Heal from Within | Article by Margaret I. Jang | One Source Learning Centre, Vancouver, BC

Heal from Within

Short or long-term emotional, mental or physical issues can create devastating hardship for sufferers. Many become caught in a web that binds them into a life of misery and self-defeat or at least this is how it is perceived.

However it doesn’t have to permanently remain this way. Such situations allow for a perfect opportunity to learn valuable life lessons that will not only heal, but will also enhance personal growth.

But the key to true healing is to first find and then re-connect to whom you really are – to the soul or spiritual essence within.

Develop Self-Awareness

Truthful awareness of self must first be acknowledged, understood, believed and accepted before changes in attitude can happen or before re-invention of self can occur.

Without knowing who you are or what truly makes you tick – how you think, what you believe, how you perceive, how you behave, how you feel, how you act or how you re-act to people or situations, it is impossible to positively transform or re-invent your life. This is a difficult and on-going process which takes time, dedication, perseverance, strength, awareness, honesty, acceptance and hard, hard work.

It is necessary to thoroughly analyze and truthfully evaluate each layer of self by asking yourself questions such as the following………

What are your strengths?
What are your weaknesses?
What are your natural likes and dislikes?
What areas are you most naturally drawn to – like a magnetic pull?
What are your natural talents - are you ignoring or utilizing them?
Do you live passionately or are you uninspired?
Are you a dreamer or a doer?
Are you likeable and adaptable or stubborn and antagonistic toward others?
On a daily basis are you mostly happy, sad, angry, disappointed, helpless, resentful, a victim, confused, depressed, anxious, lonely, worthless, or self-destructive?
Do you prefer being surrounded by friends or are you a comfortable loner?
Do you unconditionally love and trust yourself and if not, why?
Are you frustrated, short-tempered or irritable and if so, why?
Do live a balanced lifestyle?
Do you budget and live within your financial means or are you a compulsive spendthrift?
Do you self-medicate with hard drugs, alcohol, food, sensory stimulation or prescription drugs to numb feelings or pain, rather than face what needs to be done in order to overcome?
Are you overly-sensitive in which you negatively over-react to comments or opinions from others?
Are you willing to listen and heed suggestions, teachings or counselling that benefits your highest good or do you still choose to ignore and stubbornly resist?
Are you dependable and responsible or are you lazy and irresponsible?
Do you need to shed childish behaviour, grow up and act like a responsible adult?
Is your concept of things clear, clouded or fractured?
Do you make concrete plans and then follow them through?
Do you fear being honest about personal issues and if so, why?
Do you divert and immerse your focus and attention into other areas in order to avoid facing your present concerns?
Do you openly address each issue as it arises or do you sulk and keep grudges?
Are you an open and honest communicator or are you secretive and only tell half-truths?
Do you expect others to read your mind without explaining what’s really on your mind?
Are you lonely and if so, why?
Are you jealous or envious of others?
Do you constantly judge or compare yourself to others?
Do you feel rejected and if so, why?
Do you feel misunderstood and if so, why?
Do you find it easy or difficult to forgive self and others for indiscretions?
Do you feel entitlement without making any committed effort?
Do you automatically rely on others for guidance, insight or support?
When seeking professional medical help, do you willingly follow their directive or do you resist?
Do you blame others or situations for your health issues or misfortune?
Are you self-absorbed where you obsess mainly about self, giving little thought or attention to others?
Are you a procrastinator and if so why?
Do you live in clutter and disorder and if so, why?
Do you live with presence and common-sense or are you a pie-in-the sky day-dreamer who is all talk, but no action?
Are you a worry wart with a doom and gloom attitude?
Do you easily give up when feeling disappointed or disillusioned?
Do you fear change and if so, why?
Are you willing or afraid to let go of habits, people or situations that are unhealthy or that keep you stuck?
Do you pursue goals no matter what roadblocks are encountered?
Do you fear creating your own reality and if so, why?
Do you prefer following or living within someone else’s dream or reality?
When presented with a problem do you search “within” for solutions and answers or do you seek answers outside yourself or from others?
Do you prefer being a victim operating in helpless and hopeless mode in order to gain attention that you think you deserve?
Are you willing to put in the effort to learn how to become strong, resourceful and independent?

