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Play and Pray: A Powerful Combo for Healing

8/22/2024

In the busyness of modern life, even with all the comforts and conveniences which paradoxically often create more discomfort and inconvenience, it's easy to feel anxious and overwhelmed. Our clever brains will find ways to cope, and over time we may find that we’ve lost our inner sense, our direction in life. We run into queasy feelings of inner conflict and don’t understand what it is: an unspecified uneasiness. Discovering this state to be a loss of your own identity, it is essential to find ways to heal and embrace the journey back to your True Self. Two powerful tools to explore, that can also complement each other beautifully, are play and prayer.

The Power of Play
Think back to when you first began to play. It was free will and abandon to your heart’s whim. You played from your own inner joy and inspiration. Can you remember what you were doing? What did play look like?

The image that always comes up for me is playing on those monkey bars shaped in a dome. I loved testing my balance and walking up the bars on my feet (--no hands!)….and then, at the top, hanging down from my knees and chatting with friends, comfortably upside down. And Chinese jumprope, jumprope with rhymes, and lemon twist. Ahh, the sweet, carefree days!

Adult play may look different —or even some of the same! As part of an adventurous healing journey, engaging in playful activities has many benefits– besides being a whole lot of fun!. Play usually means action; you are moving and doing something uplifting. It can also help lower stress hormones, promote relaxation and trigger elevated moods. When we play, we become loose and free from restraints that block creativity; indeed we gain inspiration for new ideas and our mind opens to possibilities!
And play usually invites connection –not only do you get to tap into your own childlike senses, you strengthen bonds with those you play with. Play can bring people together in a universal language because it’s a universally human phenomenon with such purity.

The Power of Prayer
Prayer can look and feel different in various contexts. Do you pray aloud with your hands in prayer mudra? Maybe you bow or sing hymns or recite verses? You may pray to a certain deity, i.e., Jesus, within an organized religion or on your own. Thoughts are often said to be like prayer– if you think it enough, giving attention to a certain situation or quality, it is heard as prayer (so mind your thoughts!). Prayer shows up in yoga and meditation as chants or blessings.

Like play, prayer invites connection– to your inner voice, to a greater source, to peace and understanding. It’s a chance to express and foster gratitude which cultivates a positive mindset and a deep feeling of trust, comfort and support. Prayer also brings guidance to help with any feelings of being lost in the world.

Combining Play and Prayer
Each on its own are powerful tools to bring into your healing journey. Furthermore, there are ways that we can bring the two together: to Play and Pray within an activity.

Mindful play: Incorporate prayerful intentions into your playful activities, such as expressing gratitude during a walk in nature or offering prayers before a game.
Playful prayer: Explore creative ways to express your prayers, like poetry writing, chanting mantra, drawing pictures or through art therapy.
Community and connection: Join a group that combines play and prayer, such as a drum circle, a spiritual dance class or even an Ayurvedic cooking class.

Play and prayer are personal journeys, so find what works best for you, what brings you joy and peace. With both, recognize the healing power it brings to your life and create space for them in your every day. And remember, you are not alone on your healing journey– community and connection are an essential part of soul-healing both for you and for others.

My wish is to inspire you to start today if you don’t already have these in your life.

With grace and gratitude,
Anna SachKiret

PS. Hit comment/reply to share what play and prayer looks like for you! xo

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inspiring quotes for your healing journey

8/8/2024

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So you’re choosing to see life as the adventurous and personal healing journey that it could be– one that elevates your life experience and promises a path to more joy and peace for your Soul. THIS IS A POWERFUL PATH TO CHOOSE!

It’s a twisty-turny path that asks you to be: self-aware and self-compassionate; present, resilient and courageous; filled with hope, trust, and gratitude; and ready for connection and support with the world around you. It is a conscious path of growth and transformation. And it is soooo worthy because YOU ARE SO WORTHY!

Here is a collection of inspiring quotes to guide and inspire you along your way. Notice how you respond to each. If it resonates, enjoy! If it doesn't, allow yourself to wonder about it, notice your self-reflection. This is part of your healing discovery.

