In our fast-paced world, it may seem a little strange to set aside time for 'healing'. Many find the concept self-indulgent or only necessary when ill, but my experiences have taught me that healing is a necessary part of day to day life if I want to stay centred, balanced and perform at my best.
When we set side time to heal, we allow our body's natural healing mechanisms to take front and centre stage. This is useful to deal with the stresses of day to day living such as being exposed to illnesses, mental fatigue from working, supporting family members (e.g. parents, children), difficult weather conditions, the rigours of traveling or completing household chores.
None of these things alone may be particularly demanding, but if exposed to multiple stressors all at once without a counterbalance - you can expect your energy reserves to get depleted.
A regular (ideally daily) healing practice heads off a lot of issues before they turn into something bigger. Like hitting the reset button, healing helps to release our daily stresses, freeing up energy and resources to enjoy life with passion.
Perfect for busy mums, hard working dad's, anxious children and poorly pets; actively engaging in healing improves our ability to digest our food, quality of sleep, processing of life events, detoxification processes and recovery rates.
Rest and digest
This is because healing supports our 'rest and digest' para-sympathetic nervous system. This is the part of our nervous system that is responsible for carrying out repairs to our bodies and mind so we can continue to function.
The calming effects of healing reduces our 'fight /flight' response (sympathetic nervous system) so our parasympathetic nervous system can kick in and do the necessary repairs.
In contrast, if we are constantly 'on the go' and never allowing our rest and relax system to operate, we are lining ourselves up for a lot of trouble. It may not be obvious immediately, but over time that kind of living adds up till we find our selves constantly stressed, worried, exhausted or ill.
I would always advocate for a pro-active approach to life where healing forms part of your daily routine to maintain wellness. However, if you're reading this and have already become tired, anxious, run down and unwell I would recommend committing to doing the healing work you previously avoided to restore your inner harmony.
I welcome intro chats with anyone wondering what healing might do for them and would gladly share my story of recovery from Chronic Fatigue. You can reach out via this post or read more about me, find out what I offer and get in touch via this website.
Reiki Is Better Than Placebo and Has Broad Potential as a Complementary Health Therapy - David E. McManus, PhD
J Evid Based Complementary Altern Med. 2017 Oct; 22(4): 1051–1057.
Published online 2017 Sep 5.