Journaling
When we write things down, we transform the mental and emotional into the physical. When we put words to our thoughts and place them outside of our minds and into the world, they become real. A huge part of the mental liberation journey is taking that which is unseen, or stuck in the mental realm, and daring to make it seen. One of the most concrete ways of making the unseen seen is developing a journal practice.
Most people assume that journaling is just reviewing everything that happened to you that day, as if you were writing an autobiography. In my opinion, while this style of journaling can be rewarding, it is not sufficient when we are trying to do deep healing and repatterning work. This is because writing in this manner is too linear, and healing is hardly linear. When we force our writing style to look like that of an autobiography, we lose touch with our flow. As opposed to documenting, I encourage an outpouring.
Stream of consciousness, spilling onto the page. Words are not even needed. Much of the time, I find that drawing or doodling a picture can better communicate what we are trying to express. It doesn’t matter if it’s abstract, or even intelligible. What matters is unbridled self-expression.
For those who find writing challenging, or prefer to talk things out, I also encourage using audio recordings. It’s useful to take responsibility for our need to talk things out, so that when we doing deep healing and repatterning work, we are not accidentally unloading and overburdening our loved ones. This is not to discourage the important role that sharing and communication have in relationships with others, but rather to encourage one’s relationship with self.
Have an honest conversation with yourself. Talk it out with yourself. Don’t restrict yourself to telling a linear story. Bounce around, don’t bother tying up loose ends, don’t worry about being understood by someone else or explaining yourself. Just express. Just as your body needs to sweat, or cry, to release stuck energy, your body uses language and verbalizations (i.e., moans, singing, sighs, etc.) to release. Journaling is not just an exercise in writing, it’s a time to release without judgment.
© 2023 Krystal H. Parrish, PhD. All Rights Reserved.
