A Holistic Understanding of Anxiety
The Aspen Tree. The flower essence made from these catkins is Dr. Bach's prescription for generalized anxiety.
Next week I will be presenting a workshop on the nature of anxiety as it is understood through holistic medicine and will be discussing all natural ways that we can heal. In anticipation, I'd like to share some of the ideas I'll be discussing during the workshop.
The experience of anxiety generally involves the presence of fear. Often the fear is arising from mysterious sources that, while sometimes provoked by the outside environment, are largely a result of the internal space we inhabit. When we fear, we are disconnected from the true reality of being, which is love. Although it seems simplistic, when we do not resonate with the vibration of love, we are resonating with the vibration of fear.
Allopathic medicine has suggested that anxiety is a physiological malfunction, a chemical imbalance in the brain. The allopathic treatment for anxiety involves the taking of medication that physiologically re-stabilizes the chemical messages in the brain. Unfortunately, like many other allopathic treatments, these medications simply serve to suppress symptoms and do not work with the root cause of the problem. No true healing comes of this, although the relief it provides may allow for some positive changes to be made in order for the true healing cycle to begin.
The human experience is complex and involves several dimensions of being. Although we primarily engage with the physically manifest world, we are also connected to subtler worlds of being that inform our emotional, mental and spiritual lives. A simple division of the phenomena can help us to understand anxiety better; one that breaks down the human being into a body, personality, soul, and spirit.
The personality is formed form our myriad experiences throughout life. It is the interface between the internal world and the external world. It is seated in the mind and not only receives information about our external environment but also projects various thoughts and emotions that colour our understanding of that environment based on past experiences and how they have affected our relationship to love. If we have positive experiences in our lives (especially important throughout infancy and childhood, it will be easier for us to connect to the vibration of love because it is familiar. If we have negative experiences, our mind will likely create narratives around the experience of external reality that reflect our early conditioning and what it informed us about the nature of love. Being abused or treated unkindly creates a psychology that is seeking to protect us and produces emotional responses that may be more connected to the narrative we have created for ourselves as a result of early traumas rather than the present experience of what we are living. This whole process of intake/output or absorption/projection occurring between the internal and external worlds is the work of the personality.
Enter anxiety. Something about how we are understanding our environment and what actually surrounds us is discordant. We feel disconnected, unsafe, ungrounded, afraid, unsure, unsupported, unloved and isolated. But what are we disconnected from, internally?
There is a part of us that is forever connected to the creative entity that brought forth all life. That is our spirit. Our connection to spirit happens through the soul. The soul is seated in the heart, the part of our being that connects us to the infinite waters of life. The soul knows our true purpose and knows we are guided and protected by the Divine. The soul recognizes the fabric of reality as being love. But when we have experienced many traumas and difficulties in life, our personalities have shaped our personal narratives in a way that impedes the full expression of our soul. The voice of the heart is gentle and subtle compared to the voice of the mind, which creates illusions and fears that override the message of the soul. When we become disconnected from this part of ourselves, it is easy for fears and doubts to enter our daily lives.
Seen in this light, anxiety is a product of the personality and the beliefs we have adopted about ourselves and about life because of what we have experienced. Anxiety is the discord between the personality life and the soul life, revealing that we have some work to do in reconnecting with our true selves and the true reality of life, which is love.
Anxiety is a calling out to step into a new way of being, one that honours a new set of beliefs. It calls out for growth, for healing, and for a greater expression of our soul. Sometimes to heal ourselves we have to radically alter the way we interact with life. Often anxiety is a mystery, but most of us know the sources of our unhappiness in life. Anxiety can be a reflection of our resistance towards making changes we know we have to make. It calls us to be more courageous, more aware, more in line with love. We may be asked to leave jobs or relationships that are no longer serving our greatest good. We may be asked to begin a spiritual practice that honours our need for personal growth. In all cases we are facing old, unresolved emotions that have created beliefs that are in turn affecting our approach to and understanding of life.
Understand that anxiety is an invitation to transformation. If the work is done in realigning our beliefs and processing old emotions, a reconnection takes place, wherein we revisit the light of the soul and its connection to love. Self-knowledge, spiritual practice, and assisted healing are invaluable tools to this process, ultimately known as the evolution of consciousness. Reconnecting with our soul allows us to live out our life's purpose and express the light that is always within us. This is a journey of becoming, and should be honoured rather than suppressed in favour of comfort.
In my workshop I will reveal the details of this healing process using the astrology wheel and chakra points, as well as discussing all natural tools at our disposal to facilitate our personal journeys of reconnection. Find out what I call the three keys to wellness and come with your questions, as there will be a Q&A period following the presentation.
Don't miss out! Tickets available here.