What’s the recipe for healing?
There is probably not one recipe for healing, but many. Or many variations on similar themes.
Here are some I have found helpful, and it’s just the same as I keep writing about here.
Love. Finding love for my world. Myself. Parts of myself, and especially the suffering ones. Others, and especially those I may not like or who (I tell myself) have hurt me. Situations, and especially the painful ones. Life. Existence. God.
Practices such as loving kindness, ho’oponopono, tonglen and similar ones can be very helpful here, along with natural rest, inquiry, parts work, and most of the other ones on this list.
Natural Rest. Notice. Allow. Resting with what’s here. Resting with images, words, sensations. Notice it’s all already allowed.
Inquiry. Questioning my stressful beliefs. (The Work.) See if I can find a threat, deficient self, or command. (Living Inquiries.) Examine the unquestioned beliefs and assumptions that creates stress and suffering in your life. Rest with the unloved images, thoughts, and sensations. Perhaps even find love for the unloved images, words, and sensations.
Contractions. Working with body contractions. Examining beliefs about the contraction. Inquire into the images and words associated with the contraction. Perhaps tapping on it or massaging. Releasing through neurogenic tremors.
Parts work. Dialog with the suffering parts of you and your experience. This can be done using any of the parts-oriented practices, such as Voice Dialog or the Big Mind process. Or something more simple, such as: You are welcome here. Thank you for protecting me. Thank you for your love for me. What would satisfy you forever? What are you really? (Pamela Wilson.)
Gratitude. Create gratitude lists. Either conventional ones where you only include what’s easy to be grateful for. Or all-inclusive lists that includes everything in your life, what you appreciate and don’t. (This helps shift out of our habitual ways of dividing the world into good and bad, likes and dislikes, and also opens us for the possible gifts and grace in whatever is happening.)
Body connections. (Re)connecting with the body. Yoga, tai chi, chi gong, Breema etc.
Eat well. Eat food that works with your body. Perhaps mostly low on the food chain, less or not processed, avoiding too much sugars and added chemicals. Drink plenty of water. (So the urine is pale or clear.)
Release tension from the body. Neurogenic tremors. (Tension and Trauma Release Exercises, TRE)
(Re)connect to nature. Walks in nature. Practices to reconnect. (Joanna Macy.) Spending longer periods of time in nature, away from (most of) civilization. Gardening.
Nurture nurturing relationships. Nurture relationships that nurture and support you.
Happiness practices. Engage in happiness practices that works for you. Practices and activities that helps you (re)connect to a sense of meaning, engagement, aliveness, purpose, and satisfaction in life.
Find support. Find support from experienced and kind guides, and perhaps fellow travelers on this path.