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The Importance of Spiritual Practice

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

When we address addictions and mental health issues, we often tend to focus solely on our minds, namely the chemical imbalances of our minds. We sometimes forget that these issues often have spiritual causes and manifestations. Because we are much more than just our minds, we have to address healing in a holistic way.

Our spirit is our connection to our higher power and to the divine power within us. It is connected to every part of ourselves and extends to every facet of our beings. Trauma, therefore, affects not only our minds but also our spirits. We store our fears and emotional memories in both our subconscious minds and our spirits because it is our spirit that connects our divine power to every element of ourselves- mental, emotional and physical. In short, everything we experience has a spiritual cause, effect and manifestation, because our spirit lives in every part of us.

When we become too focused on the thoughts produced by our minds, we sometimes neglect the health of our spirits. Our ego, or sense of self, is often wounded from the trauma we experience, and therefore our thoughts are often negative, limiting and self-destructive. Our thought patterns and behaviors are often so pervasive and damaging that they become our addictions, depression, anxiety and other mental health issues. In order to heal these deeply rooted patterns, we can look to spiritual solutions that go deeper than the ego mind.

Sometimes our minds are limited to the information they have already been exposed to. We tend to think in shortsighted ways because our minds have a hard time being open to unknown possibilities. Sometimes we can’t see past our current circumstances and find it difficult to be open-minded, especially when we are struggling with such difficult challenges as depression and addictive behaviors. Sometimes it’s our minds causing our problems; they process and store emotional information for us and are very powerful, so any imbalances and unwellness in our minds can easily turn into full-fledged mental health issues.

Our spirits, however, are connected to the infinite wisdom and guidance of our higher power. We can also call this power collective consciousness, which includes all living creatures. Imagine all the information we can access when we tap into this higher power. The possibilities for our healing are limitless.

When we are open to the idea of creating and following a spiritual practice, we open ourselves to a world of healing that goes deeper than the mind can go.

Holistic healing is a major focus at Enlightened Recovery. We can help you find healing solutions that work for you. Call (833) 801-LIVE.

Self-Hypnosis for Healing

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Self-hypnosis is a powerful tool to reprogram the subconscious mind, which stores our fears and emotions. With self-hypnosis, we are taking control of our minds and directing our thoughts more consciously, with intention. It can be therapeutic and really help you to feel better.

We are always hypnotizing ourselves, on a daily basis, with the thoughts and feelings we cling to the most. For many of us with mental health problems, emotional challenges and addictions, our default thoughts and feelings very often are negative. That nagging voice in your head that is critical, judgmental and analytical, that tells you you’re not good enough, or that other people are better than you. It complains. It worries too much. It overthinks. It’s pessimistic. It would rather see the bad than the good. It makes you feel sad and afraid.

The good news is that we can reprogram our subconscious mind, and self-hypnosis is a powerful way to do that.

Start by becoming more conscious of what you think and feel on a daily basis. Try keeping a journal or taking notes. Write regularly, then look back at the recurring themes. Get clear on your thoughts and feelings. Be thorough. What thought patterns and feelings are consuming you, making you feel bad about yourself, holding you back, or taking away from your happiness and inner peace? How do you feel about yourself and your life, and how would you rather feel? For example, if you’re struggling with feelings of insecurity, start looking at those insecurities. Where did they come from? What are you afraid of? What feelings would feel better instead?

Write down positive affirmations that detail the things you want to think, feel, do, have and be in your life. Try writing things like “I am happy and healthy. I am strong, brave, secure and confident. I am at peace. I am financially free. I am grateful. I do what I love for a living.” Get creative and be direct with yourself. Be brave. Reach for the stars. Believe in your power to make your dreams come true. You have the power to be happy, healthy and well.

Read what you’ve written multiple times a day. Keep it in your wallet, or post it on your bathroom mirror, anywhere you’ll read it often. Repeat it out loud to yourself as often as possible. Using a phone app, computer or studio, record your words and if you’d like, include beautiful meditation music behind your voice. Listen to it on repeat while you’re meditating, driving, exercising, or working. If you’re open to it, with time you’ll find that you feel better. You’ll start believing the words and believing in yourself. You’ll be doing the wonderful work of reprogramming your subconscious mind, and soon you’ll be able to feel the changes.