Self-Awareness and Acceptance

"Awareness is the first step in healing." - Dean Ornish
"Healing may not be so much about getting better, as about letting go of everything that isn’t you." - Rachel Naomi Remen
"I am not what happened to me. I am what I choose to become." - Carl Jung
"In order to love who you are, you cannot hate the experiences that shaped you." - Andrea Dykstra
"Make peace with your broken pieces." - r.h. Sin
"To recognize one’s own insanity is, of course, the arising of sanity, the beginning of healing and transcendence." - Eckhart Tolle
"One of the most healing things you can do is recognize where in your life you are your own poison." - Steve Maraboli

Courage and Resilience

"Don’t turn away. Keep your gaze on the bandaged place." - Rumi
"She remembered who she was, and the game changed." - Lalah Delia
"One of the hardest things was learning I was worth recovery." - Demi Lovato
"Every struggle in your life has shaped you into the person you are today." - Keanu Reeves
"It takes courage...to endure the sharp pains of self-discovery rather than choose to take the dull pain of unconsciousness that would last the rest of our lives." - Marianne Williamson
"People are afraid to heal because their entire identity is centered around the trauma they’ve experienced. They have no idea who they are outside of trauma and that unknown is terrifying." - Ebonee Davis
"I have come to the conclusion that human beings are born with an innate capacity to triumph over trauma. I believe not only that trauma is curable, but that the healing process can be a catalyst for profound awakening—a portal opening to emotional and genuine spiritual transformation." - Peter A. Levine

Hope, Growth & Gratitude

"The wound is the place where the Light enters you." - Rumi
"Even the smallest shift in perspective can bring about the greatest healing." - Joshua Kai
"Grief can be the garden of compassion. If you keep your heart open through everything, your pain can become your greatest ally in your life’s search for love and wisdom" - Rumi
"Healing is an art. It takes time, it takes practice. It takes love." - Maza Dohta
"Eventually you will come to understand that love heals everything, and love is all there is." - Gary Zukav
“Let us be grateful to the people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom.” ~Marcel Proust
"In general, the ability to make sense of tragedy and then find benefit in it is the key that unlocks post traumatic growth." - Jonathan Haidt
"Nothing ever goes away until it has taught us what we need to know." - Pema Chödrön
“There are two ways to life your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.” ~Albert Einstein
“Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos into order, confusion into clarity…. It turns problems into gifts, failures into success, the unexpected into perfect timing, and mistakes into important events.” ~Melodie Beatty

Mindfulness and Presence

"My darling, be patient with yourself, healing takes time, healing implies kindness, healing means changes. Becoming is not easy. Be patient with yourself, you are gardening your soul. Some flowers are meant to bloom later." - Alexandra Vasiliu
"Whatever the present moment contains, accept it as if you had chosen it." - Eckhart Tolle
"The soul always knows what to do to heal itself. The challenge is to silence the mind." - Caroline Myss
"When you connect to the silence within you, that is when you can make sense of the disturbance going on around you." - Stephen Richards
"Peace is the result of retraining your mind to process life as it is, rather than as you think it should be." - Wayne Dyer
"Let go of the battle. Breathe quietly and let it be." - Jack Kornfield

Compassion and Connection

"Healing yourself is connected with healing others." - Yoko Ono
"No one heals himself by wounding another." - Saint Ambrose
"Our sorrows and wounds are healed only when we touch them with compassion." - Buddha
"We cannot ignore our pain and feel compassion for it at the same time." - Brené Brown
"As you breathe in, cherish yourself. As you breathe out, cherish all beings." - Dalai Lama

Which ones are most motivational or supportive for you? Are there any quotes you would add?

With love and peace,
Anna SachKiret

PS. Share your favorite quotes (from the list or add your own) by reply to this post! Support starts with each of us, with simple connections. Sat nam!

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Play and Pray: A Powerful Combo for Healing

inspiring quotes for your healing journey

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Play and Pray: A Powerful Combo for Healing

inspiring quotes for your healing journey

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