Table of Contents
- Holistic health and healing: a definition
- Holistic healing from three specific points of view
- A final note
Holistic health and healing: a definition.
Healing is undoubtedly a gigantic topic. Anyway, the definition provided online by The Cambridge Dictionary is:
‘To heal’= to make or become healthy or whole again
It sounds a bit generic, yet it doesn’t state from which type of original injury we are going to heal. And this is a good thing.
Even though the verb ‘to heal’ immediately suggests physical recovery, there is so much more to it. Particularly, the possibility of becoming whole by making both the inside and the outside healthier. That is, by adopting a holistic approach, the same that I have used on myself and share with you.
What does it mean, anyway?
“A holistic approach means to provide support that looks at the whole person, not just their mental health needs. The support should also consider their physical, emotional, social and spiritual well-being.” Health.nsw.org.au
Holistic healing from three specific points of view.
Quietly Mary focuses on the inner aspects of healing (energy work, trauma, being an overthinking introverted Soul) while recognising of course their inevitable link to the physical body. In other terms, it offers an insight into holistic health and healing techniques for introverts: one where physical health, personal growth, and spiritual evolution intersect.
The main goal of this section specifically – which coincides with our mission – is to look at a holistic health and healing journey as taking place in three specific areas:
- as an (often unaware) introvert;
- addressing childhood conditioning, or “problems” deriving from our early years;
- through spirituality and energy work.
These three planes tie in and refer back to one another to help you live an authentic life & feel quietly empowered — the ultimate stage of introverted confidence and fulfillment.
I speak and share from experience here: I have felt inadequacy and pain alongside joy and empowerment throughout the whole process. Not to mention significant ‘gains’ in different areas of my life. For this reason, I am eager to share the exact ‘ingredients’ of my holistic health and healing endeavour, the ones that made me feel so much better — and keep me sane every day.
Healing as an Introvert
“The most common definition of an introvert is someone who gets drained by socializing and recharges by being alone. But there’s so much more to introversion than that.” Introvert Dear
Clearly, not all introverts are created equal but the definition above seems to capture quite aptly the essential traits of an introvert.
As for me, introversion played a — transformative — role in the way I treated childhood conditioning, spiritual research, and life in general (in short, in my journey of holistic health and healing.) At the same time, though, I suspect that some parts of my personal story aggravated introversion itself.
Regardless of personal experiences, though, we cannot ignore the place introversion holds in our existence. It is not a 100% positive or negative thing per se, rather an intrinsic characteristic of who you are that deserves acknowledgement and acceptance. Coming from a place of denial or low awareness, tackling life’s challenges as an introvert deserves a little extra attention and (self) compassion.
I hope I have made my point here: we are not alone, you are not alone.
There are millions of us in the world, and we can thrive by befriending our introversion. Learning more about it makes us better equipped for life, society, and elevates our holistic health and healing journey to a whole new level.
Particularly, we can thrive once we embrace introversion and use it to complement our holistic health and healing journey rather than pretending it’s not there or underrating its role.
Talking about underrating it, I am happy to report there is an ever growing number of articles and resources on this subject. From dedicated portals and social media accounts to people devoting their accounts to introversion, we are spoiled for choice, really!
Well, I guess I want to endorse the following words: “there’s an introvert revolution going on. Slowly, our extroverted world is learning to understand and accept the introvert’s way. But in order to do that, we first need to better understand what introversion is — and what it’s not.” Introvert Dear.
Healing from childhood conditioning, aka the early years.
You may have heard a piece of popular wisdom that goes along the lines of: “Some people have it so much worse than you”. I know I have heard it. I believe we have all been at its receiving end at least once in our lives.
Sure, some people are hit pretty hard by poverty, violence, abuse. The same goes even for those with apparently normal lives. Or shiny, perfect existences. While it’s important to lead with compassion and gratitude for everything we have, I also don’t believe in denial or any kind of bypassing.
I bet that you, too, yearn to be seen, listened to, reassured, praised, treated with compassion. No matter how big or small this life’s test have been. You want to be acknowledged, you hope for more positive feelings, at least in some areas of your psyche and life. Which is the core reason behind undertaking a journey of holistic health and healing.
It isn’t so much a conscious, rational need as an instinctual certainty that there just has to be a better way. For a good reason, I would add. Taking this aspect into account is almost essential for our holistic health and healing journey, as it would probably remain incomplete without it.
Like many other adults, you think your family has messed you up to a degree but don’t make a fuss out of it because, well, there are bigger problems in life. The reality is that much of that ‘being messed up’ is what we carry on in the form of unresolved trauma.
According to Dr LePera:
“Trauma is not about the event, it’s about the individual perception of the event. Which is why it cannot be measured and impacts everyone differently … Trauma is not the truth of who we are, it is the perspective of who we are based on the events that occurred in our lives” Instagram post by The Holistic Psychologist.
Particularly, the early years (the first five to seven years in the life of a child) are a time during which children absorb & record everything that goes on in their environment. Which is to say, their experience of life through and with their first caregivers (be it parents or other figures). They become the foundation of their future being and future behavior.
I cannot think of anything more essential than this aspect to make sure we address our holistic health and healing journey properly.
Through spirituality or energy work.
Spirituality holds a special place in my heart as well as the life long journey of holistic health and healing. It is the place where it all started a long time ago, as an introverted teenager. I was naturally attracted to the ‘unseen’ and curious to learn about past lives, Buddhism, clairvoyance, and much more.
My explorations have been going on for so long now that they feel like second nature. I hardly recall using the adjective ‘supernatural’ to describe them. It all seemed to integrate with our physical world. Hence, my desire to share about holistic health and healing rather than just one area.
A fascinating way to put my stance is offered by Italian physicist Massimo Citro.
“It is revolutionary in the history of human thinking to imagine that the world is not built with solid bricks, but rather with vibration, energy”.
“The Basic Code of the Universe: The Science of the Invisible in Physics, Medicine, and Spirituality.
Why does spirituality matter? Well, because it is a way to connect with something bigger than us, in an attempt to find a sense of purpose, meaning, and alignment.
Of course, it doesn’t happen overnight: that is why it is important to stay consistent while keeping an open mind. As we embrace a practice – or more than one over time – we will notice changes, subtle or more visible, in our attitude, thoughts, and behaviors. Life changes accordingly.
You will grasp how really not separate mind & body are. That is the power of holistic health and healing done right.
Therein lies the beauty of this work, of holistic health and healing processes. The physical, mental, and spiritual levels intersect, so the more we let them dialogue with one another, the smoother our journey will be.
A final note.
I hope you found this overview helpful. Think of it as a map to both Quietly Mary and a guideline to your personal growth to and through your holistic health and healing journey.
As an introvert, you need somewhat more specific knowledge to integrate the ways in which you face life.
Starting with childhood conditioning, which is an actual theme that is getting more and more recognition. It affects who we become as adults so deeply that its effects sometimes take on the form ‘trauma’ for some people.
Spirituality, or the incredibly ample space of energy work, lets us quench our introverted thirst for knowledge while offering incredible tools for a more peaceful, empowered life.
Remember: you matter, your needs are valid, your right to happiness is legitimate.