We believe in helping you find holistic healing solutions for your individual challenges. Call (833) 801-LIVE.

 

Becoming Conscious of Our Deepest Fears and Pain

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One of the challenges many of us face is that we often don’t know why we are struggling with the mental and emotional issues we have. We suffer without knowing the deeper reasons for why we are suffering. We experience so much fear, often without realizing it, without knowing what our fears are and what they mean. To go deeper and gain more understanding, we have to go beyond what we are conscious of. We have to access the subconscious mind, where everything pertaining to our emotions is stored.

The subconscious mind governs 95% of our daily lives, including our behaviors, habits, thought processes, and patterns. It stores our fears, insecurities, memories, worries, traumas and pain. That means that if we allow the fears and pain of our subconscious mind to go unchecked, it will be our fears and pain running the show. Imagine your fear running 95% of your life. This is how most of us live- subconsciously driven by fear.

A major function of the subconscious mind is to keep us safe, and one of the ways it does this is by sending us warning signals to avoid things that might endanger us. Once our minds have been impacted by trauma, our subconscious mind will sometimes fire off these warning signals about things that don’t pose an actual threat to us, but that we feel afraid of and threatened by. Our deeply rooted fears stay lodged in our subconscious, which will send warning signs any time those fears are triggered. These fears become so deeply ingrained in our psyches that they play a huge role in our mental and emotional health. Our natural responses to these fears are often intense anxiety, nervousness, panic, sadness and anger. We usually carry out these responses in unconscious ways, unaware of what is driving us.

The first step to healing our fears is to be conscious of what they are. We can start by asking ourselves questions: What am I triggered by? What patterns do I keep repeating? What default thoughts and feelings am I experiencing? What do I have strong emotional reactions to? What problems do I keep manifesting?

When we look at the patterns in our emotions, thoughts, relationships and life cycles, we can start to analyze what fears have been driving us. Are we afraid of being abandoned by the people we love? Are we afraid we aren’t good enough? Are we afraid of failing? Are we afraid of taking risks because we fear people might judge us?

Healing on a deep level requires us to be conscious of the patterns of our thoughts, emotions and behaviors in order to start figuring out what our actual fears are. Our mental and emotional health depend on it.

On our healing journey, we sometimes need support. It can be scary stuff. Reach out. Contact Enlightened Recovery today.

The Importance of Holistic Healing

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Sometimes when we’re dealing with mental health issues and addictions, we tend to focus on treating symptoms rather than addressing the underlying root causes. Sometimes our treatment options are temporary quick fixes rather than long-term healing solutions. What we perceive as mental health problems often also have spiritual, physical and emotional causes. Transforming our lives in real ways requires working with our whole selves to get to the root of those causes and find ways to heal that work for us on a deep level.

We carry within us all of our fears, insecurities and pain, our traumatic experiences and limiting beliefs. All of our coping mechanisms, avoidance strategies, distractions, addictive behaviors and negative self-talk take us away from facing our fears and our pain, all of which only exacerbate them. When we try to slap band-aids over the gaping wounds, we don’t actually heal the wounds. We might delay having to face them, but eventually they catch up with us, sometimes in drastic and catastrophic ways. For example, the hurtful relationship patterns you’ve continued over the years catch up with you, and you’re left devastated and hopeless. The painful thought patterns you’ve tortured yourself with for years are worsening, causing worse depressions, anxiety, insomnia and addictive behaviors. To get to the root of it all, holistic healing brings together the mind, body, heart, soul and spirit to achieve real healing that is powerful and transformative.

When we do the difficult work, we’re going to dig up some very painful stuff: our deepest fears, our most painful shame, our biggest regrets, buried memories, unresolved issues, unhealed trauma.

To heal on a deep level, we have to move past our minds and work with our whole selves: our chakras, or energy centers; our bodies and the trauma we store within; our hearts which hold the capacity for love, self-love and forgiveness; our souls- our unique gifts, talents, stories and dreams, who we truly are deep down under all the different ways we identify ourselves as people- and our spirits, our connections to a higher power and that power within us. Meditation, breathing exercises, affirmations, writing, practicing gratitude and self-care, and spending time in nature are a few examples of holistic healing that have helped people tremendously and that you can learn and implement in your own recovery.

