You Are The Medicine

We are constantly looking outside of ourselves for the answers to our problems. Rarely do we pause to look within and see what wisdom and information is available to us on the inside.

Most of us are taught to rely on experts such as doctors and therapists, to give us the answers to help us find the cure to our suffering. Rarely are we taught that if we take the time to connect with our inner self we have a plethora of information available to us that can help to guide our path to healing.

Some may go to the mind for information and support, which is certainly a start and helpful. However, we also have neurons in our heart and our stomach that can provide us with information. In addition, our spirit and higher self-resides within and can speak to us through our intuition.

I recently experienced a situation where I was worried about a friend and whether or not they were going to be okay. My anxiety and worry was taking over and caused me to become over-bearing as I attempted to control the future. I wanted so desperately to know that they were going to be okay that I asked for things they weren’t comfortable agreeing to.

Instead of going within and calming my anxiety, I projected it outwardly to this friend. Had I taken the time to access my inner fears and soothe my worries, I wouldn’t have caused a rupture in the relationship. I was relying on this person, something external of myself, to be the medicine for my anxiety.

The medicine for our heartache, our anxiety, depression, grief, loneliness, and even some physical illnesses must come from within. That’s not to say that medication, alternative medicine and other healing practices aren’t necessary at times, but it is important to recognize the importance of the inner work as well.

When we rely on external resources to heal whatever is causing suffering for us, we are not only disempowered, but we are not getting to the core of what needs to be healed. By befriending all parts of ourselves and dialoging with our parts, we can access a deep and spiritual source of information. We can uncover what thoughts, beliefs and habits might benefit from change. We can soothe any old stories we are holding on to and soften the constriction or walls we have constructed to help keep us safe.

The next time you find yourself relying on something external to heal your inner wounds, invite yourself to go within and seek the answers there. By closing your eyes, taking some deep breaths and being curious about what information is stored in your body, you will begin to find your answers.

Recognizing that you are the medicine you need is not a new concept. It has been utilized in healing practices for many years, in a variety of different traditional and Indigenous communities. In our industrialized world today we continue to move further and further away from accessing our inner truths.

We are becoming more and more disconnected from our bodies and a beautiful source of information for healing. No one can provide the answers for what you need more than you can do that for yourself. By learning to dialogue with your mind, body and spirit, you will be reminded of a wonderful truth; that you are the medicine.

By Nicole Lovald, LMFT, E-RYT

Are you curious about how to do the inner inquiry work? In addition to yoga and therapy, here are a few of my favorite resources :

No Bad Parts: Healing Trauma and Restoring Wholeness with the Internal Family Systems Model by Richard Schwartz

Outshining Trauma: A New Vision of Radical Self-Compassion Integrating Internal Family Systems and Buddhist Meditation by Ralph De La Rosa