Tapping into Your Natural Healing Abilities
by Brandi Fleck
This is commentary on the nature of healing plus advice on how to heal yourself and recognize the natural flow of events that result from your healing process. We also explore how supporting your healing process can change the world.
I’ve been binging that show on Netflix called Atypical. Not only is it informative and highly entertaining, but I’m so happy to see a main character and other supporting characters who are on the autism spectrum.
No spoilers, but, Sam Gardner, the main character said this in season 4 and it has stuck with me:
“People only need three things to survive: water, food, and shelter… once people have those things, society exists to help them keep it.”
The reason this stuck out to me is because I think about society and the role of society in our lives a lot. There’s a lot about it that doesn’t work and there’s a lot about it that does work. And arguably, thriving rather than just surviving is a necessity for humans too.
Our society seems to have the power to choose who should keep what, and it’s not equitable or inclusive to all of humanity. That results in massive groups of people not thriving while some do.
I won’t pretend to completely understand how society works in the entire world for every culture - I can mainly speak specifics about that of the Western world where I’ve lived and worked in this lifetime - in the United States and the United Kingdom.
From my vantage point, life as a human right and for whom has arguably been the most controversial possession society protects or destroys as our human race has never been able to agree on all the details of what defines life and whether quality over quantity should be a priority. I can see how a topic this big would be difficult to agree on when making an agreement relies on the ability to align morals and ethics or compromise on them - man made codes that differ culturally and arguably change depending on how healed a culture or society is.
So, yes, while basic human needs must be met in order to climb the hierarchy of needs to reach human fulfillment and joy, I would argue that as a collective, we won’t be able to meet basic human needs for all, as a global society, until healing becomes a top priority.
In our present, we then enter a catch-22 of sorts because if society is perpetuating parts of what needs to be healed within us, how can we perpetuate better healing so society changes? So society heals too?
The answer is to start focusing on healing, despite the world circumstances. Call on whatever tools you need for support and get started.
This involves starting to heal yourself, in whatever way you need healing, and then helping others who need support becomes easier. It becomes second nature. Because once you’re healed, or used to embracing the healing process (because it’s continual) there is absolutely no reason you wouldn’t want others to heal too.
And for those who are having trouble meeting basic human needs and can’t even begin to think about more than securing your next meal or safe place to sleep without the threat of whatever is looming over you (whether the night sky or an abuser or covid), I’ve been there too - surviving as best as you can with the cards you’ve been dealt.
I promise it won’t be this way forever.
Do what you can to stay safe, and in time, circumstances will change. Nothing is permanent. Change is inevitable and constant and there is some comfort in that.
How to Know You Need Healing
What does it look like to be unhealed? What does that even mean, right? The answer can be found by answering a bunch of other questions:
Has someone ever told you you’re toxic? (They could be wrong, but do you feel toxic? Do you feel hurt?)
Or, do you keep getting into relationships that you believe are toxic?
Do you feel the negative outweighs the positive in your life?
Do you feel lethargic and scared most of the time?
Do you feel alone?
Do you feel targeted?
Do you target others?
Do you lash out at those you love?
Do you regularly feel rage and sometimes act on it?
Do you rely on violence to get things done?
Do you have anxiety?
Do you wonder why bad things keep happening to you?
Do you have unresolved past trauma?
Are you sad most of the time?
Do you have a lot of physical ailments?
Are you suffering for any reason?
This list isn’t exhaustive, but if you answered yes to any one of these questions, you are likely in need of some kind of healing.
The good news is, healing is possible. And while it takes time, and sometimes a lot of effort, it’s the key to improving your life and as a result, the world around you.
The Nature of Healing
Healing is constantly happening within you and is limitless. Healing cycles in different areas depending on what you need in the moment.
At times, healing can happen obviously, and other times, it’s subtle and you may not even be aware it’s happening within you and around you.
You can support or hinder your own healing process.
For instance, no one person is toxic. It’s not something you are forever and it’s not something that defines every part of who you are. But, as our bodies can fill with toxins that need to be detoxed, so can our minds, hearts, souls, and being.
When you think of it that way, you can see that healing isn’t linear. As a toxin comes in, it can be healed. And you can take measures to limit toxins that get in to strengthen your natural healing abilities moving forward as new toxins approach.
If you’re healing process has been hindered for a long time, it can seem as though healing is not automatic or constant. This is only because the healing process has been overwhelmed and can’t keep up with the barrage of assaults. That’s why it’s important to recognize what’s hindering healing and then take steps to support your healing process and alleviate some of the issues so your healing process can catch up and then get ahead.