The list is endless, but the whole point is to be thorough, where you examine every nook and cranny that may affect your present problem.

Release Blame & Excuses

This is a game that children play, but for adults it is non-productive and a useless waste of precious time.

Life is too short to avoid taking full responsibility and to personally direct the outcome for attaining a fulfilled life. It is time to stop blaming others or to blame past or present circumstances, or to remain in victim mode, or to continuously act like a martyr. These are only excuses in which you’re convinced that there are no other choices.

But that is what life is about – learning to make right choices. It’s also about learning to let go of being over-controlling or overly-critical and to be more positively assertive, more patient and more tolerant of self and others. And along the way, if a few bad choices are made, so what, as long as you learn the vital lesson that it presented.

Release Fear

Fear is insidious, in which it can literally dominate and control your every action. It eats away levels of confidence, good judgment and sound reasoning until you are left feeling like a lone prisoner - stuck in a revolving unhealthy cycle, lost without a guiding compass, blinded without clarity, feeling numbed by either helplessness or hopelessness.

Fear presents itself in many forms such as the following……..

Fear of the unknown.
Fear of change.
Fear of trust.
Fear of expressing your own opinion.
Fear of pursuing your interests or hobbies.
Fear of developing your natural talents or abilities.
Fear of being truthful to self or to others.
Fear of public speaking.
Fear of heights.
Fear of flying.
Fear of mingling with groups or strangers.
Fear of crowded places.
Fear of water or fire.
Fear of expressing you own unique creativity.
Fear of facing personal issues or crisis.
Fear of making right or wrong decisions.
Fear of being alone or living alone.
Fear of building your own truthful reality.
Fear of changing occupations.
Fear of education.
Fear of trying or learning new things.
Fear of rejection.
Fear of being mis-judged or mis-understood.
Fear of releasing out-dated thinking or old habits.
Fear of listening to your intuition or soul self.
Fear of following your dreams, ambitions or goals.
Fear of believing your own values or convictions.
Fear of being just you.

In order to make changes or accomplish anything and progress to higher and more productive levels of consciousness, it is necessary to release and overcome fear in whatever capacity it presents itself. And the best way to overcome fear is to stop, turn and face each fear by doing exactly what you fear the most. Resist obsessing about it, face your demons and just do it! Learn to take baby steps, because it's impossible to overcome all fears at once. This is a process that takes time, courage, determination and much effort.

If fear makes you feel like there is a huge, heavy lump in your solar plexus and sacral area or if you start to feel stressed-out or overly-anxious, then sit comfortably, breathe slowly, deeply and rhythmically and turn your focus and attention to peaceful and pleasanter thoughts.

Learn to practice meditation, or walk, exercise, do yoga techniques or apply an energy-based healing modality such as Reiki. Each will help to promote calmness and relieve undesirable symptoms. Also, practice daily grounding, protection and cleansing techniques in order to maintain balance on all levels – mental, emotional, physical and spiritual.

Be Responsible & Take Action

Once you have released whatever fears that prevent forward momentum, then it’s time to accept responsibility for your decisions and take right action by making concrete positive changes. Just thinking or dreaming about possibilities gets you nowhere - you must willingly put in time and effort.

Taking responsibility is about following your truth in order to become self-sufficient in every area of your life. It’s about claiming ownership to the outcome of your actions. It's about living with integrity.

And if your plans, dreams or hopes fail to materialize, but you have put in your best effort, then taking responsibility is about resisting the temptation to whine like a victim or to lay blame on others or to unfortunate circumstances. Instead, ask yourself what lessons needed to be learned from the experience and did you learn them? Then pick yourself up and move on or try again.

