Recently, I created an anonymous survey asking what I could help you with (you’re still welcome to let me know by clicking here.)

I was asked how I’ve dealt with heartache, betrayal, stress + emotional pain, and if there are any natural remedies for those who keep their pain locked up and can’t find peace.

The following are my favorite ways to deal with these feelings. These are important tools to have in your holistic health toolbox – managing stress & dealing with emotions are essential if you want vibrant health & happiness. It’s no secret that, if left unchecked, stress can cause all kinds of problems – aches & pains, breakouts, weight gain, stomach problems, countless illnesses…and the list goes on.

Tools + Techniques:

• eft (emotional freedom technique aka tapping / meridian tapping)

I’ve been impressed by how quickly eft works to help change thought patterns + clear things that I’ve been holding onto.

What is eft, you may ask? Emotional Freedom Technique is a method of tapping acupressure points on the body while making statements about things you’d like to change.  My favorite eft practitioners are Brad Yates and David Childerley – you can find Brads videos on his youtube channel (or check out his website for more),  and you can find David’s youtube channel here. If you do a quick search on youtube, you’ll most likely find that someone has made a tapping video for whatever ails you or for whatever positive change you’d like to make.

Tips:

○ Find a quiet, private place to do this. You may feel funny doing it at first but stick with it.

○ Try putting a little bit of lavender essential oil on a tissue and wiping your finger tips off before tapping. Lavender is one of the few oils you can use on your skin without a carrier oil – it’s anti-bacterial, (I believe it helps prevents the breakouts I’m prone to when touching my face) and will give you a soothing aromatherapy session in the process.

○ Rate what’s bothering you on a scale of 1 – 10 before you start

○ Tap along with the practitioner and repeat after them.

○ Check in with yourself once you’re finished and rate the issue again. Repeat the process until it’s bothering you less and less.

○ You may find that tapping for one issue brings another one to the surface. That’s a good thing – it’s giving you a chance to get to the root of the issue, and to let go of things you may not have been consciously aware of.  As I mentioned, a youtube search can lead you to a video for whatever else you want to work on (or you can create your own tapping sequence.)

(Click here for part two of this series where I share more tips for dealing with emotional pain / heartache and what to do when you’re feeling resistance around self-care.)

• Meditation

Meditation has helped me get through some of the toughest times in my life. It has been a refuge at times when everything around me felt completely chaotic. Be patient with yourself when just starting out – it gets easier to quiet your thoughts the more you do it. The trick is finding the best form of meditation for you. There are many great types of meditation, and one may speak to you more than the others. Experiment with binaural beats, pranayama or using mudras & mantras (Check out this post to learn about my favorite book on the subject). You can also find many great guided meditation videos on youtube. Grounding meditation has been my favorite method to get centered, protected, and clear of any negative energy I’ve been holding onto.

                                  Photo © Liz Davison, 2012

• Yoga

Yoga has given me more confidence and patience, and has allowed me to get centered, relieve stress, heal and open up my heart and let go of tension & emotions I’ve been holding onto in my body. If you’ve known me for any length of time you know how I feel about outdoor yoga.
Going to yoga classes outside takes away the intimidation factor of stepping into a studio if you’re just starting out. (Plus you get the added healing benefit of fresh air and vitamin D from the sun). I also love Rodney Yees dvds, especially A.M./ P.M Yoga which I’ve been enjoying for about 14 years now. It gives you a nice gentle stretch and is perfect for both beginners and more seasoned yogis.

• Journaling

I feel that there’s something magical that happens when a pen meets paper. Let your thoughts flow out and get it all down on the page without censoring yourself. It’s amazing how journaling can bring light to things in a way that just thinking about them can’t.

•  The Work of Byron Katie

This has been incredible for dealing with any feelings towards others or conflict of any kind.
You can do it for free by downloading worksheets on her website. Check out youtube for examples of others doing The Work, or check out Byron Katies books for more info.

To the lovely soul who asked the question on the survey: I hope you were able to find the tools you needed, and I hope you’ve found peace. Time heals all wounds, and these methods can help speed things along. Hopefully the info I’ve shared today has helped. Feel free to get in touch to let me know.

Do you use any of these techniques – or do you have another tool that has worked for you? Let me know in the comments section!

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