Therapy
What is Therapy?
The conventional definition of therapy is the process undertaken in the treatment of a disease or illness. We’re going to be speaking on broader terms, however. Disease is normally a word reserved for bodily problems. But let’s break the word down...dis-ease. If we take the word dis-ease to mean an absence of ease then it can relate to more than the body. Disease can be a state of mind as well, or it could manifest as a spiritual dis-ease. We take therapy therefore to be the steps taken in the improvement of an aspect of body, mind or soul, which will naturally begin to manifest in all of these three elements. Therapy is an ongoing process throughout life, a constant striving for total wellbeing in ourselves, and a full appreciation of life. Often we require therapy in order to look above and beyond the daily grind and to get our minds thinking of the reason we are here rather than the deadlines we must meet before the week is out. For this reason therapy has become an essential tool for happiness in the 21st century.
Therapy can take many different forms. If an individual would feel more comfortable starting with the bodily aspect of themselves then they may feel drawn to massage therapy, aromatherapy, acupuncture, feldenkrais, diet, reflexology, or a number of therapeutic exercise regimes like yoga, tai chi and pilates. On the other hand, someone else could feel more attuned to forms of mind therapy as their starting point. Well known forms of mind therapy include meditation, metaprogramming, positive affirmations, creative outlets like art and music and of course the learning of things we have always had an interest in. The mind thrives when it is learning that which it is intrigued by! Therapeutic solace is easiest found for others in more spiritual pursuits such as hatha yoga, reiki, the practice of religion or spiritually inspired meditation. Ultimately, the aim is to strengthen all of these body, mind and soul aspects of ourselves in order to actualise our full potential for happiness and peace.
What Type of Therapy Will Work for Me?
There are unlimited forms of therapy The easiest way to get a grasp of what kind of therapy will work best for you is to give a few a go! Do you like massage? Well maybe you’ll like pilates too (the inner stomach massage of doom!!!). Having a bit of trouble getting into acupuncture? Don’t let that get in the way of your progress, just leave it and move onto the next thing that piques your interest. It doesn’t matter what forms of therapy you choose, most of them have noteworthy health benefits, not to mention placebo effects. The mind is a powerful tool, and if you think something is working for you then that’s half the battle won already! The main thing is that you give something a go. Chances are that you can feel more alive, more happy than you are at this present stage of your life. If you’re happy that’s fantastic! Keep up the good work. Continue to do what it is you are doing that is contributing your happiness. Get enthusiastic about things that you’ve always wanted to give a go. There are always things to work on, always more things to have a crack at.
If you are not happy at the moment, that’s ok. The world is not over, and although it may feel like there is just nothing out there that can make you laugh anymore (or even cry), there are plenty of things for you to try. Given the law of probabilities, chances are you’re going to like AT LEAST one of the therapies you stumble upon, and that’s where it all starts. Once you get enthusiastic about one therapy you’ll find that this bubbles over to other aspects of your life. For example, if you chose a body-grounded therapy like yoga to begin with, you might start to feel so healthy and in touch with yourself that a natural progression would be to also pursue meditation. Meditation then may naturally lead you to wonder how good reiki feels to receive and perform on others, and this might feel so good that you only want to treat your body to raw fruits and vegetables, nuts and seeds! That’s the beauty of therapy. If you choose a therapy that is suited to you it will spill over into all aspects of your life and the result is like the butterfly emerging from its bland looking coccoon! It’s up to you how bright you want your colours to be.
Where Do I Start? I Don’t Have Time For All of This!
Therapy is sometimes portrayed as an all-consuming aspect in the lives of crazy people, of people who are weak and can’t cope with life (get over it!) and for people who just don’t have a clue. When therapy is viewed as any positive experience that you include in your life to improve your sense of wellbeing and your overall happiness, however, we realise how essential it is to make time for therapy in our busy schedules. It doesn’t have to be for hours of the day. Meditation can be performed when the traffic lights turn red, as can positive affirmations. Yoga is as easy as taking a class for an hour three times a week. There’s nearly 170 hours in the week and if you can’t fit three hours of yoga into the week then seriously question what you are hoping to achieve by cramming your schedule so tight. It’s that simple. Happiness is a priority we all deserve. Therapy can be integrated into our lives gradually and painlessly by choosing therapy styles that are interesting and enjoyable to us, and building up the therapeutic repetoire from there. We challenge you to start your individuated therapy program today!
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