Discover more about yourself, work to uncover what’s been holding you back, and learn how to move forward. Enlightened Recovery is here to help. Call (833) 801-LIVE.

Self-Care for Healing and Recovery: Spiritual Practice and Journaling

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Many of us sacrifice self-care, and for various reasons. We might feel the demands of our families and jobs leave no time for self-care. We might be so depressed we don’t have the energy to be good to ourselves. Whatever the reason, we can start by setting the intention to love ourselves more and take better care of ourselves. Prioritizing our wellbeing mentally, emotionally, physically and spiritually, is so important for healing from mental illness and recovering from addiction. As we heal, we learn that the mental component is only one of many factors. Holistic healing, working with ourselves as whole people not just our mental illness or addiction, can bring about deep transformation. Here are some ways you can practice self-care.

Spiritual Practice

You have the freedom of developing your own spiritual practice so that it’s personally helpful and therapeutic for you, and there are countless ways to connect to your higher power, and to the higher power manifested within you. You can create an altar where you meditate or pray, with sacred pieces, crystals, candles, oracle cards, journals, mementos, symbols- anything with which you have a personal or spiritual connection. You can use anything you want for your altar: rocks or sea glass from your favorite beach, gifts or cards from loved ones, photos, inspirational quotes. Decorate it with your favorite colors, spiritual symbols and images. Make it a practice to commit to spending time with your altar, communicating with your spirit guides and angels, your higher power, your ancestors, with yourself.

Journaling

Writing helps us to connect with our inner voice, process our emotions, and allow our energy to flow. Write about anything you feel moved to: the things and people you’re grateful for in your life, the emotional challenges you’re facing, the regrets you’re having trouble forgiving. As you connect with yourself and your higher power, solutions for healing will open up to you. You might receive the inspiration to talk to someone who gives you amazing guidance. You might feel called to be of service and help someone else. You might find that sharing your story helps someone else going through something similar. Writing is one way to connect to our inner wisdom, to share of ourselves, to help others, to learn, and to heal.

The mind is only one part of mental illness and addiction. Holistic healing can make all the difference. Let Enlightened Recovery help you discover what helps you heal. Call (833) 801-LIVE

Meditation for Obsessing and OCD

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One thing many of us with mental health problems and addictions have in common is our tendency to obsess. We obsess about the argument we just had, or the hurtful thing someone said last year. We obsess about our insecurities and mistakes. We obsess about our drug of choice and how we’re going to get more. Maybe we fearfully obsess about how long we’ve been clean, when we relapsed, and how much longer we can hold out.

Obsessing is essentially anxious and fearful thoughts on a constant playback loop, repeating themselves continuously, causing you tension and anxiety every time they pop up. Perhaps you obsess only occasionally when something is really bothering you. Perhaps your obsessing has taken over your life and you’ve been diagnosed with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, or OCD. However much you obsess, whatever it is you obsess about, there are things you can do to help.

Meditate

Meditating helps you learn how to have more control over your thoughts. It teaches you how to focus on your breathing, which can be critically important when your thoughts feel as though they’re out of control. OCD is considered an anxiety disorder, and there are many wonderful breathing exercises for anxiety, including 1:2 breathing, where you make your exhale twice as long as your inhale.

Repeat Affirmations

What are you obsessing about? Find statements or words that help you to calm down. If you’re obsessing about a fight you had, you could try repeating “we are going to get through this.” If you’re in turmoil about that fight, try “I choose to be at peace within myself, before, during and after this situation.” Whatever you can say to yourself to feel better, say it. The more we can direct our thoughts to peace, the more we will feel at peace. Because our energy helps to manifest our reality, we can affirm the outcomes we want by repeating things like “we will come to an understanding,” and that energy can help us to manifest that desired outcome.

As we practice meditation and repeating affirmations, we often find that our anxiety and obsessiveness begin to calm down. We start to feel more at peace. The mental, emotional and physical nervousness start to subside. As we continue to practice, we start to find even more healing solutions for our mental and emotional challenges and addictions.

