Hello friend,
How’s your breath? How’s your heart?
A few weeks ago I posted a note (it’s like a tweet, but on the substack app) that seemed to resonate with people. If you haven’t seen it, maybe it will resonate with you, too:
What struck me the most is that so many of you shared similar stories about your own experiences with mental health practitioners and doctors that left you feeling unseen, small, and unimportant.
Our healthcare system is broken…this isn’t new news. So many of us have had to fight and claw our way back to health and well-being. We’ve had to take matters into our own hands and figure out what works and what doesn’t work. Some of us have explored alternative medicines and more integrative ways of approaching our health. We’ve had to deal with medical gaslighting, shame, and fear-mongering from every. single. direction.
I don’t often talk about my first Masters degree in Integrative health, which I graduated from in 2017 when I was 25 years old. Although I bring much of that embodied knowledge into the therapy room, I wouldn’t call myself an integrative health practitioner now. I worked as a health coach for several years before realizing that it wasn’t for me; I wanted to go deeper into the “why” with people instead of focusing on treatment plans and behavior change. (Hint: you can’t change your behavior in any sustainable, long-term way unless you understand where and why it’s there in the first place). So I pursued a degree in counseling.
Integrative health is an approach to healthcare that combines conventional medical treatments with more complementary and alternative modalities to address the physical, mental, emotional, social, and spiritual aspects of health. It’s an holistic approach that aims to treat the whole person, rather than just focusing on specific symptoms, diseases, or areas of the body. To go even further, the goal of Integrative Health isn’t just to manage symptoms as our modern healthcare system does, but instead to try and optimize health, prevent illness, and manage disease in a truly personalized way for each individual.
One of the key principles of Integrative Health is collaboration, between both patient and practitioner, and amongst other practitioners. We often only hear “it takes a village” when referring to raising a child; Integrative Health reminds us that it takes a village to heal our Selves, too. We cannot presume that one therapist or doctor will support us completely and wholly. Instead it is the team that surrounds you that is the most effective approach.
I remember when I was in graduate school we got to witness a “healing circle.” This is when multiple practitioners bring their unique skillset and knowledge to the table and come together to discuss a patient and collaborate on a treatment plan. I don’t remember the details of the patient’s presenting problems, but I do remember it was a serious case with many complex layers and symptoms.
What has stayed with me was the pure and selfless care and consideration these practitioners brought to this circle. Seeing the allopathic medical doctor listen intently and respectfully to the Indigenous shaman’s perspective, who listened with great care to the Chinese medicine doctor, who listened wholeheartedly to the psychotherapist, and on and on. There was no one “best” or “right” way. All of these practitioners left their egos at the door, and met this patient with one intention: to bring their unique gifts forward to help them heal.
Integrative Health requires us to look from all angles and hold our Selves as one whole, complex system. It asks us to get curious about how our lifestyle choices and relationships affect our mental and physical health, and vice versa. It invites us to create our own village of cheerleaders and elders and mentors and practitioners who will support us on our path. It reminds us that healing doesn’t just happen when we take medication or do a detox or go into a therapy room, but rather that is is happening right here, in this moment.
If you embodied the belief that healing is happening for you in each moment, how might you operate differently in your life?
I’d love to hear your answers in the comments.
I’ll meet you there,
The part who sees the possibility for healing in each moment
“Wish you were here” Card (Eliza’s version)
I’ve received requests to share more pictures of my time so far in beautiful British Columbia. I just got back from a 4-day camping trip at a friend of a friend’s 103-acre property on Vancouver island. The tepee I have pictured below was an incredible ceremony space where each of us shared our unique gifts. I of course shared kundalini and breathwork, others shared dance, meditations, cacao, and more. It was simply…magical.
Other photos are from a few hikes; the one with the big granite rock in the forefront is the top of a hike called The Chief - a famous hike in Squamish, BC. If you’ve seen the documentary “The Alpinist” , you will have seen the face of the Chief famous for it’s rock climbing. Fortunately there’s a hiking trail around the back that requires no technical skill :)
In short, I wish you all were here. I’m dreaming up more ways in which we can all be in deeper community with one another, sharing and connecting so that our unique voices can be heard. In the meantime, I hope you’ll join us for this upcoming 15 day practice, beginning Wednesday, July 17th. The theme will be Grounded Joy. We get on zoom live every morning at 8am CST for 30 minutes of guided movement and breath practice. (I send out the recording right after in case you can’t make the live). It’s a beautiful way to stay connected to Self in the midst of summer fun and play. You can join us by becoming a paid subscriber below.
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It definitely took a village (and over a decade) to put my autoimmune disease into remission. That village included (at different times) a GP, acupuncturist, holistic doctor, naturopath, somatic psychologist, ayurvedic therapist, and a number of yoga teachers. I love this idea of a healing circle, where they all could come together, without hierarchy or competition, and recognise that each may hold an important piece of the puzzle (with, of course, the patient's own wisdom and self-ownership at the centre) ❤
I love this approach to health! The healing circle - wow! It makes SO much sense. I wish this was the norm for how we approached healthcare in our culture.
And also thank you for the prompt. Gosh. If I felt that healing was happening in each moment I’d feel so much more calm, and safe. I could let go of striving, of always trying to be better and improve myself. Of having trust. And also humility. I will take this into my day x