Episode 12: On Healing and Healers

The Steward Project

In this episode of The Steward Project, let's talk about Healing and Healers.

Let me start by saying I believe in healing and I believe there are Healers in the world. The healing process requires reverence and space to truly work...but what happens when everyone is promising to "heal" us with a 60 minute yoga class or a sound healing or a reiki session? What about people who claim to be Healers?
Don't get me wrong. These practices (yoga, meditation, sound healing, reiki, etc) are very real and can help us along in our healing process. These practices can help open us up to new possibilities and allow us to make big changes toward healing. And there are real, indigenous Healers in the world. But if someone is telling you they have THE thing that is going to heal you or that they are a Healer...run the other way!
A few things I highlight in this episode are simple reminders about healing and healers:

- Healing from trauma is possible and takes time. It requires safe spaces to experience what can be a messy process.
- The goal of a healing journey is to untangle what about how we behave today is a response to the trauma we experienced and seek ways to unpack that response and figure out how it's impacted our lives.
- We are able to harm each other through our interactions (most trauma happens in interpersonal relationships) AND we are able to HEAL each other through those same interactions (safe, healthy relationships flood our systems with oxytocin, the bonding chemical).
- "We can damage each other's health by repeatedly activating the stress response, but we also have the power to heal ourselves and others biologically..." Dr. Burke Harris.
- Yoga, Mindfulness, Meditation, Sound Healing, Reiki, etc. are deep, courageous self-care practices that can be part of our healing by allowing us to open & investigate what healing might look like for us.
- Healing includes investigating what we are carrying that may not be ours to carry...(See Podcast Episode 6: Caring vs. Carrying)

What has been your experience with healing, with healers, or with these practices? What has worked for you? What hasn't worked for you? What does healing mean to you and what does it look like?

After you listen, jump on my blog at www.radical-tendencies.com/my-thoughts for links & show notes!

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