healing -

Everyone knows what it’s like to be ill, but who knows what it’s like to heal?

Having lived and seen it dozens and hundreds of times, healing is far from a smooth ride!

It’s confronting.

It means changing your life.

By definition, it’s something you don’t know yet.

It means taking a new direction.

It means leaving the roundabout.

I often say that it’s a bit like giving birth, which we imagine as a magical moment, which has been happening naturally since the dawn of time and whose stakes are worth the work, but what work! In reality, childbirth is a dangerous, painful moment that requires total loss of control and brings out our most animal instincts.

So why not compare healing to a suspension bridge in the jungle?

To begin with, let’s talk about the shore you’ve always lived on, which contains everything you love but also everything that makes you want more…

Often, it’s an acute illness, an accident or a major life event that triggers the rest…

Crossing the bridge easily takes between 9 months and 7 years…

It all depends on your stamina and confidence: it’s hard to take the plunge, it’s hard not to look over your shoulder, and it often takes too long!

Sometimes to the point of crisis, as we explain below! >>>

And finally the other shore, that of healing, but also of all our dreams, of ‘everything we’ll do one day when we have the time’ (or if something that deeply moves you can’t wait!), of new, unsuspected discoveries, of new knowledge, of a real, clear horizon, no longer dreamt of as before!

One day there comes that moment when you MUST be fed up enough to mobilise enough energy to change tack and really move forward… Or the scales finally tip out of your comfort zone…

Understanding the Healing Crisis: What Patients Need to Know

Healing is often imagined as a gentle and comforting journey, but in reality it can be difficult and even uncomfortable. A phenomenon known as the healing crisis illustrates this paradox.

Although it may seem counter-intuitive, a healing crisis is actually a positive sign that your body or mind is working hard to restore balance and health.

Below, we explain what a healing crisis is, why it happens and how to manage it.

What is a Healing Crisis?

A healing crisis refers to a temporary worsening of symptoms that occurs during the healing process. This can happen when your body or mind begins to release toxins or confront unresolved emotional issues. Symptoms may intensify before improving, leaving patients feeling temporarily worse before feeling better.

Healing crises are common in holistic practices such as detoxification, ayurveda, homeopathy, acupuncture, youth or emotional therapies.

They manifest as physical, emotional or psychological reactions that may mimic or amplify the original condition being treated.

Of the people who dare to go over the bridge, a healing crisis happens at one time or another to about 80% of people, it’s really normal and has always been known.

And the other 20%, you might ask?

These are the ‘wise ones’, people who have already reached a level of detachment, of acceptance of the impermanence of things, who allow themselves to be permeated by light and love without ever being afraid of lacking it, who understand and fully experience life as the dynamic balance that it is.

By the way, did you notice how this yin and yang symbol mimics that of the 2 ventricles of a heart?

In fact, it’s a bit like a ‘catch-up’ teenage crisis, and we all know how tempestuous teenage crises can be… but how important they are in the construction of your identity. It’s a pivotal moment, and yet one when you feel so misunderstood (and powerless!). You have to rely on time, and on what you’ve learned about managing your emotions beforehand…. Wait out the storm…

Symptoms of a Healing Crisis

The symptoms of a healing crisis vary widely depending on the individual and the underlying issues being addressed. Common manifestations include:

Physical Symptoms: Fatigue, headaches, muscle aches, nausea, diarrhoea, sweating, skin rashes or flu-like symptoms.
Emotional symptoms: Irritability, sadness, anger, crying spells or sudden emotional outbursts.
Digestive problems: Nausea, diarrhoea, changes in appetite.
Mental symptoms: Difficulty concentrating, mental fog, vivid dreams.

These symptoms generally last from a few hours to several days, but may occasionally persist for longer depending on the severity of the underlying imbalance.

Why does a Healing Crisis occur?

A Healing Crisis occurs because your body or mind is actively working to purge toxins or confront repressed emotions. For example:

Physical detoxification: When toxins stored in fat cells are released into the bloodstream during detoxification or cleansing processes, they can temporarily overwhelm your system. This can lead to inflammation or discomfort.
Emotional Release: Emotional therapies can stir up unresolved feelings such as grief or anger that have been buried over time. These emotions surface as part of the healing process.

Managing a Healing Crisis

Experiencing a healing crisis can be overwhelming. Here are some strategies to help you manage it effectively:

1. Stay hydrated

Drinking plenty of water supports your body’s natural detoxification pathways. Citrus green tea, herbal teas (lemon balm, boldo, etc.) and lemon water can also help.

2. Rest and recharge

Listen to your body’s needs – prioritise rest and avoid overwork.

