Healing is a journey.
Many times I sit here and think: “What am I actually healing from? I had a wonderful childhood, I am privileged, I have a wonderful apartment, two sweet cats, lots of amazing experiences. Why the heck do I need to heal?”
It all becomes clear when we look at the etymology of the word “heal”. The word derives from the Old English word “hælþ” which means “wholeness, a being whole, sound or well”. Looking at its Old Norse origin “helge” it means “holy, sacred”. So I dare to say that everybody having set foot on this earth in a physical body is on a healing journey. A journey towards this home that we are all longing for.
Do you feel whole?
Do you see yourself as a complete, wonderful and truly precious being?
Or do you feel like there’s some part missing?
I think of human beings as circles. Everyone is a wonderful, complete and precious circle. We are only expanding, widening this circle (there’s a beautiful Rainer Maria Rilke poem about this topic, you can read it here). As we grow from the inside out, we enfold our blossom until we raise our heads towards the sun. We are little seeds, little starseeds that are planted into the loving arms of Mother Earth (Find more writings on this here). Sometimes we are impatient and want to break through the ground in winter, although it is still icy. In this case we will need much more effort, only to experience the freezing cold on our bare and still vulnerable skin. If we are flowing with the rhythm of the universe, we might still catch the occasional frost although our buds have already opened. At least we are strong enough to withstand the cold until spring comes and rewards us for our persistence.
The human body works in circles, we have blood circulation, our breath functions in circles, women have a menstrual cycle, we also speak of the circle of life. Many times in our human lives we are dying and reborn again. During teenage years and later, for women around the menopause, our bodies undergo a complete reset. Day and night follow a circular pattern, the moon ebbs and flows in a beautiful circular dance.
Harry Chapin wrote a very fitting song about this and as I couldn’t say it any better I am leaving his words here for you now.
All my life’s a circle
Sunrise and sundown
The moon rolls through the nighttime
Till the day break comes around
All my life’s a circle
But I can’t tell you why
The seasons spinning round again
The years keep rolling by
It seems like I’ve been here before
I can’t remember when
But I’ve got this funny feeling
That I’ll be back once again
There’s no straight lines make up my life
And all my roads have bends
There’s no clear-cut beginnings
And so far no dead-ends
All my life’s a circle
Sunrise and sundown
The moon rolls through the nighttime
Till the day break comes around
All my life’s a circle
But I can’t tell you why
The seasons spinning round again
The years keep rolling by
I’ve found you a thousand times
I guess you’ve done the same
But then we lose each other
It’s just like a children’s game
And as I see you here again
The thought runs through my mind
Our love is like a circle
Let’s go round one more time
When I work with my theater students we often come together in a circle. There is something about this feeling of team. King Arthur’s Round Table symbolizes in my opinion the human longing for Oneness. We aim for sitting in a circle as then nobody is above the other, there is no hierarchy. Everybody is the same, there are no leaders and followers, because there’s only one team. I dare to say that the cry for this kind of equality is nothing else than our internal infinite longing for the feeling of Oneness and home. Our attempt to reach equality with judgment actually defeats the purpose as it is categorizing experiences, behaviours and people in good and bad. Therefore we focus on separateness instead of oneness.
Just imagine us humans as circles. When we meet each other, we overlap for a while. The deeper we are connected to someone, the more we overlap. As we start to think of ourselves as full circles, there is no need to find the one puzzle piece that fits us. We know that we are already whole and just enjoy the pleasure of being with someone and spending time with someone. Those moments when we overlap with someone fully, we merge and experience the most magical feeling ever: oneness. Our souls all come from the same source, we are all one. We are all connected through this incredible Universe.
So next time we feel like we are going in circles we can just trust that our circles are indeed widening. Let us stop for a moment. Let us take a breath. Let us trust that this time we will approach things differently. Let us acknowledge that we have grown and are not the same person that we were a minute before. Let us embrace our wholeness and trust that there’s only expansion. Even if it feels like something inside us dies, there’s another seed planted that will grow a beautiful new flower.
Please feel free to leave your thoughts in the comments! Maybe you’d like to add to the tips below?
Thanks for reading!
Lots of love,
Sadhbh
4 tips for reaching towards the feeling of oneness:
Walking in nature. Watching the trees, flowers and animals on our way and recognizing the evidence of the circle of life. This helps us to not only feel more grounded but it will help to feel connected, too. Soon we shift our view and see the wonders of the universe.
Meditation. The word itself might evoke a resistance in us. If you are going in circles the last thing we are thinking of is sitting still. Yet, being still is the key to really tuning in into the feeling of oneness. A candle meditation is the easiest way to get into a meditative state. Just light a candle and stare at the flame until everything around you disappears. Feel the connection of your gaze with the flame. Feel the space around you. Breathe deeply and slowly in and out. Soon you will feel your muscles relax.
Gardening. There’s no better way to feel our connection to Mother Nature than with digging our hands into the clay. Feel the richness of the earth, when you take it in your hands. See the many types of life that are inherent in the earth. Cherish every creature and give thanks to the beautiful cycle of the seasons that is to be seen in your garden.
Watching birds and clouds. Seeing birds flying effortlessly through the sky always fills me with a sense of freedom and connectedness. I look at them and know that although they are far up in the sky, we share the same space.
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