Our thoughts can make us feel like we’ve lost our minds, like there’s no hope. Enlightened Recovery can help you figure out ways to heal. Call (833) 801-LIVE.

 

Writing the Angry Email – One Way to Process Anger

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Anger is a part of life. How we deal with it can make all the difference for our mental and emotional health. Our responses to things that anger and hurt us are often reactive. We yell when there is a misunderstanding. We break or hit things or punch holes in walls when we feel enraged. We abuse each other and ourselves.

One super helpful technique to diffuse anger is to write an angry email to the person or people you’re angry with, that you don’t intend to send. Write everything out. Don’t sugarcoat anything. You don’t have to worry about hurting their feelings or causing more conflict, because they won’t be reading it. Don’t hold back. Include everything that comes to mind, any and all details you can think of, and any emotions it brings up. Ask any questions you have. Write in all capital letters whenever you’re yelling in your mind! Do whatever you need to do to feel like you’ve expressed all your thoughts and feelings on the issue. This email might take days, weeks, months, even years to finish. With some relationships, it might be an ongoing email. Use the email to help you. This doesn’t solve the problem or eliminate the issue, but it can help in multiple ways.

Writing can help you manage the wave of emotions that can come with any tense situation. Conflicts, especially within families and close relationships, can cause us tremendous stress, anger and sadness. The process of writing it all out helps to navigate the many emotions. It also helps the energy to flow rather than staying stuck within you. Writing through a situation can help you to detach, by allowing you to feel like it’s on paper (or your phone/computer) so you can hold onto it less tightly in your mind. Writing it out can also help if you’re inclined to replay details, obsess over conversations, or have a hard time remembering how things happened.

Writing in general can be very meditative. You might feel the anger as rage, sadness, anxiety, tension or nervousness. These may cause physical effects such as sweaty palms, nervous tingling in your hands and feet, or heat in your chest. You might feel that as you write, these physical feelings start to decrease and then subside. Once you’ve done this writing process, you might have a whole new perspective and understanding on the issue and find yourself feeling much less angry.

We all need safe spaces to process our anger. Enlightened Recovery wants to help. Call (833) 801-LIVE.

Writing to Express Our Emotions

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A major contributor to mental health problems and addictions can be our cycles of suppressing our emotions and trying to escape our pain. We attempt to numb the pain with substances and relationships, we distract ourselves with Netflix and video games, and we run from our fears rather than facing them. The more we can confront our difficult emotions with honesty and courage, the more we can heal and find actual inner peace. Writing is one of the greatest tools to help us in this healing process.

Any form of writing can be therapeutic and calming. Journaling can be life changing. Try asking yourself an open-ended question, perhaps relating to something troubling you, and let yourself free write everything that comes to mind. “I’m worried about ___, but what am I really afraid of?”

Seeing our most troubling thoughts, our panic-inducing issues, our deepest pain, all laid out on paper can be extremely consoling. Seeing it all on paper can make it feel lighter and easier to handle. It can be much easier to sort through words on paper than the heavy weight we carry in our hearts and minds. Writing it all out can help us to get our thoughts out and organize them, which can be so helpful when our minds are racing, and we’re feeling anxious, confused and overwhelmed. Once we’ve released pent up emotion, and seen it all on paper, it can be easier to find solutions to our once seemingly insurmountable problems.

Pay attention to your breathing and heart rate. You might find that writing brings you a sense of calm, even when addressing painful subjects. To really dig deep, try creating lists- lists of your fears, your hopes, patterns you want to free yourself from, habits that hold you back. A crucial part of healing is really getting to know yourself inside and out. Write out your natural trains of thought, what is your subconscious soundtrack telling you about yourself? What do your inner demons tell you to do? What is your inner critic saying? Listen and you will receive clues on what directions you can take to heal and be happy.

Creative writing, such as writing poetry, stories or music, can be a wonderful way to address and process our emotions. The creative process in and of itself can be painful, as you’re confronting and releasing heavy stuff, but the end result is having created something beautiful, lasting and personally meaningful out of your pain. And chances are you might help or inspire someone else with your creation.