Top Ten Human Amplified Podcast (formerly the On Being Human Podcast) Episodes on Healing
The reason I even decided to write this article is because last week, I was at the Williamson County School Board meeting that made local, national, and international news. I was there to protect the kids where Human Amplified is based - as were the vast majority of parents there, regardless of what side they were on.
There’s a disagreement about what “protect” means and what the most important thing to protect our kids from is. I won’t get into all those details, as I’m sure you know how maskers and anti-maskers and vaxxers and anti-vaxxers are arguing.
But, because I had been working tirelessly on communications and organization for this event, I didn’t have time to get a blog out that week. I put out a weekly newsletter on Fridays regardless - and newsletter probably isn’t the best word to describe it. Sometimes it has resources, discounts, advice, the latest podcast episodes and articles, but it always amplifies our humanity in some way. Since I didn’t have a blog post to include in it, this prompted me to dig through analytics to see what our ten most popular pieces of content are of all time, since we opened our virtual doors in 2018.
(Update Oct. 2023: I stopped doing the newsletter in 2022 after changing careers. If you want my new, monthly Self Healing Your Trauma newsletter, go here).
At first, the topics of each seemed unrelated and haphazard. But at closer inspection, I realized the common thread among every single top episode was healing.
Healing.
Of course it is.
Let’s back up a minute though.
One of the main themes that has come out of Human Amplified since the beginning has also been connection. People find our show because they’re literally searching for connection. And people who come on the show and guest blog for us oftentimes are looking for connection or define their own humanity in terms of connection.
So why is the common thread in our top-ten most popular episodes healing then?
Being unhealed causes disconnection. Being healed causes connection. And it’s obvious that our world is largely unhealed. The war, crime, hate, political agendas, fear, discord, aggression, greed, chronic pain, lack of joy - these things that seem to be just the sucky parts of being human that are just a fact of life - they all come from a human race that is largely unhealed. They don’t have to be facts of life. And life doesn’t have to bring fear and discord to everyone who lives it. That is the norm in our lifetimes, and those before us, but it doesn’t have to be.
In fact, we are at a point in the history of humanity where we can say we won’t stand for it. In order to do that, we need connection with each other because there is strength in numbers. And…
You need healing in order to reach true connection with other human beings. Whether you connect through healing or as a result of healing, they’re related in a big way.
We’ll dive deep into how you can get started moving forward in your healing journey in the rest of this article, so keep scrolling. But first, here’s the list of our top ten episodes to date that brought about the realization there’s a need.
Episode 006: Leaving a Toxic Relationship and the Metamorphosis That Came Afterwards
Episode 039: Stepping into Your Own Power Through Energy Healing
Episode 017: I'm Not Going Down Without a Fight - A Singer's Story of Dealing with Trauma
What is Healing
According to the dictionary, healing is the process of making or becoming sound or heathy again.
I would add that healing is also an ability of all types of life, a state of being, and it isn’t unique to humans.
Obvious forms of healing can look like everything from cellular regeneration and repair (think of that scrape on your elbow regrowing new skin and maybe scarring up) to grieving the loss of a loved one. (Source)
More subtle forms of healing range from forgiving others and yourself to communication and outlets for expression and emotion.
Healing is fueled by love - love of your body, love of your mind, love of your spirit, love of the Earth, love of animals, love of self, and love in general.
Love is the motivator to get up and take care of yourself and those around you.
Love is what you get in return when you take steps to heal.
Healing can occur at the individual, community, country, and world level.
4 Types of Healing You can access
Healing is far more complex than you might think at first. We typically think about physical health when you think of the word healing. But there are a ton of healing modalities that you’ve probably heard of but may or may not have connected with the process of healing.
I’ve listed several for you to consider below, and I describe them in my own words from experience, observation, and talking to healers and those who are actively healing.
The most important thing to keep in mind about healing is the different types don’t exist in a vacuum. They’re not mutually exclusive. They’re intertwined in our existence, build upon one another, and keep us going as a fully functioning human, regardless of what that looks like for each unique individual - various challenges and all.
Because of the interconnectedness of the different types of healing within your existence, if you are stunted in one area of healing, the other areas might try to make up for it, or other areas may become stunted too. It all depends on you and the decisions you make about your body, mind, and spirit.
And, because of the interconnectedness of our existence with other humans, one person’s healing often impacts another person’s healing.
Healing becomes holistic when you address each type together and based on their interconnection.
Physical Healing
This type of healing is anything healing related that has to do with the body. It can include activities such as exercise, rest, rejuvenation through various types of movement or spa treatments, even. Going to the gym and resting in between grueling workouts can also be related to healing. What you eat or don’t eat can contribute to physical healing. Physical healing can include taking medicine, going to the doctor (or several different types of doctors) to cure or treat a physical illness or condition.
