Healers need healing, too: Patti’s Spring Cleanse Experience
“It was over ten years since I had the opportunity to just simply be a student.”
Patti, like many of us, lives in a community that’s still not quite sure about all of this alternative medicine, self-empowered healing, and ancient science stuff.
As crazy as it may seem to those of us who now can’t go a day without our triphala, yoga flows, or meditation practices -- that’s pretty standard here in the West. With such an unbelievable wealth of knowledge available to us from Ayurveda, it’s true that the information-overload of lifestyle changes, diet adjustments, herbal supplements, and spiritual practices can be a bit overwhelming even to the most eager newcomer.
(Which is why at AyurPrana, we break it down into bite-sized, easy-to-integrate pieces!)
So Patti serves her community how she can: through her Ayurveda-informed yoga practice that was, pre-pandemic, held at a studio in her town. As someone who works directly with the people and land around her, Patti was no stranger to working with chronic illness, emotional imbalances, spirits in need of rejuvenation, etc. -- in fact, she was so absorbed in the beautiful work of healing her community, something very important started to slip to the wayside, priority-wise.
That was, of course, her own health!
It’s almost a trope among healers of all kinds -- from massage therapists, Ayurvedic practitioners, yoga instructors, herbalists, you’ll hear a similar story to Patti’s.
“I was taking care of everyone else, I wasn’t taking care of myself,” she explained. That alone was enough to make her decide to do something for herself and sign up for the Spring Cleanse.
You’d think that our community healers, knowing the importance of conscious, genuine self-care and self-restoration, might be less likely to get swept up by the hustle and bustle of life that keeps us away from those regenerative practices...but they’re human, too. And, of course, life happens. In fact, life is happening all the time, if you haven’t noticed!
And throughout all that life-happening, it’s easy to get washed away with the daily tide of emails, errands, meals, family and community responsibilities. Especially as someone who feels called to heal others, prioritizing that above all else is actually quite, quite easy.
But like other humans, and the humans they work to help heal, healers can be rejuvenated too and in fact, really should! Patti, through her deep-seated awareness and dedication to mind-body work, leads the way for other healers to prioritize their healing. By taking the leap, putting herself first, and putting herself out there, Patti gave herself the gift of physical, emotional, and spiritual cleansing.
“I feel like my sleep has been better, I lost some weight I wasn’t expecting - I just thought it was the best experience ever, I’m so glad I did it.”
Plus, let’s not forget how difficult, isolating, and emotionally tumultuous this last year was for many of us. Caring for yourself includes caring for your emotional self -- it needs nourishment in the form of connection, inspiration, and community, just like our physical body needs to be nourished with food, herbs, and movement practices. Feeling emotionally burnt out, distant, or just off might be a sign that you’re in need of some TLC. Patti knows this cycle like the back of her hand:
“I found the group to be very, very kind. I had been feeling so isolated and lonely - it was really nice to be doing the cleanse with people who are also passionate about Ayurveda.”
Does something in Patti’s story stir up a similar feeling in you? If so - take this as a sign. Whether a gentle but powerful, detoxifying and rebalancing seasonal cleanse is right for you or not, it pays to care for yourself as thoroughly, consistently, and compassionately as you do for your clients and your loved ones.
We like having healers around, and would like all of you to be around for a long time, so take care of yourself, okay? And let us know if you need a little guidance -- that’s why we’re here.