Throughout the years, since I became aware of the world of health, there was always some kind of hype about a certain system in the body being the main culprit causing either health or disease. At one stage it was all about balancing of hormones (“take this wonder mushroom and you will never age”), then it was all about gut health (“follow this regime and you will be happy and thin”), then it was the microbiome (“eat and use only organic substances or die”), now it is all about the nervous system (“have cold showers and breathe and you will be bright and calm”).

All these trends were and still are both right as well as wrong. Right because each system has a huge effect on health; wrong because it is never only one system functioning as a separate entity. We function as a whole and all the systems of the body are always aiming to keep the body healthy by trying to maintain homeostasis or balance. But oh gosh, we make it difficult by overloading either the digestive system by eating wrong or the urinary system by not drinking sufficient water or the nervous system by stressing and never resting deeply or the cardiovascular system by either not exercising or exercising too hard or the muscular system by sitting the entire day, etc. Every single thing we do has an effect on each part of the body and therefore our health. Fortunately, our bodies are amazing and are able to withstand severe abuse. We are a very finely tuned organism and react and adjust to our environment all the time.

But eventually we do get sick the moment we reach the tipping point where one and therefore more health systems get properly out of balance. Let me give you an example of how systems affect one another. I stress about work, not getting enough rest, my nervous system stays in constant fight / flight, my adrenal glands cannot cope any longer and the elevated levels of cortisol throw all the other hormones in disarray leading to chronic anxiety, depression and infertility. Furthermore, when in fight / flight the heart suffers, and the digestive system switches off causing at least constipation… And this is only the beginning. The domino effect is much longer and more painful causing ongoing suffering except when we take positive action and make healthy changes.

Now let us look at what happens during therapy. Today I am not talking about chemical drugs. Pills act quite aggressively and kill off infection or inflammation without your help. Of course there are side-effects, but that is another discussion.

The therapy I am talking about are the more subtle, gentle, energetic techniques which require your (the client’s) assistance. Examples of therapies are Reiki, yoga, massage, reflexology, body stress release, craniosacral therapy, sound healing, yoga nidra and other meditations, kinesiology, TRE (trauma and tension release exercises), etc. All of the above-mentioned therapies and many more aim to balance body, mind and emotions on an energetic level which means the healing takes place mainly (but not only) on the nervous system.

When one or two bodily systems are activated to function more optimally, the rest gratefully follows. Because we work on the nervous system and thinking and feeling is part of it, after healing we have the potential to change our behavior and make the newly formed neuro-pathways stronger. BUT and it is a big BUT, the body needs help to integrate the healing properly, because these therapies are powerful but subtle and the benefits can easily get lost again. Often though the shift is not so subtle, and one could have symptoms. With any shift or change the body will adapt and adjust physically, emotionally, and mentally and you will probably be aware of it. Often people will feel nauseous or phlegmy or even have diarrhea. Emotionally one could feel unsettled. Mentally your mind will go mad trying to figure out what’s wrong.  That is why integration time is so important after therapy.

So, what do you think will a body appreciate after therapy? Remember it would love to integrate the changes. How about something as simple as drinking water. Why? Water is necessary for electrical currents to flow. During therapy new, healthier neuropathways are formed. Always! If you don’t integrate those changes, you will very easily slip back into the very strong pathways of old habits of thinking and feeling. You need water to energize the new pathways.

What else?

Rest!! Take a nap. During sleep you will not be tempted to get back into thinking and feeling like this morning before therapy. The subconscious is using dreams to help you work through change creating balance. Help your subconscious by going to sleep.

Thirdly: Stillness. Create some me time, alone, to feel what the new you feels like. If you immediately get bombarded by the same noise as usual you will miss an opportunity to change permanently.

Then, in your quiet time become deeply aware. I once read a book by Anthony de Mello with the name Awareness. He said the only think you need to create lasting change and to become happy and content is through AWARENESS AWARENESS AWARENESS… Let us try a taste of it. Just for a minute sit back and become aware of aches, pains, and tightness in your muscles. Then become aware of any emotions and where they live in your body. Were you aware of all those sensations?

Good! You have just experienced embodiment. If you are truly embodied in your body instead of mind, you will make the right decisions about eating, drinking, thinking, doing, everything. Where did you feel your emotion or your pain? In your body, wasn’t it? How do you become aware of not liking someone or feeling danger somewhere? It all happens in the body. If you are more embodied you would also have a stronger gut feel, be more sure of what the next step is or what is good or bad for you, where and with whom you lose or gain energy. So, during the stillness after therapy, practice embodiment so that it can become a habit in your everyday life.

Then, honesty! The moment you are embodied become brutally honest with yourself. If you lose energy in someone’s company, have an exit plan. Find a new friend. Have the courage to be honest about why you eat too many chocolates. Any addiction has a reason. It is either an escape from feelings or a way to help you feel. Ask those questions and be honest about the answers. Therapy helps exposing those hidden reasons. That is why stillness after therapy is so important.

Then, the most difficult part is to apply and implement the new insights. You would want the healthy neural pathways to strengthen. That takes even more courage than honesty. Now you have to break up with a boyfriend or change jobs or start exercising or start eating healthier…

Take therapy seriously. Be courageous! Be invested in change! Do your part! And then you will become stronger, experience real change and be freed of limiting beliefs and uncontrolled emotions.

But never ever be hard on yourself. Never take yourself too seriously. After all, how important are we as individuals in the grand scheme of things? See this journey as a game to play, a game to play well. And enjoy it!