Sometimes, we choose treatments that cause harm, but the good outweighs the harm done. So we also end up having to heal from the treatment. But, when life or death is in question, we must weigh the pros and cons to make decisions about our physical health.
Physical healing can become blocked or stunted through genetic conditions, trauma, misinformation, and also when you don’t listen to what your body needs.
Related: Episode 075: There’s More Fuel in the Tank than We Realize - Lessons About Human Transformation
Emotional Healing
Emotional healing is anything healing related to has to do with your emotions. It’s being able to deal with your emotions in healthy way, find outlets for them, experience them, acknowledge them, feel them, and release them in the healthiest way possible. Going with the flow of your emotions without being controlled by them is the best way to support emotional healing.
Emotional healing becomes blocked or stunted through emotional suppression, trauma, people pleasing, fear, and numbing or avoidance behaviors.
Forms of emotional healing can come through therapy, communication, being real with yourself and others, and allowing yourself and others to be who you and they truly are.
Related: Episode 068: See Them for Who They Are - Tips for Nurturing Relationships through Emotional Baggage
Mental Healing
Mental healing can be related to emotional healing, but it really includes anything healing related that has to do with your mind. It’s being able to think clearly and relate to others in a healthy and constructive way. It also includes adaptability and being able to handle change and find solutions.
Forms of mental healing include therapy, counseling, learning, puzzles, communication, and more. Mental healing can also be assisted with medicine at times.
Mental healing can become blocked or stunted through genetic conditions, stress, anxiety, trauma, poor physical health, and more.
Related: Episode 063: It’s Good to Talk About Who You Are - A Journey of Anger, Recovery, and Self Reflection
Spiritual, Soul, and Energy Healing
Spiritual, soul, and energy healing is anything related to your spirit, essence, purpose in life, and your connection to the divine.
It’s being able to exist freely and securely in your own source of love and is highly connected to your experience of life through karma, what you give and take, your vitality, your faith, your ability to learn lessons and transform them into something good, and even breaking cycles of generational karma - stopping cycles that your family or lineage have always been a part of, but it keeps you stuck.
Forms of spiritual, soul, or energy healing include reiki, massage, meditation, prayer, crystal work, aromatherapy, spending time in nature, herbs and foods, communication, and more.
This type of healing enables you to proceed differently from a situation than you would have in the past. The circumstances may not change, but your ability to react differently does.
Three of the biggest supporters of soul healing include compassion, empathy, and trust.
Related: Episode 039: Stepping into Your Own Power through Energy Healing
How to Heal Yourself
Determine the type(s) of healing you need and then take a step in that direction. If you determine there are a lot of areas in need of healing in your life, prioritize them based on what you want out of your life and then take a step in the direction of your highest priority first. Then, work your way through your priorities as you’re able in small chunks to avoid overwhelm.
Once you start healing one area, the others that follow will eventually start healing too as a result of taking action.
Ultimately, healing is an automatic process of being alive. But, your healing process can be overwhelmed and likely is.
So, part of working through your priority areas to heal could involve limiting toxins in that priority area so your natural healing process can occur (that is, setting boundaries in unhealthy relationships or starting to change your diet, for example). It could also look like supporting your natural healing process so it’s not as overwhelmed (that is, taking vitamins or seeing a therapist, for example). Likely, it’s a combination of all these actions and that combination will look different for everyone.
You can identify your own unique combination of needs, prioritize them, and identify the actions steps you need in this workbook I made to help you out. It’s free, so be sure to grab it.
Ways to Support Your Healing Process
Oftentimes, our society prizes money, wealth, and fame as the ultimate goal, even at the expense of our well-being as humans. Many things we do are built around money rather than our health. So, taking care of yourself is more important than ever.
One could argue that making money is a way to take care of yourself and your family, and while that’s true and we need money to get the things that help us take care of ourselves, like a roof over our head, food for our bellies, and transportation to get around, none of these necessities should be at the expense of your health in any form (physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, etc.)
If you don’t have your health, you can lose everything else. Especially in the U.S., our health is largely intertwined with the ability to make money, but striking a balance between the two is of the utmost importance.
Balance can be hard to come by, but if we prioritize it and demand it in our lives, the institutions that don’t support it will eventually have to get on board.
So, here are several ways to support your healing process and maintain, bolster, or preserve your health so that you have the energy and joy in your life to go get the rest.
Nourish Your Body
Nourishing your body not only supports physical healing, but when you choose to honor and nurture your body, it gives you the energy and vitality needed to support healing other areas of your life as well.