Soul Re-Connection

It is essential to find your soul essence and then re-establish a solid and permanent communication connection in order to find and access your authentic strength, healing capability and personal power.

Your soul is the infinite energy part of you – your spiritual connection to the universal source, your inner healer, your higher intelligence, your higher wisdom, your intuitive voice and inner knowing.

But in today’s society people are so busy with living or maintaining their hectic and material lifestyle, that they have little or no time to address the needs of their soul or spirit self. Some people are not aware that they have a soul, while others choose to ignore or disbelieve its existence.

Soul re-connection has nothing to do with religion or religious beliefs. Those who immerse in religious practice do not learn how to bridge the gap to their soul by themselves. Instead, they become followers in which they are instructed by others how to live, what to do, what not to do, what is right or wrong, what to believe, who to pray to, who to associate with, and so on.

In order to heal completely, it is necessary to start from within – at the soul level, but only you have the power to bridge the gap and re-connect. This is your own private assignment - nobody else can do this for you. It's not something that you do sporadically or just in times of crisis; rather, it's a consistent way of life. So now, be prepared to embrace a new way of living in which you live a more authentic lifestyle.

There are many ways to achieve soul connection. Each culture has its own style - there is no right or wrong method, but it does make a huge difference to find a style that you believe in and are comfortable using; one that is simple and is not a nasty chore.

The following steps are suggestions for how to start the re-connection process:

Choose a suitable time period and a location where you won’t be disturbed.
Follow a daily meditation practice – choose a simple meditation style that you are comfortable doing (E.g. Follow your breath - inhale to the count of four 1 - 2 - 3 - 4, exhale to the count of four 1 - 2 - 3 - 4, keep repeating this cycle for the time duration).
A long period of meditation is unnecessary - whether you allot 10 minutes or 60 minutes, consistency is the name of the game.
Close your eyes, take three deep breaths to relax, ask for protection and then ask to be connected to your soul, to your higher self and to your spiritual source.
Visualize and feel yourself connecting to your inner heart area. See this area expand with light and feel increased energy in body heat.
Establish an intention – ask for healing, ask for guidance, ask for advice, ask for assistance, ask for comfort, ask for energy, ask for higher knowledge or wisdom. But be sure your intention is practical and achievable and be sure that you are willing to do the leg-work by putting in the time and effort - don't just ask and then expect miracles to happen.
Maintain complete focus on your breathing and counting.
Resist allowing your mind to wander. Each time your mind wanders, or intruding thoughts enter, instead of building on the story of your thoughts, just re-focus on your breath and go back to counting. If you lose count, simply start at 1.
Once your mind becomes quiet from mind chatter and you feel peaceful, feel free to ask any questions you like and then wait patiently for an answer. Or strike up a conversation - talk to your soul like it's your best friend (in reality it actually is). Tell it your innermost secrets, your concerns, your troubles, your job, your coworkers, your health issues, your dreams and ambitions, your frustrations, etc. In other words, you are never alone, because your soul is always ready and willing to listen, as well as assist if asked.
Learn to pay attention to your inner feelings, inner thoughts, inner symbols or pictures, colours, smells or taste that have no physical source and to your dreams. Record your findings or experiences in a daily journal or in your computer or on a voice recorder in order to track continued progress and development. If you don't receive an answer, try again tommorrow and keep trying until you do make progress - resist giving up.
Learn to trust what you receive and be prepared to follow directions or instructions. If truthful advice is given, then it will naturally resonate at your soul level, like a light bulb going on or having an "ah-hah" moment.
When the meditation time is finished, express thanks and gratitude for all help, guidance, abundance and protection received and shared.
Repeat this process everyday and eventually it will become second nature - a natural daily habit.

As you re-connect to your soul, learn to be humble, learn to be gracious and learn to be thankful for all lessons, experiences, guidance, knowledge, healing and information received or shared.

