WORDS ARE POWERFUL
Nearly 30 years ago, while in an inpatient treatment center for eating disorder recovery, and engaged in a major war with my body, mind, heart, spirit, and soul, I was introduced to “mirror work” and affirmations in working with the mind.
The therapists at this life-saving, holistically-based center had us write down affirmations of empowerment and positivity on sticky notes and literally cover our mirrors with them (influenced by the work of the late and great Louise Hay).
As the body and body image was such a high focus, the mirrors in this house, (most of which were full length!), were huge trigger points. So, we coated them with affirmations of our innate goodness, stood in front of the mirrors and read them aloud to ourselves while gazing into our own eyes….really taking in the image of our beautiful, war torn bodies.
It was a powerful exercise and one that I use often with clients with many variations and iterations. Of course, in "real life" we cannot cover our mirrors with post-its, but we can put one on our desk or in our bathroom mirror or in our cars....we can take a moment when we are in the bathroom washing our hands to gaze into our own eyes and speak kindness and love to ourselves. It is extremely difficult to speak unkindly to oneself when looking in your own eyes.
A little vulnerable share for you….In the past couple of weeks, I have been presented with some challenges with my physical health and have noticed my mind grasping to and focusing on the negative limitations and issues. Because this particular issue is quite glaring, it has felt very challenging to work with my mind and focus my words mindfully on health and possibility (yes, even those of us immersed in the world of wellness experience ups and downs!).
I have been well aware of this swirl I have found myself in and also how stuck in it I have become. I can feel in my heart, in my soul, in my spirit, and in mybody the impact of my words and have actively been digging deep to shift this.
I have been working with affirmations specific to what I am navigating and while the issue is *not* alleviated, my attitude and heart feel lighter…more connected to gratitude and possibility.
I can feel the power of my words resonating in my entire being and the impact of the negative, fear-based thoughts versus the vibration and energy of the more hopeful and empowered words.
It takes effort to shift our thoughts and the words in which we are using to speak to ourselves (and each other, of course), yet the power of focusing on this aspect of our human journey is truly immeasurable.
The moral of the story and my message today is….
Words are powerful.
How we speak to ourselves, the messages and stories we are repeating in our minds, and what we focus on imprints us on a cellular level and can either lead us forward causing harm or towards possibility/power/strength/love (you can fill in the blank!).
Our bodies respond to our words and the messages we are feeding it.
What messages and imprints do you want to feed yourself, your body, your heart, and your soul?
And, remember….there is no “magic pill” to our healing journey. It demands that we are active participants and approach ourselves and whatever we are working with from all angles. This is the beauty and potency of the holistic path. We gain infinite tools in our toolbox to work with ourselves and our lives and our relationships at every turn along the way.
Moment-by-moment. Step-by-step.
Wishing you all a joy-filled and connected start to the Summer!
As always, I am out here if I can be of support in any way along your path and journey of becoming.