By Mandy Froelich / Life in Bloom
I remember the first time somebody told me no one really “has it all together.” It was my Reiki teacher, Debbie Creagh, who is the Queen of the energy healing modality in Bangkok, Thailand. “Honey, nobody has their shit together. That’s the truth,” she said with an Irish lilt. She gave me a sharp look, then rolled her eyes. Her straight-shooting, sassy attitude is one of the reasons I love her and why she is my teacher.
In fact, Debbie was one of the first healers to actually show their 100% authentic, no-bullshit self to me. She was also the first to call me out on my own “walls” that had been put up to keep the outside world out. “Take them down,” she told me during one of our initial training sessions. “They look fake, everyone can see through them, and you’re only hurting yourself by holding your true self back.”
But my true self, a naïve and eager-to-learn young woman, wasn’t ready to be the center of attention. She had been working hard to build a persona of a know-it-all and chef-nutritionist-fitness coach who could help anybody attain ideal health. But I wasn’t that person, nor will I ever be. Rather, I am a human who is constantly working on my many sharp edges and is day-in and day-out receiving slaps upside the head from Spirit. And that, my friends, is the messy raw truth of healers.
We’re just people. But, we are people with fewer blinders than the majority of the populace. We’ve dove into our shame, past hurts, and rejection(s)… and lived to tell the tale. We’ve also picked up a variety of skills along the way, ranging from herbalism and healthy cooking to acupuncture, massage, and reflexology. Furthermore, we have a strong desire to help others, even if we can’t do it perfectly, because we’ve been through pain and suffering of our own.
Some healers spend decades working on themselves and studying in school before applying their passion to help others. Other people, including young children, listen to their intuition and offer advice and compassion when they feel inspired. In many ways, in many different moments, we are all healers.
Therefore, friends, if you can, stop placing the expectation of all alternative wellness practitioners, functional medicine doctors, EMTs, nurses, massage therapists, and other health professionals with the weight of being perfect… we’ll all be better off.
Regardless if a health professional gives you the perfect roadmap for achieving wellness, they cannot execute those actions. Only you can. And honestly, the majority of holistic healing advice and preventative medicine is simply giving attention to how one feels, fueling the body with nutritious food and exercise, and not stressing too much.
Not to mention, it is not uncommon for some health professionals to experience “imposter syndrome” by not being the perfect ideal of health. Maybe they have a genetic condition or maybe their body shape doesn’t match society’s projection of what true health and beauty look like (news flash: bodies come in all shapes and sizes, and health isn’t a one-size-one-fits-all look). 99% of human bodies will never attain the idolized standards of beauty, so it’s time we change our definition and stop looking for trainers and doctors who match that depiction. If a healer/teacher has respectable credentials, has definitive evidence supporting their claims, and can offer a long list of client testimonials… they might actually know what they are talking about. Muster up some trust, for they are going to walk you down the path of self-love, not just getting “fit” or “shredded.”
The Takeaway
Healers, just like you, face their own burdens in life. However, they should challenge you to have the courage to face your true self day-in and day-out, and constantly strive for betterment. They should be a mirror to you, inspiring you to continue on the path (which, let’s be honest, is oftentimes hard). When you and your loved ones forget, healers should lovingly remind you to have compassion for yourself and others. They should educate you on the many reasons why you are adopting healthier habits. Furthermore, they should offer support during tough and challenging times. Healers should do this – and some do it perfectly. However, they can’t walk the journey for you, as they have their own paths to trek.
As you continue on your journey of authenticity, vulnerability, and the pursuit of peace, please remember that we are all in this together. You have all the support you need, you only have to ask.
