We sometimes think of praying as asking for what we want, but prayer can also be communicating with our higher power. We can release our pent-up emotions and we can share our distressing thoughts, knowing our higher power already knows all of it. We can ask for guidance, we can ask for strength. We can ask to be lifted through our struggles. We can pray for forgiveness when we’re struggling with shame and anger, we can pray for healing when we’re in pain.

This process can bring us enormous peace. It can help us feel calmed, soothed, comforted and nurtured. It can make us feel rejuvenated in our faith and purpose. We’re reminded we’re never alone. We are being supported, protected and guided. When we pray, we allow ourselves to surrender- to a power bigger than us, to the idea that we’re not operating our lives alone. We don’t have to feel isolated in our pain.

Prayer is something we can also do with our loved ones. We can pray together and allow it to bring us together. We can strengthen our connections with each other and our higher power. Many families make prayer a regular practice, before meals, before bedtime, during difficult challenges.

Prayer, like meditation, allows us to connect to our inner voice, our higher power and higher consciousness. When we are open to it, we can receive signs, messages and tangible guidance that we can interpret to help us along our way. We aren’t alone in our healing.

Enlightened Recovery is here to help. Call (833) 801-LIVE.

Exposure Response Prevention for Dealing with Fear

Written by Enlightened Recovery on . Posted in Alternative Therapy, Mental Health. No Comments on Exposure Response Prevention for Dealing with Fear

Fear is a common factor in addiction, depression, anxiety, and anxiety disorders like OCD. How we deal with our fear is a major contributor to these issues. We often have a hard time facing our fears head on and instead use our addictive behaviors and thought patterns as means of escape. To confront our fears, we can use a technique called Exposure Response Prevention, or ERP.

To really benefit from ERP, we can start by figuring out what our fears actually are. Common fears many of us share are fears of abandonment, failure, inadequacy and inferiority, fears of being replaced, betrayed, hurt or violated, fear of loss, fear of being alone. As we do some soul searching and go beneath the surface of our symptoms, we become more conscious of our fears and fear responses.

ERP is a relatively simple exercise, but it can bring up intense emotions, so you may want to do it with a therapist or other supportive person. With ERP we expose ourselves to our triggering fear and then prevent our usual go-to responses such as our compulsions and addictive behaviors. This requires willpower and the determination not to engage in our usual fear response coping mechanisms. ERP is essentially a meditation on our fears, and just like with any form of meditation, it is practicing over time that yields the most results. You might feel an immediate change in your thoughts and emotions, but for continued healing, keep practicing.

Let’s use a common anxiety-inducing thought pattern as an example. Many of us with addictions and mental health issues are anxious about our recovery process. We are worried we will relapse. We’re terrified of disappointing our loved ones. We’re afraid of causing even more damage and destruction to ourselves and those around us. With ERP, we will expose ourselves intentionally and consciously to our fears. “I’m afraid I will fail. I’m afraid I will always be suffering. I’m afraid of hurting other people. I’m afraid people won’t love me anymore.”

Meditate on your fears. As we sit with them, we begin to have acceptance, which helps reduce the negative energy we’ve been building up with our resistance. As we allow ourselves to feel the fears, their powerful hold over us starts to fade. Then we consciously choose not to follow up with our drug of choice, our toxic relationship pattern, or our self-destructive compulsion. With time and practice, our fears don’t feel so overpowering and debilitating because we have faced them head on. We start to realize just how strong we actually are for continuing to live our lives and not letting our fears destroy us.

We can help you to explore different healing techniques and find the ones that help you most. Call Enlightened Recovery (833) 801-LIVE.

A man recovers through depression treatment in New Jersey

Choosing Faith Over Fear

Written by Enlightened Recovery on . Posted in 12 Step Program, Alternative Therapy. No Comments on Choosing Faith Over Fear

Our addictions and mental health issues are often related to our relationship to fear. When we become addicted to a behavior or thought pattern, it is often because we are looking for ways to suppress, bury or otherwise escape our fears. Many of us have experienced trauma in our lives, and our trauma can impact how we deal with fear. Anxiety, depression and other mental illnesses can be a manifestation of our built-up fears. We are often so afraid of our fears that we make them worse. We develop neuroses, complexes, obsessions and phobias. Our responses to fear, the ways we think about and deal with our fear, can have a lot to do with our addictions and mental/emotional health problems.

We find ourselves living in fear, and it can be a painful, distressing way to live. How can we change our response to fear and live with more peace, clarity and hope? We can start by making a conscious decision to choose faith instead of fear.

Having faith in our recovery means having faith in our higher power, faith in ourselves, faith in our ability to heal. Faith in the idea that we’re being supported on our journey, and that healing is in fact possible. Faith that we are more than our addiction and depression. Faith that we will find our way, that we will be able to live our truth and find fulfillment.

