Integration

Wellness is the complete integration of body, mind, and spirit - the realization that everything we do, think, feel, and believe has an effect on our state of well-being.

Integration by definition is the coordination of processes in the nervous system, including diverse sensory information and motor impulses.

Some of the ways that I have implemented the work is by creating a plan of action. I know what I worked on, what I went deep and realized, so now it is up to me to be aware of when those old patterns resurface and create change. It isn’t easy, and we are human and slip back into that old behavior, but the awareness is the first step. I meditate, take walks in nature, listen to the birdsong in the morning, I do my best to create a sanctuary in my home (this is the hardest for me), I am mindful when I catch myself casting judgement and redirect or reframe my thoughts, I journal and brain dump, I do the things. I take action. It isn’t about trying anymore, it’s about doing, and having grace.

One of the things that I find the hardest to implement is joy. Doing the things that bring you joy sounds easy, but it is the biggest hurdle I face because it is my nature to feel that I am not deserving of joy, I am not safe to feel joy because people will judge me…sounds so silly to write that, but it is a thing.

One of the things that bring me joy that I used to avoid was playing my guitar and singing, in the last year I have dedicated myself to playing for at least 10 minutes a day, and it is now feeling easier and easier to create space for that in my day to day. I may not be the best guitar player, but it helps me sing, and singing makes me feel free, it is my happy place. I have found this to be a wonderful practice in finding joy for myself.

I had to take a good hard look at the things that I was resisting the most, and if I want more peace in my life, I have to create it by taking action. Manifesting is the first step; it gets you to realize what your desires are. The second step is taking that action and acting as though you already have the thing you desire. So, if what I want is to have a healthier lifestyle, sitting on the couch and waiting for it isn’t going to do it, I must get up, move my body, take the herbs that support me best, eat the way my body wants to eat, and listen when it’s time to rest. I get out of that comfort zone that I had barricaded myself in, and I listen to the inner wisdom within my body, mind and soul.

How do you implement your “work”?