Heal ThySelf | Papillon Huiles

Healing Thyself

As noted there are a number of energy healing modalities that you would be able to undertake on yourself. Other ways to ‘heal thyself’ as they may say, can be exercise, be it cardio, weight lifting and other more gentle practices like Yoga, Somatic stretching and dance!

Exercise

There is a lot of evidence to support the benefits of exercise, not just for the physical body but also for the mental health of everyone. Current research supports the use of physical exercise and yoga for increasing individual’s moods, concentration, academic success and confidence, alongside decreasing anxiety and depression.

Find an form of exercise that makes you feel good. This could be as simple as going for a walk, going for a run, or even lifting heavy weights or doing muscle toning/building exercises.

Somatic Stretching

Somatic stretching core aim is to release stress, trauma and discomfort held in the body through mindful movement and stretching. It does not involve pushing the body to move a certain way or extend yourself to the point of discomfort or unease, it is about gently releasing the tension through mild and slow movements.

A somatic yoga practice is more intuitive than a standard yoga class, which often asks you to move mechanically—flex this way, extend that way, stretch, hold, push. Somatics is about becoming more of an expert in yourself.

Yoga

Yoga is a ancient system that offers techniques, practices and wisdom to support both mental, physical and spiritual wellbeing. It offers a wide range of tools and practices to help a person achieve harmony and greater understanding of themselves and life. There are different forms of yoga that focus on different goals.

Examples include:

Hatha Yoga: a set of physical practices (inclusive of asana and pranayama) that aim to promote vitality and health. This is the most widely known type of yoga in the Western world.
Karma Yoga: living life in a manner where one strives to be of service to others and God.
Jnana Yoga: A practice that focuses on developing wisdom, knowledge, and understanding of the self and the nature of reality through meditation, self-reflection, and study.
Bhakti Yoga: the cultivation of love for the Supreme, or God.

Many people fear attending yoga classes due to a fear of being judged for their knowledge, flexibility, body type, outfit, ability level or that they will injury themselves. However, yoga can be for everyone, and true yogis are non-judgemental and open to encourage all to engage in this practice. Prior to attending a class, talk to the teacher to see if the style of class is right for you, if the environment is suitable and understand better what will fit you and your goals better.

Advocates of yoga note many benefits including cardiovascular, fitness levels, weight loss and maintenance and a overall better body image.

Dance

Dancing can be a form of exercise, releasing endorphins within your system. It can be a structured class, just turn some music on and dance.

There has been a movement over the last decade cause dance therapy, that uses dance and movement to further the physical, cognitive, social and cultural functioning of a person. IT can work with people to help improve their body image and self-esteem. It is founded on the idea that motion and emotion are interconnected. Therapists using this method combine elements of dance, movement systems, creative processes and other psychological theories to address specific needs of groups and/or individuals.

Dance within many cultures has a long history. Dance has been a fundamental to human life since the time of our earliest ancestors, with indigenous people both in America and Australia practising dance as a healing art since their earliest histories.