We listen, and we understand. Many of us have personal experience with recovery. Enlightened Recovery offers therapy, mentoring, and friendship. Call (833) 801-LIVE today.

Nature as Part of Spiritual Practice

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Our daily lives are often so consumed with the hustle and bustle of our busy routines that we forget a powerful healing tool that surrounds us, that we can access to restore our inner peace. Explore the natural world around you, and you will find it holds infinite healing and guidance. When you open yourself up to receiving animal medicine, for example, you will begin to learn and experience the vast wisdom and symbolism that animals hold.

The sound of the wind in the trees can be immediately soothing and calming. The next time you hear it, pause to meditate on the beautiful sound rather than rushing off to your next destination. Take a moment to register the multiple shades of green in the plant life around you and observe the different brilliant colors of the sky. Take time to watch the sun or moon rise or set. Allow yourself to see the world around you with wonder and excitement, what we often associate with children but which as adults we can implement on a regular basis to add to the joy in our lives.

Being near a body of water brings many people a sense of peace and tranquility. Make the time to sit by a pond or beach, breathing in the helpful negative ions, listening for the crashing or lapping of waves whose continuity can make you feel calm and happy.

Nature reminds us that we are in the flow of life. If we move with it, and allow ourselves to be open to it, we can access the healing power of the universe and the natural world around us. Nature also proves that the natural state of our planet is one of abundance. There is an infinite abundance of leaves on a tree, grains of sand on a beach, drops of water in the ocean. So too are we infinitely abundant, full of the strength and wisdom we need to live happy, healthy lives, full of the manifestation power to heal and to create the lives we want.

Addictions, depression, anxiety, and any other form of mental/emotional health issues, have a way of destabilizing us and making us lose our center. Being in nature can help us to ground ourselves more. You are absorbing the power and strength of the earth any time you consciously connect with it. You reflect the longevity and survival you see in the oldest trees. You reflect the strength and conviction of the wind. Connecting with nature is a wonderful healing tool to add to your spiritual practice.

We listen, and we understand. Many of us have personal experience with recovery. Enlightened Recovery offers therapy, mentoring, and friendship. Call (833) 801-LIVE today.

Meditation to Manage Our Emotions

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Many of us with mental health problems and addictions can find it very difficult to manage and navigate our painful emotions. Our minds and hearts can react to stressors, challenges and triggers in self-destructive ways rather than choosing healthy coping strategies, especially when we have experienced trauma which can program subconscious mind to be destructive rather than protective. There are many holistic tips, techniques and remedies to help us work with our emotions in ways that support us in creating inner peace for ourselves. Meditation is one of the best things out there, and while it isn’t always easy, it is worth every minute we devote to the practice.

There are countless forms of meditation to explore, both for beginners and those looking to incorporate new methods into their practice. Meditators come to learn that there is no such thing as perfection when it comes to meditation. It really is about the process and the practice, the journey rather than the destination. If the end goal is enlightened consciousness, the journey is a strengthening of mind, body, heart, soul and spirit. Any form of meditation you choose can help you, whether it be focusing on your breath or on a single point such as a candle flame, repeating mantras and affirmations, practicing visualization, doing a walking meditation, meditatively creating art, or practicing mindfulness while going about our daily routine.

The health benefits of meditation are numerous and continue to be studied extensively. What you might notice right away when meditating is an increased sense of calm and peace, especially in response to things that usually trouble you. You might find yourself becoming less reactive to your usual stressors and triggers. You may find yourself less quick to anger, and more inclined to choose forgiveness and healthy detachment. You might find it easier to come up with solutions to the problems that once overwhelmed and confused you. When meditating, your heart rate and breathing slow down, bringing an increased sense of overall wellness and contentment. When meditating, we often find it easier to enter into a place where we can connect with our spirituality, communicate with our higher power, and receive divine messages in the form of signs and guidance. Meditating teaches us to prioritize following our intuition, to really listen to our instincts, and to trust ourselves, as we carry infinite wisdom within us. Whatever emotional problems we might be facing, meditation has the power to open up new and powerful channels for healing.

We listen, and we understand. Many of us have personal experience with recovery. Enlightened Recovery offers therapy, mentoring, and friendship. Call (833) 801-LIVE today.