How do we actively choose faith? We can work on growing our faith by using affirmations, visualization and meditation. We can repeat statements affirming, “I have faith. I trust in my higher power. I have faith I will heal. I believe in myself. I believe in my recovery.” We can visualize ourselves being at peace, feeling trusting and confident, being sure and certain of our recovery. We can meditate using these affirmations and visualizations while holding our hands over our hearts and activating their powerful healing energy.

Changing our fear responses takes time and practice. We won’t rid ourselves of our fears immediately. When we are hit with anxiety and fearful thoughts, we can make a choice each time whether to respond to them with more anxiety and fear, or to reroute our thoughts to more positive, affirming ones instead. As we become more conscious of our thoughts and practice meditation, we realize we have more power to control the direction of our thoughts than we often think we do. Meditation also allows us to quiet the panic and noise in our minds and to prioritize feelings of wellbeing.

Our recovery can really benefit from holistic healing methods, and at Enlightened Recovery we’re here to help you find the ones that work for you. Call (833) 801-LIVE.

Writing to Cope with Anxiety

Written by Enlightened Recovery on . Posted in Alternative Therapy, Mental Health. No Comments on Writing to Cope with Anxiety

An important part of our recovery process is learning how to handle our anxiety. Many of us with addictions and mental health issues experience anxiety on a regular basis. Our addictive behaviors are often an attempt to relieve our anxiety, and when we have go-to coping mechanisms, it is often anxiety we’re trying to cope with.

Writing is a very effective, therapeutic tool to help calm our anxiety. There is no right or wrong way to go about it. Use a journal, notebook, phone or computer to write everything that comes to mind- everything you’re worried about, all the pent-up fears you’re holding onto, all the anxious recurring thoughts you’re having a hard time letting go of.

As we write, we allow the energy to flow freely, energy that we have been storing in our minds, hearts and bodies for years. When this negative energy is stuck within us, it creates all kinds of blockages. Anxiety is one of the many symptoms of our energy blockages.

If you pay attention to how anxiety feels in your body, you might notice that the energy feels like restless tension, nervousness or panic fluttering through your body. Our normal coping mechanisms such as our drugs of choice and addictive behaviors don’t make these feelings actually go away, they just provide us with a temporary distraction from our anxiety. All the while it’s still within us, growing stronger the more we don’t face it head on. When we allow this energy to flow in healthy ways on the other hand, we loosen its grip on us, and we give ourselves a chance to let the painful symptoms recede naturally.

Writing is an actual coping mechanism in that it can actually help us to cope. We aren’t burying our anxiety, distracting ourselves from it, numbing it, or self-medicating to avoid it. We are consciously dealing with it, which allows us the opportunity to heal it.

Writing is a meditative process. It allows us to connect with our inner voice and higher power. As we write, we often feel a sense of calm come over us. When we are filled with anxiety, our minds can be filled with noise and clutter, limiting beliefs and painful thought patterns. Writing can help quiet all of that. It is in that quiet space that healing energy can come to us. When we allow ourselves to be open to that healing, it flows through us, and writing is a powerful tool to help in that process.

Enlightened Recovery can help you explore healing tools that will support you in your recovery. Call (833) 801-LIVE.

Mindfulness for Healing

Written by Enlightened Recovery on . Posted in Alternative Therapy, Recovery. No Comments on Mindfulness for Healing

Most of our suffering happens without us being fully conscious of it. We often don’t know why we feel the way we feel. We aren’t aware of the ways in which we are contributing to our own challenges. We don’t have a clear understanding of what we’re going through and what caused it. Our subconscious minds direct most of our thoughts and behaviors, so much of our suffering is happening outside of what we are conscious of. How do we become more aware and grow in understanding?

Mindfulness teaches us to put our conscious attention on the issue or task at hand. It asks that we slow down, get quiet, be still, and allow ourselves the space and time to really be present. We often are focused elsewhere, caught up in another issue, or distracted by other things. When it comes to our mental and emotional health, we can learn how to bring mindful awareness to our thoughts and emotions, which can help us to move through them in healthier ways.

Breathing and Meditation

Focusing on our breathing is one form of meditation, and the more we practice, the more we can slow down our racing thoughts. When our minds are overly active, it is hard for us to have the clarity that helps us to process our thoughts and feelings. We might be easily overwhelmed, confused, distracted, or agitated. We might feel like we’re all over the place. We might be inundated with sad and anxious thoughts. Breathing and meditation help us to develop more control over our thoughts. We learn to direct our thoughts in ways that benefit us rather than contribute to our mental and emotional stress. As we slow down and process our emotions, we give ourselves the opportunity to really heal.

Self-Reflection

Self-reflection is the foundation for recovery. We often move through life without consciously reflecting on our issues, behaviors, cycles and patterns. We don’t often look at our mistakes to see what lessons we can glean from them. Sometimes we feel too depressed to reflect, sometimes we are afraid or in denial. When we are struggling with our addictions and mental health issues, sometimes we don’t do the work of analyzing for ourselves what may have caused these issues, how our inner world manifested them, and what we can stand to learn from it all.

