After nearly 7 years of chronic pain from a spine injury, I had a lot of experience in managing.
Managing how to handle the physical pain, managing how to deal with the immense mental effects it brought with it, managing the workload of being a teenager doing everything I could to graduate. These tasks, amongst many others, were consuming my life by figuring out how to manage side effects.
Of course, I didn't know at the time that I was simply catering to the oohs and awes of side effects, I just intended to feel better. I thought that by going to tons of doctors, specialists, different appointments each day, & taking a pill that's created to lessen the effects of symptoms, the problem would somehow be resolved. When in reality, I was only then suffering from different side effects from new treatments. It would continue to become a vicious cycle.
Eventually, enough was enough. I decided I was done with side effects, with symptoms, with TREATING; I was ready to HEAL.
Quite honestly, I had no f***king clue where to start! I decided that I wasn't going to take another medication and began by looking at ways to heal my body naturally. I do not recommend transitioning into a holistic lifestyle the way that I did, I recommend working with a naturopath and a trusted physician to safely & gradually ween you off certain medications!
-This is not to knock western medicine either, I am GRATEFUL for western medication and for all the work it does to save lives each moment of every day. However, I think far too often in this society we rely on western medicine for things that are simply meant for our own bodies to resolve...-
It wasn't far into my studying that I realized this was a journey that would take TIME. I was used to waiting 3 months for a pill to enter my system, waiting up to another month to see if side effects would lessen, then starting that process all over again when they didn't or worsened. So why couldn't I give Holistic remedies a few weeks to notice a difference?
I started with crystals (check out my article on my journey to spirituality to see how I landed on crystals). I was just so drawn to them and "somehow" kept collecting minerals that were known to aid migraines. I would wear them throughout the day & sleep with ones like Amethyst or Lepidolite near my pillow.
I may have not woken up migraine-free the next night, but I did notice I slept particularly well the first night upon trying it and consistently with the nights following. That developed an interest for other ways I could have a night of healthier sleep. I began working with essential oils and created a nightly journaling practice. The changes in my sleep were tremendous, my insomnia began to be less of a struggle & I would wake up more refreshed and my migraines saw a bit of improvement.
I was just so awestruck in how well these natural remedies were working for my sleep and began to compile all the holistic practices I was trying and loving on this blog! I began to learn about spirituality through crystal healing and all the pagan practices my mother had introduced me to when I was young came flooding back to me, making total sense. I began to understand what it meant to have power over my life circumstances & the way that I was feeling. And through spirituality, I opened the door to rewiring the mind.
It was then that I was able to distinguish the ineffable truth that our entire lives dictate the way we feel physically. It was more than just using essential oil and hoping for relief. I had to make SERIOUS changes to see a life that was completely pain-free. I improved my eating habits, connected with nature, nurtured my thought patterns, incorporated more self-love & acceptance, I practiced yoga & meditation, welcomed friendships, went to therapy, went vegan, discovered my authentic gifts & celebrated them. And over time, with trial and errors of many practices, my migraines became non-existent. I was able to engage in life again without fear or worry of being struck with incredible pain. It felt close to miraculous after I had once accepted the idea that my migraines would be a part of my life forever.
Now that I am migraine free, I can look back at my journey with chronic pain with a much more clear mind. I am able to see how integrated the pain from my spine injury was with my worldly conditions. Both outer worlds (like relationships/family, career, financial, etc) and inner worlds (emotions, thought patterns, triggers, etc) are not only completely intertwined with one another but also create our life circumstances, our health & happiness, and the people who surround us.
For some, this can be an overwhelming idea- knowing that you're responsible for the way your life is heading, especially if you're feeling quite bleak. But for others, it can be extremely empowering. It's all the way we decide to look at this idea. If we can release the thought pattern that we are life's victims, we can liberate ourselves from our pain and suffering.
Start small, be intentional, you don't have to take it all on today. And you don't have to see everything switch at once, this is your LIFE you are taking the reigns of! Give patience and compassion so that more grace and compassion can be returned to you in beautiful ways.
If you're looking to take control over your health & happiness by taking a holistic approach, consider joining myself & my group of beautiful women on a similar path as we take on the Autumn Alignment Challenge.
In this 2-week online group activity, we'll take small steps each day towards restoring balance & harmony in our lives so that we can easily achieve our beautiful life's goals!
With Love! Stay (vegan) Cheesin' For No Reason!
#thirdeyethirst #bodymindsoul #mindbodyspirit #spriritualgangsta #spiritjunkie #cheesinfornoreason #travelbusinessbabes #travelbizbabes #bossbabe #travelbabe #theHSE #BIBclique #BIB #healthstylemporium #holisticwellnesscoach #holisticwelness #holisticliving #wellnesscoach #naturalliving #livingnaturally #livingnatural #allnatural #wholefoodnutrition #locationindependent #autumnalignment #autumnalignmentchallenge #twoweekchallenge #2weekchallenge #challenge #challenegeyourself
Comments