healing moment: allow for the mystical (erin jean warde)
By allowing for the mystical, I’m able to release a little bit of the stranglehold I have on my life, which is required if I’m going to truly go down the healing path.
healing moment: allow for the mystical
When I first started the “healing moment” emails, I think I even said they are weekly “practical tools.” And of course I did. Because practical tools are vital to us changing our habits and healing.
But the more I do this, the more I realize how much bigger my healing has been, how much more expansive the journey has become, how my healing has been both practical and mystical.
Are there important, concrete ways to work on our healing: yes. And also, by allowing for the mystical, I’m able to release a little bit of the stranglehold I have on my life, which is required if I’m going to truly go down the healing path.
As it often goes, this too is a both/and: I have to take the steps to care for myself, do the practical work, add in coping skills, and more. And I also need to allow for the mystical, because my life is bigger than my effort, and there are things out of my control. These truths often stress me out — because of course I want to control everything! — but when I allow for the mystical, I’m able to feel the goodness in it, not just the fear.
It’s good that my life is bigger than my effort — because I need more than just myself to make it through this.
It’s good there are things out of my control — because I cannot hold the entirety of my life on these frail shoulders.
And there are even practical ways to allow for the mystical. When I talk about sacraments, rituals, and spiritual practices, these are literally practices to help us allow for the mystical. So even as we open ourselves up to something larger than the concrete, we still recognize the human ways we can receive the gift and wisdom of the mystical.
Here are some ways to try to practice allowing for the mystical:
Try writing a mantra like what I have italicized above, or even take those for yourself. Notice where you feel tight in your heart, where your anxieties reside, and try to write a reminder that can guide you through that pain.
When faced with things in your life, reflect by asking: Is this mine? When I started doing this, I began to realize how much I had been taking on that was not mine to take. (To be clear: Taking on “what is mine” includes helping other people! This practice is not meant to end in selfishness. It is meant to help us steward our energy toward its most healing use, for ourselves and others.)
Surround yourself with words/songs/art that inspires you and encourages you. I like my fair share of horror and thrillers, but I also know how it can begin to stoke my fears and feed my anxieties. It’s important for me that I temper those influences with words/songs/art that bring me joy, give me hope, and help me believe I am not alone.
Has there ever been a time in your life when you thought something would go terribly wrong, and it didn’t? Or an experience in which you were struggling and were helped by those around you? If so, bring these experiences to mind, and try to hold them close to you, try to keep them front of mind. If we begin to feel like the walls are closing in, these memories can become powerful testaments to how things being out of our control can be a good thing.
I hope this can be a reminder that you are not expected to carry the world on your frail shoulders. May the Spirit feel so close to you that you know you’re not alone.
With love & care,
EJW
ways to support Sober Spirituality launch!
With Sober Spirituality Day only FOURTEEN days away, here’s how you can support the book launch in addition to pre-ordering your copy!
Pray for me (or send best wishes, etc.) This is a primary way I feel cared for. <3
Follow me on social media, if you have it! My screen name is erinjeanwarde on Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok.
Share my posts on social media! You never know who might be looking for this type of support right now.
Write your own post to share your excitement, if you’re pumped to read it soon! Make sure to add the pre-order link!
Share these newsletters with your friends, if you think they would benefit from what I’ve shared.
Request Sober Spirituality at your local library! I want everyone to have access.
Share my work with your community of faith or other small group! I’d love to explore the possibility of doing a talk on the book, workshop, retreat, speak/preach, etc.
If you’re a fellow writer, please reach out & let’s try to support each other! I love mutual care & partnering!
Everything except for pre-ordering is completely free because I know what it’s like to want to support people, but not be able to support in the form of cash. As always, I’m so grateful for those who wish to support me in this launch!
Y’all are the best & I love y’all!
PRE-ORDER BONUS
Every act of support means the world to me. And did you know when you preorder Sober Spirituality, you get a collection of downloadable mocktail recipes and affirmation cards to help on your journey? Whether your goal is sobriety, or just a little more intention around the way you drink, the book is a guide for anyone seeking mindfulness around alcohol.
This is one way I want to say thank you for supporting my work!
GOODREADS is giving away FIVE copies of my book! Enter for your chance to win — this ends 4/18, the day of release!