If fatigue sets in, take breaks or even time off work if necessary.

Sometimes a bit of yoga or meditation will be more helpful than a nap (which may disrupt your sleep at night). A break from the screen is NOT a break!

3. Support the elimination pathways

Help your body release toxins through gentle practices such as dry brushing, light exercise (if tolerable), Epsom salt baths or sweating in saunas/hammams.

4. Nourish Your Body

Focus on nutrient-rich foods like fresh fruit and vegetables to fuel the healing process while minimising inflammatory triggers. Even more so, vegetable juices are an incredible way to increase your vitality and recovery!

Respond to Emotional Needs

Strong emotions can arise during a healing crisis.

Keep a diary of your feelings

Mindfulness practices such as meditation can also bring relief, and visualisations can help you move forward… as long as you dare to believe in it, dare to believe that it will happen, have total confidence in the obstacle and have a sense of responsibility.

What creative hobbies do you reserve for your retirement? I can’t say it often enough: if something inspires you, it can’t wait! Use your hands, use your body! Whether it’s drawing, painting, ceramics or music, it’s important to create, and it’s even more important to realise that even if it doesn’t look like much at first, little by little the painting or piece takes shape…

Read also! Human suffering is one of the most prolific themes in literature. Too often these days, we have the impression that everything is new, and that we’re the only ones going through this kind of situation.

You’re not alone, and you’re neither the first nor the last. It’s an almost obligatory and necessary part of unlocking your potential…

Seek Professional Advice

First of all, once you know that the healing crisis exists, you realise that it’s not the fault of the path or the previous therapists… on the contrary!

Mental health is neither easy nor easily accessible. Find therapists who are sufficiently grounded, sufficiently solid and who have been through it themselves to be able to reassure and guide patients effectively. A lot of people want to become therapists to share their journey… And indeed, nothing can be learnt for free. All therapists have had to learn their lessons from life in order to be able to pass them on fully… and that’s how they’ll pass them on and help you best!

On the other hand, absolutely avoid the internet and its forums, because only people who are not doing well have the time to post on them… Understand that each person, whoever he/she may be, can only help others to the extent that he/she has understood…

If symptoms persist beyond the typical duration or worsen significantly, consult your healthcare professional for (re)reassurance and advice.

7. What to avoid?

Don’t cling to the past. The more you dwell on the past, the less you can move forward. All the time spent brooding is time lost in moving forward. In any case, good or bad, every moment you live through, like this one too, is a moment that will never come as such again in your life. And that’s OK, because everything that has happened to you so far has also prepared you for this moment as well as possible, and it will continue to do so…

Don’t let yourself be dispossessed of your health. The more we victimise ourselves, the more we blame others, the less power we have over our lives. Avoid the sirens of self-doubt, the dramatic triangle of victim-saviour, and anything that’s too good or too easy to be useful.

Don’t wait any longer, but welcome and let yourself be reborn… You’ve always had all the information at hand, it just takes a little time for everything to become clear…

Luxury = False satisfaction.
Alcohol = False confidence.
Fast food = False nutrition.
Drugs = False pleasure.
Netflix = False pause.
Celebrities = False inspiration.
Social media = False connection
Video games = False achievements.
Easy is rarely true.
Look for a purpose, not a distraction.

(Unknown source)

‘Be like water, my friend’ said Bruce Lee

Water always finds its way, even if you can’t see where it’s going yet…

But they also say that ‘water never forgets its way’.

Trust the timing, the obstacles and the necessary steps to move you forward on the path to understanding and inner peace…

How to tell the difference between a Healing Crisis and Health Problems

Everything is linked, and anything that happens during treatment cannot be a coincidence. Elimination is a known healing method in most medicines (homeopathy, Chinese medicine, ayurveda, etc.). Aggravation is a positive predictive factor in homeopathy, recognised by all, and is used as a positive criterion in the most rigorous clinical studies. Moreover, Hering’s Law in homeopathy states that healing always proceeds from top to bottom and from inside to outside. This is a good sign.

It is important to assess whether the symptoms are part of a healing crisis as opposed to a new health problem: make sure you are seen for follow-up every week if you have to! Always consult a professional when in doubt.

‘When the body goes wrong, listen to the mind. When the mind goes wrong, listen to the body. When the body goes wrong, work on the mind. When the mind goes wrong, work on the body’.

Conclusion

A healing crisis may seem uncomfortable and even discouraging at times, but it is often an essential part of the journey towards better health. By understanding its causes and learning to manage its challenges with patience and self-care, you can embrace this temporary discomfort as evidence of a profound transformation taking place in your body and mind.

Remember: healing isn’t always easy – but it’s worth it.