How can you begin to heal the past?

Healing the past opens you up to fully embracing the present. If you truly want to live in the present, you must first heal the past. You cannot fully embrace the new without fully releasing the old. As you release and heal the past, you'll begin to experience the ability to be more present. Being more present allows you to feel more joy and gratitude.

Healing the past requires a transformation that is not meant to be easy. It’s the death of your old self and the birth of the renewed self. It requires the courage to go deep into your pain and recognize the root cause. In the process you must be willing to navigate through the anguish, fear, and programming that was created. As you heal each layer of pain, you’ll begin to experience the calming of the once burdened soul.

Healing the past can seem like a never-ending process. It's important to stop reliving the trauma, but how? To heal from trauma, it is vital to identify what's causing you pain and find a way to heal.

How can you begin to heal your past?

1. Seek a trauma specialist who has the ability to help you identify and heal past wounds such as: childhood trauma, abuse, neglect and grief. A trauma specialist is trained in helping you find relief from life's most painful experiences. With the help of a trauma specialist, you’ll be able to gentle travel back to your traumatic memories and change your perception of them. Shifting your perspective on the painful event will change how you feel. This desensitizes the emotional charge in the memories that can feel intense when reminded of the trauma. Any negative emotion you were feeling transforms into positive emotions enabling healing your brain and nervous system.

2. Identify your limiting beliefs and thoughts that are holding you back in life. They can be negative thoughts that create a self-fulfilling prophecy, or limiting beliefs that are based on past experiences and expectations. Our subconscious has files and files of information created by all of our experiences, whether painful or joyful. When you bring to your awareness any limiting beliefs and negative thoughts, you shed light on them. Being aware of them helps you change them. As they arise, you’ll have the ability to challenge them and shift them to more positive ones.

3. Trauma can be a master teacher! If you allow yourself to see what the pain is trying to reveal to you, you’ll become more accepting of the painful experiences. The quickest and most profound ways to grow is through pain. It builds our character by making you stronger, wiser, and more resilient. If you look carefully at the painful experiences, there are many valuable nuggets to take away. Having parents that neglect you, can make you more independent. Surviving abusive relationships can lead to learning to love and respect yourself. Toxic work environments and bosses can motivate you to feel deserving of a healthier work situation. There is a purpose in your pain if you look close enough.

4. Forgive those who have hurt you. Holding on to resentment only hurts you! It’s a poison that can eventually make you mentally and physically ill. Forgiveness doesn’t mean you justify the hurtful behavior; it means you free yourself from resentment. Most of the time people aren’t even aware of how they hurt others. They might be consumed in their own pain and don’t know how to process it. Having compassion for the pain that they might be carrying can help you release the hurt they caused you. Remember forgiveness is not to benefit them, but to free you.

5. Most import; love yourself! When you love yourself, you’ll want to let go of the past and move forward with your life. You won’t want to continue to carry the heavy burden of pain. You’ll want to enjoy your life and be fully present to your current experiences. Loving yourself is a continuous journey that takes intentional effort and self-care. Taking care of yourself, mind, body, and soul needs to be a priority. In order to give to others, we need to first give to ourselves. When your love tank is full, then you’ll give from a genuine heart. Giving from a place where you are not depleted, is the best form of giving. Not only will you feel more at peace with yourself; you’ll be inspired to be more present with each person you encounter.

Keep in mind that healing is a lifelong journey that requires patience. Be kind to yourself and give yourself grace as you work through your trauma. Pace yourself and take breaks in between if you feel overwhelmed. Most import, don’t give up! Healing takes time, but it’s worth your inner peace.