In 1995 I was diagnosed bipolar. After about six months of medication and therapy I was well enough that I was cleared to "go it alone." Over the years I evolved a variety of self care practices to help me maintain mental and emotional health. First and foremost I practice HeartMath. I first learned it in 2001. In 2005 I was trained and certified to teach individuals who worked within my agency. Then in 2008 I became certified to teach HeartMath courses to groups. Over the past fifteen years I can think of dozens of times when my own HeartMath practice saved me from some serious stress, drama, and pain. I estimate that I have taught and coached around 500 people during my career. I'm not currently a licensed trainer, but I will forever be an advocate of their particular modality and the accompanying books, courses, and products.
Second, I have learned to embrace my changing emotions, much like one might embrace the beauty of foggy or rainy day as well as a warm and sunny day. I have learned to take a somewhat Buddhist approach to emotions. I remain present to the negative things. I sit with my sadness, pain, or anxiety rather than trying to avoid it through distractions. When working with my clients I was often heard saying "We must break down to break through." When we lean into our emotions and truly feel them, we discover that contained within the darkness and despair is a gift. When we find this gift we are healed and uplifted. In my own life I learned that not only does this work but that by "paddling into the rapids" I can get to the gift sooner.
Blog posts which fall into the category of emotional health include:
No comments:
Post a Comment