Start by being open and honest with yourself. Ask yourself questions such as “what is really bothering me? Why am I depressed? What subconscious fears am I burying underneath my addictive behaviors?” Write in a journal. Talk to someone. Anything we can do to bring more mindful awareness to our issues can help us to heal them.

We believe in the power of holistic healing at Enlightened Recovery. Call (833) 801-LIVE for more information.

The Benefits of a Spiritual Practice

Written by Enlightened Recovery on . Posted in 12 Step Program, Alternative Therapy. No Comments on The Benefits of a Spiritual Practice

There are numerous benefits of having a regular spiritual practice. Starting anything new can be challenging, as can being consistent, but the more we practice, the more we will see the powerful effects. The transformation lies in the practice, rather than perfection, and as we do the work, we see huge changes in our mental and emotional health. Here are some of the many benefits of creating and following a spiritual practice for yourself.

Connecting with spirit has a calming effect that is hard to put into words. It is comforting, nurturing and soothing. It reminds us we aren’t alone, as we are one with our higher power and all the other life it created. When we genuinely feel this connection, it can help us to transcend the temporary, human, fleeting circumstances we often find ourselves troubled by.

When we allow ourselves to be guided by our spirits, we are connected to the universal flow of our higher power. This connection can help us to uncover powerful healing solutions for ourselves that we might not have been open to by simply using our thinking minds. Having a spiritual practice enables us to connect with our spirits more easily and more regularly. Some of us tend to pray or meditate only when we’re in distress, but if we can implement these things on a regular basis, we might find ourselves reaching that point of distress much less frequently, if at all.

Our spirits can help us to remember who we are. Our ego minds tend to dwell on our fears and our woundedness. They often bombard us with meaningless illusions that distract us from our life mission and purpose. Our spirit, on the other hand, is our higher power manifested within us. When we are able to tap into that power, there is no limit to what we can achieve. Our healing becomes tangible and lies within our reach. We can reclaim ourselves as the people we were destined to be, rather than what our fears have created. The limiting beliefs we have imposed upon ourselves start to fade, and we have renewed faith in ourselves and our abilities.

As we practice, we grow in resilience. The emotional challenges and triggers we once suffered over become the platforms from which we launch ourselves. We are better able to manage our complex moods and emotions. We have increasing control over our thoughts and can direct them in more positive ways. With a spiritual practice, we come to learn that we have the power to choose inner peace, and as we continue to practice, the more we can return to that state easily and naturally.

Holistic healing is a large part of treatment at Enlightened Recovery. Call (833) 801-LIVE.

Suggestions for Beginning a Spiritual Practice

Written by Enlightened Recovery on . Posted in 12 Step Program, Alternative Therapy. No Comments on Suggestions for Beginning a Spiritual Practice

The idea of beginning a spiritual practice can be intimidating for many people, especially those who don’t consider themselves to be spiritual people. A spiritual practice can provide tremendous benefits and can help you heal through your most difficult life challenges.

As we know, our addictions and mental health issues can be so powerful they take over our lives. They can make functioning on a daily basis feel unbearable, and they can make our lives feel unmanageable. We can feel so overwhelmed that starting something new feels too daunting to even try. When we are deeply unhappy and unwell, anything pertaining to self-care can feel insurmountable.

A spiritual practice can help us to navigate our complex emotions. It can help us to prevent falling into a deep depression, and if we’re already in one, it can help us to pull ourselves out. When we are in the depths of our pain, we may only be able to do a very small bit at a time. Even one minute can make a huge difference and can have a lasting, transformative impact.

A spiritual practice can include anything that makes you feel connected to God, the Universe, your angels, your higher power, collective consciousness- however you choose to refer to the power that is bigger than us as individuals but that we carry within us as creations of this higher power. If you’ve never considered yourself a spiritual person, give some thought to how you might connect with that higher power.

Look to your past experiences for guidance. Maybe you went to church with your family as a child. Maybe you have felt comforted when you said a prayer. Perhaps you’ve heard the expression “count your blessings.” Maybe you’ve taken a deep breath when you felt overwhelmed. Maybe you feel calmed and soothed when you’re in nature. Maybe you’ve found writing out your problems to be cathartic.

Ask other people what they do to feel connected to their spirits. Look for suggestions online. Anything can be a part of your spiritual practice so long as it is personally effective for you and helps you connect to your spirit. Prayer, meditation, breathing exercises, spending time in nature, a gratitude practice and journaling are all wonderful healing tools. You can create an altar and collect sacred pieces for it. You can learn about the healing power of crystals and start a crystal collection. You can learn about the moon cycles and follow rituals to harness their power and/or create new rituals for yourself. You can read spiritual texts, walk meditatively, light candles, create art, or form personal spiritual ceremonies. Anything you do to connect with your spirit will help you to grow, heal, learn and transcend difficulties.

The community at Enlightened Recovery believes in the power of holistic healing, and we have years of experience helping people heal themselves. Call (833) 801-LIVE.