Nurturing Wellness through Radical Self-Care

Introduction for Self-Help Readers

An Excerpt

What motivated me to develop the Nurturing Wellness through Radical Self-Care program? The answer is easy. I know how wonderful it is to feel empowered, and I know how deeply you want to feel better than you do today. The four building blocks of this program – Radiant Energies Balance (REB), mindfulness, affirmations, and journaling – are easy to incorporate into daily life. Each of them provides access to our inner wisdom and highest potential. Together they become an enormous instrument to help you achieve your highest possible level of health and well-being.

At one time I was a teacher for educationally and emotionally challenged adolescents who were tired of the fight to achieve. Many were exhausted mentally and physically, and they experienced little hope of academic or social success. Most wrestled with high anxiety, fear of failure, low self-worth, and poor self-efficacy. Before my students could learn, the environment had to be calm, positive, compassionate, accepting, and designed to provide both encouragement and structure. I wanted all instructions to be properly sequenced, organized, and clearly stated to ensure a positive flow of easily digestible information. The information in my handouts needed to enhance each student’s ability to integrate the information while simultaneously strengthening their ability to use the content in action-oriented ways. The same educationally sound guidelines were applied when planning and writing this program for you. It is user friendly, self-empowering, positive, and leaves you in charge of the pace and the content of your individual program.

Some, maybe even many, who choose the Nurturing Wellness through Radical Self-Care program are emotionally and physically exhausted because of chronic anxiety and worry. Some have trouble focusing because of long-term stress, and others are fearful that this program is just another technique that won’t work. Some of you are trying to keep your head above water as you agonize about a loved one with an eating disorder, addiction, illness, or life-threatening condition. Some of you have a handicapped family member: a child, a spouse, a sibling, a parent. Some of you are trapped in a bad marriage or have family history that continues to rule your life. Because you want success that is obtained in a natural setting and in a natural way, this program is designed to provide instant hope to guide you steadily toward positive personal transformation. The daily Journal and the Self-Care First! pages are self-exploratory in nature and give you a convenient place to record your progress and insights.

The Nurturing Wellness through Radical Self-Care program was originally written for my clients with food issues and eating disorders. During the first trial group (2006) I realized there were far reaching benefits for everyone. The second trial group (2007) included individuals with fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, eating disorders, depression, chronic anxiety, panic disorder, grief, loss and trauma, and individuals from various 12-step recovery groups. Simply put, this program attracts people who want to feel healthier, happier, and more content with themselves and their lives.

The Philosophies of Nurturing Wellness through Radical Self-Care

Healing: An Excerpt

I have chosen to share a philosophy of healing that was defined for me a year or so ago during meditation. This new way of thinking is going to change your life and the life of those you love and cherish. You’ll change your self-talk and change the way you interact with members of your family when they are sick or suffering. It applies to the work you’ll encounter during your Nurturing Wellness through Radical Self-Care program. You’ll have some new things to consider as you choose your strategies for a positive life journey.

Every person alive is interested in the concepts of health and healing. Health determines the quality of your life. The word “healing,” the way we usually think of it (not the way we often use it), indicates a positive change taking place within our mind, body, emotions, and spirit – or within our family system. But, if we are not careful, the word “healing” can take on negative implications. I am asking you to raise your level of awareness.

Phrases such as, “this illness has been exhausting” reinforce the fact that your illness has lasted a long time and you’ve had to fight your way through it. “I am finally healing” might be said to mean, “I was so sick I thought I was going to die.” Our carelessly spoken words actually reinforce our suffering and support our current perception of suffering. They remind us of our emotional-physical struggle with illness, feeding our mind and body negative messages about the ability to heal. Each time you innocently say words similar to the statements above, you may be slowing your recovery in any current and all subsequent illnesses by declaring: “I’m a slow healer” and “illness threatens me.” The more positive we are, the more we pair positive words and concepts together. The more we pair positive words and concepts together, the healthier we become.

Healing is not about recovery from illness, surgery, or divorce. It is about our virtues, or the positive aspects of self: acceptance, wellness, joy, kindness, love, tenacity, vigor, tenderness, and compassion. When we embrace our virtues and incorporate their energy into our perception of life, we uncover our capacity for wholeness and wellness. Discovering and embracing our inner light, our potential, is the true spirit of healing. It is the realization of this empowered healing spirit, this limitless potential that I want to share with you.

The Philosophies of Nurturing Wellness through Radical Self-Care

Energy Psychology: An Excerpt

Energy Psychology is a group of comprehensive, brief and powerful mind-body mental health therapies that came into being in the mid 1980s. The first energy psychology, Thought Field Therapy (TFT), was developed by psychologist Roger Callahan, Ph.D. It led to the development of many of the methods you read about today, Gary Craig’s Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) being the most widely known and used. Radiant Energies Balance (REB), the technique we use in this book, is categorized as an energy psychology because it is a meridian-based method of relaxation and emotional release that is similar to TFT and EFT. Other energy psychologies like Advanced Integrative Therapy (AIT), developed by Asha Clinton, use the chakra system to help you obtain and maintain health and well-being.

REB is perfect for our use because it is a relaxation therapy, a release therapy, and an autonomic nervous system (ANS) balance. This means that while you are relaxing at a meditative level you are subtly balancing your ANS and letting go of stress, worry, life issues, and the various emotions that have been stuffed down and bottled up for years. You’ll learn more about the benefits of REB as you work toward building your cued relaxation response, which naturally occurs when you use the REB posture (introduced in Chapter 4).

Nurturing Wellness through Radical Self-Care suggests that you create a new habit of daily energetic self-care. Using the skills in this book gives you an opportunity to combine REB with meditation and affirmations. You’ll also learn to use an energy healing exercise that is easy, quick and effective; ultimately it will help you reach a heightened level of health and wellness.