Suggestions for nourishing your body include:
Every morning when you wake up, ask your body what it needs, listen to the answer, and then give it what it needs
Stay hydrated
Eat healthy foods (this can be hard to do, but once you decrease processed foods, natural, whole foods start to taste so much better, I promise.)
Cook meals at home
Make healthier choices when you’re out
Limit alcohol and smoking
Take vitamins
Move your body, even if you don’t always want to
Tailor your home to an environment that feels like respite from the world or that energizes you, depending on what you need most to be your best
Sleep well
Go to good doctors and alternative health practitioners when you need them
You Might Also Like: Episode 046: Healing Beyond the Stigma with CBD
Nourish Your Mind
Nourishing your mind not only supports mental healing, but when you choose to honor and nurture your mind, it gives you the clarity and reason needed to support healing in other areas of your life as well.
Suggestions for nourishing your mind include:
Take mental health days when you need them
Turn off the news when you’re feeling overwhelmed
Read that novel you’ve been meaning to read
Write a letter to someone and be heard
Learn new things and/or create new experiences
Do a puzzle
Journal
Take different routes to usual destinations
Think of the good that happened today
Sleep well
You Might Also Like: A Guide to Hearing and Being Heard
Nourish Your SPIRIT
Nourishing your spirit not only supports energy, emotional, and soul healing, but when you choose to honor and nurture your spirit, it gives you the motivation and faith needed to support healing in other areas of your life as well.
Suggestions for nourishing your soul include:
Prioritize quality time in your important relationships
Prioritize me time too though
Ask questions
Make time for hobbies and activities you love
Paint a picture
Dance
Listen to music you love and find new music
Join a support group
Spend time at bodies of water and in nature
Laugh as much as possible
You Might Also Like: The Healing Power of Telling Your Story
What are some other ways you can think of to support your healing process? Drop them in the comments below so we can all benefit from unique perspectives!
Finding Your Healing Balance
I know time can be tight. It’s our most precious resource. So, find overlap in these activities if needed. For example, you can tie in cooking meals with prioritizing quality time in your important relationships simply by cooking with your kids or partner. Or, instead of watching TV together, get outside and play corn hole or frisbee with a friend so you’re moving your body and nurturing your friendship.
Efficiency is your friend.
Also, it’s okay to slow down.
Slow down.
By slowing down combined with finding efficiencies within your priorities, you’ll find that balance you’re looking for.
Holding Space for Yourself and Others
A trendy thing to say these days is to “hold space” for someone. It’s become a thing to say for good reason though - holding space is a great way to support healing.
In my experience, holding space simply means to allow feelings and being without judgement. It really just means being respectful of another human, no matter their situation or actions.
This applies to yourself and others. Every human is allowed to feel what they’re feeling and for their experiences to be valid, even if they’re vastly different than yours and even if their reality is vastly different from yours. That’s not to say you should allow their reality to become yours if it doesn’t resonate, but simply let yourself or another be without judgement.
This can be especially difficult when another person’s being involves taking action that may harm your own way of being.
So, know that holding space doesn’t mean letting someone hurt you either. It is okay to set boundaries and adapt to your surroundings to preserve your own life.
This means you aren’t meant to hold space for everyone, especially those who hurt you and overwhelm your own healing process. Everyone is also not meant to hold space for you.
But someone out there can hold space for those you can’t, just as someone out there can hold space for you when others can’t. That’s necessary for us all to become healed.
It’s a group effort where we each pick up the slack when and where needed in the way that our own life strengths and experiences allow.
This should be a given, but in our current chaotic and adrenalin-charged climate, it’s necessary to say: if you are unable to hold space for someone, the least you can do is also not harm them in any way.
Be respectful from a distance that keeps you both safe.
The Results of Healing
The results of healing are far reaching, even if you’re only focusing on yourself at the moment. Here are some things that happen with healing:
You start taking better care of yourself
You feel good physically
Your life starts changing for the better
Your relationships improve
You find connection
You start recognizing the unhealed in others and holding space for them
You start extending generosity and kindness to others - in other words, you share your healing with others
Others around you can see the benefits of healing from your example and start to heal too
You start taking better care of the Earth and animals
Your life becomes more balanced. Your karma becomes balanced. The nature of give and take in your life becomes balanced. You feel peace, and even when bad things still happen, you feel equipped to handle them and help others handle them.
What a great way to be human.
About the Author
Brandi Fleck is a writer, artist, and a recognized communications and interviewing expert. She is also an avid student of human nature who’s overcome past trauma and founder of Human Amplified, where she helps people embrace being their true selves so they can expand more fully into their own humanity without fear of being seen and heard. Brandi hosts the top-rated Human Amplified podcast (formerly the On Being Human podcast). READ MORE
