When I was going through the most challenging moments with my health, I had a realization: I felt a ton of anger. Anger is not an emotion that I feel very often and I’ve always kinda been that way. But when I was about 23 years old, I was at the absolute worst physical place that I had ever been.
So naturally, after discovering Louise Hay’s book You Can Heal Your Body–an entire guide to certain diseases and how to heal them–I kept trying to self-help my way out of whatever was happening with my body. I would recite affirmations over and over and over again, really trying to force my body to heal. After months of this process, I finally came to terms with the fact that it wasn’t working.
Now, I’ve used Louise Hay’s affirmations many times for other things and did notice a real shift. But when it came to my psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis, I was missing a vital step. I had to truly acknowledge what was going on underneath all of the stuff I was feeling in order to change.
That was anger. I was furious at my body for looking and feeling the way it did. I was angry at my skin. I felt defective and damaged. And I hated that I was the only one I knew who was going through something like this. So you see, trying to put an affirmation on top of that mess wasn’t going to do anything. I had to get real with myself first.
I’ve said this time and time again, but I think there’s an epidemic in the self-help world where we don’t allow ourselves to truly feel our feelings, and we try to spiritually bypass them by forcing ourselves to be more positive. This doesn’t work.
So I decided to take matters into my own hands and create affirmations that came from my heart. I’ll never forget the moment I saw my skin go from bright red and inflammed to suddenly cooler and flesh-toned right before my own eyes, as I really cultivated compassion and love for my skin just as it was.
If you are really “in it” with your body, I want to help you shift that. When you’re in it, whether it’s because of your skin or your weight or something else altogether, repeating the following mantras separately or all together as a prayer has been super powerful for me.
I love you. I love you. I love you.
I’m so sorry that you’re hurting.
I’m sorry I’m so frustrated with you. I love you.
I’m only angry because I’m uncomfortable, please know that I love you.
I pray for you to have peace.
I know you’re doing your best and I’m so grateful for all the work that you’ve done for me.
We’re in this together.
I know I’m angry, but I promise you you’re not alone.
I’m here to take care of you, I’m just having a hard time right now.
You’re perfect just the way you are. I know that you’re doing your best.
I would speak to myself this way in the bath often because it was such a personal time with no distractions. I also did it while falling asleep and touching the parts on my body that were in the most pain. As I rested my hands on my legs or hugged myself with both of my arms, I would repeat them and feel a deep love for my body. The desired outcome became more about feeling peaceful, having compassion and getting relief versus forcing total healing to happen in an instant.
Is there a thought or mantra that has really impacted your journey? I’d love to hear all about it in the comments below. Wishing you so much love, serenity, and healing my love.