Have you ever done a cleanse and felt worse during the initial phase?
A cleanse is good for you, right? Then, why would you feel crappy and lethargic when you’re providing your body with good nutrition? Why would you feel bad when you are removing foods and drinks that create stress on your body?
This phenomenon is called a healing crisis. As your body is cleansing and purifying, it is also excreting waste and toxins from organs and tissue.
Is this a bad thing…? Absolutely NOT. This is part of expressing optimal health. In my professional experience I would say this occurrence is the biggest hindrance to an individual's healing process. In our culture we have such an aversion to pain and/or sickness like symptoms. However, when you’re coming from the perspective of growth, healing and repair, the scope is significantly different.
*When we experience discomfort, then we should stop doing the thing that created the discomfort in the first place*
This psychology makes sense only when it is a known toxin and/or unhealthy action producing the outcome (i.e. drugs, cutting). However, most times we aren’t appropriately evaluating these expressions openly and honestly. Rather, we become reactionary… meaning, we have a response that we don’t like or that doesn’t “feel good” and instead of assessing our actions and choices, we without hesitation, go in the opposite direction.
Take the example of drug recovery, when an individual is cleansing their body of the abused drug they will experience some deeply intense discomfort and symptoms. There’s physical, emotional, and mental withdrawal. Healing is a multilayered experience. Imagine if they turned the opposite direction as soon as the sweats began, or the extreme muscle/joint pain set in.
Imagine if instead of reacting, we asked theses questions of ourselves...
How is this serving me in all facets of my health and well-being?
Is this discomfort temporary?
Is this pain making room for a higher level of health (expression)?
Take a moment to assess the actions and choices and consider the fact that your physical and emotional bodies may be purging to make space for optimal expression. Pain doesn’t always lead to suffering, instead, most times it is intended to be a temporary passage (a bridge) to something different.
There are many additional resources to offer support during a healing crisis. If you aren’t sure if what you’re experiencing is “good” or “bad” I highly recommend you reach out to the professional you’re working with for more information and feedback. It’s not necessary to go at it alone and/or misinformed. Asking for guidance and support is appropriate. As a professional I truly value this part of the work, because assisting individuals in obtaining optimal results is my passion; however, if I don't know what they're experiencing then I can't provide them with recommendations and/or feedback.
*The power that made the body, heals the body*
I encourage all to be kind, consistent, persistent, and indefinitely patient with your body. Then have faith that it will all pay off in the end.
Namaste.
A cleanse is good for you, right? Then, why would you feel crappy and lethargic when you’re providing your body with good nutrition? Why would you feel bad when you are removing foods and drinks that create stress on your body?
This phenomenon is called a healing crisis. As your body is cleansing and purifying, it is also excreting waste and toxins from organs and tissue.
Is this a bad thing…? Absolutely NOT. This is part of expressing optimal health. In my professional experience I would say this occurrence is the biggest hindrance to an individual's healing process. In our culture we have such an aversion to pain and/or sickness like symptoms. However, when you’re coming from the perspective of growth, healing and repair, the scope is significantly different.
*When we experience discomfort, then we should stop doing the thing that created the discomfort in the first place*
This psychology makes sense only when it is a known toxin and/or unhealthy action producing the outcome (i.e. drugs, cutting). However, most times we aren’t appropriately evaluating these expressions openly and honestly. Rather, we become reactionary… meaning, we have a response that we don’t like or that doesn’t “feel good” and instead of assessing our actions and choices, we without hesitation, go in the opposite direction.
Take the example of drug recovery, when an individual is cleansing their body of the abused drug they will experience some deeply intense discomfort and symptoms. There’s physical, emotional, and mental withdrawal. Healing is a multilayered experience. Imagine if they turned the opposite direction as soon as the sweats began, or the extreme muscle/joint pain set in.
Imagine if instead of reacting, we asked theses questions of ourselves...
How is this serving me in all facets of my health and well-being?
Is this discomfort temporary?
Is this pain making room for a higher level of health (expression)?
Take a moment to assess the actions and choices and consider the fact that your physical and emotional bodies may be purging to make space for optimal expression. Pain doesn’t always lead to suffering, instead, most times it is intended to be a temporary passage (a bridge) to something different.
There are many additional resources to offer support during a healing crisis. If you aren’t sure if what you’re experiencing is “good” or “bad” I highly recommend you reach out to the professional you’re working with for more information and feedback. It’s not necessary to go at it alone and/or misinformed. Asking for guidance and support is appropriate. As a professional I truly value this part of the work, because assisting individuals in obtaining optimal results is my passion; however, if I don't know what they're experiencing then I can't provide them with recommendations and/or feedback.
*The power that made the body, heals the body*
I encourage all to be kind, consistent, persistent, and indefinitely patient with your body. Then have faith that it will all pay off in the end.
Namaste.
RSS Feed