Changes will be gradual, but here are some areas where you will eventually notice a difference or an improvement:

You will feel stronger, fearless, in control of your life.
You will feel more energetic and become healthier on all levels.
You will never feel lonely, even when you are by yourself.
You will develop a more positive attitude and perspective.
You will become less materialistic.
You will become more intuitive through developing a stronger spiritual connection.
You will regain or develop more common sense, clarity and focus.
You will become more confident, trusting, responsible and dependable.
You will become more loving and more forgiving.
You will feel calmer, less stressed or anxious, less scattered.
You will be less lazy or laid-back and more motivated, assertive and committed.
You will experience more creativity and hidden talents will surface.
You will express more patience, respect and tolerance for people and situations.
You will observe everything and everyone with a newer, more positive outlook.
You will be less self-absorbed, less inclined to be selfish or self-centered and be more considerate.
You will be more helpful and perhaps volunteer your services to others or to organizations.
You will feel happier, more joyful, more spontaneous, more willing, more passionate, more blessed, more appreciative.
You will take pride in your accomplishments, in your choices, in your appearance, in your finances, in your living environment.

Over time, your connection will become stronger and you will establish a better sense of you as a soul or spiritual being. Once this happens, each time you require guidance or a second opinion, you will naturally consult your soul self, rather than depend on the opinion of others. Of course it is still perfectly okay to ask the opinion of others, but the main difference now is that you are not totally dependant on it.

Easier Solution

Too often society not only teaches, but dictates to look on the outside when crisis occurs, but in reality all the answers are hidden until you seek within through the meditative state and ask for assistance or guidance.

Another reason why many people resist looking within for possible clues and answers is because it requires plenty of alone time. There is much meditation and much contemplation involved. This is a personal journey of learning that nobody else can do for you and it takes dedicated commitment, which many are just not up to doing.

Instead they seek an easier solution by enlisting the help of others or they cover up by seeking material distractions and comforts.

And while medications or professional assistance may prove helpful, quite often it is not permanent. When another crisis occurs, they may fall back into an established pattern of thinking or behaviour and the cycle starts again.

What You Gain

Healing from within is no easy feat.

But once you develop self-awareness, release blame and excuses, release fear, learn to be responsible, learn to take right action, learn to consistently meditate and find who you are at the soul level, then self-love and self-respect are the natural by-products that are eventually encountered.

You also gain courage where you feel inspired, joyful and uplifted. No longer are you worried or obsessed over past grievances or stuck in limbo-land fearful of your own shadow.

Instead, you choose to live with purpose, with focus, with passion and with commitment in present time, in the Now, or within the natural Flow of life. However, keep in mind that although you live in present time (or in the Now), you are still responsible for adequately providing for your future or for your retirement years and this takes practical planning.

Most certainly you will also reap the benefits of newly acquired self-esteem that fuels a greater capacity for personal freedom and power. This can never be taken from you unless you allow it to happen.

So now, after all your hard work and effort, healing from within has truly blessed you - relax and enjoy the fruits of your labour!

Articles Home Page

About the author: Margaret Jang is a spiritual poet and inspirational writer, as well as an intuitive arts teacher focusing on psychic/channelling development. She also dedicates her time to soul numerology readings and is a Reiki Master Teacher and practitioner. Margaret established One Source Learning Centre for Inner Healing in 2005 in Vancouver, BC, Canada. She may be contacted via e-mail.

Note: Articles, poetry and soul inspiring expressions are © Copyright protected - all rights reserved. In order to copy, reprint, publish, quote, electronically transfer, post to websites or blogs, or reproduce in any manner, please obtain written permission from author Margaret I. Jang.

Disclaimer
The above information is not intended to replace, diagnose, prescribe or treat any ailment or to be used as a replacement for medical treatment or consultation. It is only intended to enhance your knowledge or general interest and is offered as an alternative and complimentary source of information. In all cases, it is recommended that you continue to follow medical treatment as prescribed by your medical physician.

Courses•Reiki•Psychic/Channelling Development•Spiritual/Inspirational Poetry•Articles on Metaphysics, Health & Well-being•Numerology Reading