Sweetness in Shadows: What Healing Can Teach Us If We Let It
By Lauren Renee Dyer
DAC, LAC, MSA
Beyond the fog & dragons…
Way back before I decided to become an Acupuncturist, my health was far from where I wanted them to be.
In college I suffered from chronic migraines that coincided with depression which lead me to Acupuncture and be mentored through my healing process for the first time. I remember how all I wanted was to feel at home in myself—in my body. So when I decided that it was time to feel better (whatever that looked like), that I was worthy of a different life and feeling better—that was the when my healing process began.
“Realizing a shift is needed, even when you are not sure of all of the steps, is progress.
You’ve awakened.”
How do you answer your body’s call to change?
From my experience, I am a firm believer that healing is not something that happens to you, but something you choose for yourself.
It’s a continuous act of conscious transformation. By consistently showing up for yourself, allowing the full expression of your emotions and shadows along the way—or even just having a willingness to recognize them for what they are—you might find yourself on a path of least resistance.
How do you answer the call to change? Like a smoke detector, do you ignore the chirping or take out the batteries?
And if a fire happens? Then what…
Healing is a process, not a destination.
“I am a firm believer that healing is not something that happens to you, but something you choose for yourself. ”
You might have have heard the phrase “healing is not linear.” In our fast past world of instant gratification and reciprocal returns (equal input results in equal output), I at least found that healing doesn’t quite work that way.
Regardless, it often starts with a call to change.
There will be milestones, but it is a process—an ongoing one—of shedding and adopting.
Shedding the habits, coping mechanisms, conditioned beliefs, unconscious reactions, weight of the past, people, negative narratives, substances, you name it.
Adopting new habits, mindful awareness, self-care practices, therapies, and tools that resonate with you to help you return to yourself.
If you: have made the decision to heal in some way, are “doing the work” but getting nowhere, or feel painfully stuck in a set-back or downward spiral, I wrote this for you.
It’s an analogy for healing that I hope brings you some sense of direction and trust for wherever you are in your process.
Here it goes…
Healing is kind of like walking over a tight-rope or suspension bridge. Not the Golden Gate, but bear with me..
Deciding you deserve to get to the other side while taking the first steps to make it happen is one of the kindest, bravest choices you can make—even if you can't see it.⠀
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When you start out, it might feel wobbly.
You'll want to turn back and maybe you do...but your “why” comes into focus, nudging you to get out there and try again.⠀
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This time you step out a little further.
As you do, you learn more about how capable you are, how you can calm and overcome the parts of you saying you couldn't come this far.
Well guess what? You already have. ⠀⠀⠀
Change is gently underway. ⠀
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You are committed to your process: you are making new habits, speaking your truth, asking for help, adopting new tools to your wellness kit, keeping promises to yourself... You are, my friend, “doing the work.” You start to feel better, and it seems like you've got this handled.⠀
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But as you reach the middle of the bridge (your path) you sink. Things just got a whole lot steeper. As gravity will have it, this is figuratively when it feels like you have reached a new low. What are your options?⠀
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I’ve learned (and am always *re-learning*) that self-compassion, forgiveness, and trying to not assign a verdict to those moments goes a long way. Allowing yourself to *feel* every emotion does not mean that those emotions are your identity. Emotions are energy that seek externalized expression. By allowing them to come forward, they do not become trapped, forcing us to carry them (consciously or subconsciously) later. It’s all information.
To truly let go (or move forward) means letting yourself feel deeply first.
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The way I see it, when you keep showing up for yourself and tuning into what is causing your body or soul a sense of dis-ease, the easier getting to the other side becomes. You are no longer swaying in the wind, gripping harder to control. You soften and things become more stable.
Life is more aligned.
You can finally feel at home in your body.⠀
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Of course, your process will look and feel different from others. It's situational, messy, rarely linear, ever-evolving, but hopefully rewarding. I share this from my own experiences so you know that, no matter where you are on your bridge:
I see you, I’m here for you, and I’m rooting for you.
Just keep going. ⠀
Behind The Blog
HI, I’M LAUREN FAVREAU.
I am the Co-Founder and Doctor of Acupuncture (DAC) here at Rune in New Gloucester, Maine. I specialize in providing care for Chronic Pain Relief as well as Mental/Emotional Health.
In Traditional Chinese Medicine, these are areas that not only directly reflect one another, but are close to my heart from when I was a patient of this medicine before I was a practitioner. I am passionate about guiding others to live a more embodied and vibrant life by becoming their own healer and their body’s best advocate.
If you would like to learn more about Acupuncture, my care, and other topics like this one, feel free to explore our The Journal as well as our Instagram (@runeacupuncture) for more insights.
DISCLAIMER: This information is intended for self-reflection and to motivate readers to make their own health decisions after consulting with their health care provider. Please consult a doctor or other appropriate licensed healthcare professional before making any lifestyle or health changes.
The information on this blog and website are not intended to replace a one-on-one relationship with a qualified health care professional and is not intended as medical advice.