There are a lot of things that we can do alone during our healing journeys. In fact, healing requires a lot of solitary time and introspection. Many assume that the only way to heal is on your own. However, there is a distinct power that comes with a community during the healing process. Through others, we can be lifted up and supported in ways we never knew possible.
What Does Community Healing Look Like?
When surrounded by a community of like-minded individuals, you may find that your healing looks a little bit different. It is easy to fall into the idea that having a community to help with your healing means putting your problems onto others (or them putting theirs onto you). That is just not the case! By being part of a community where everyone is healing they are holding space for you. In this space, you can put down your worries, fears, and self-limiting beliefs. When you feel seen and heard by others your trauma is much easier to work through. This validation and respect are essential to healing with a community.
Physically, the community you seek out can look like anything! It could be
An Online Support Group
Friends Who Understand You
An In-Person Meet Up
A Spiritual Retreat
Family Members That You Feel Connected To
Really, a community that helps you heal can be anything, as long as you feel supported and uplifted!
Power in Community Healing & Connection
Connection is one of the most important parts of being a human being. Whether you make sure to say a quick hello to your neighbors, or you spend hours on the phone with your sibling, social interaction is incredibly important to the human experience. That’s why it is so vital to your healing process. Fellowship can diminish the effects of separation and isolation, making your journey feel validated. There are four main pieces to the puzzle when it comes to the power of community in healing.
1. Sacred Space
In a community, you share a sacred space. By meeting with others to discuss your healing you inherently create a space that is open and accepting. Here, you share stories, listen intently, and witness each other grow. While the exact location of the meeting may change, your community is able to bring the sacred space with you. Sharing this space allows you to rely on a community of like-minded individuals that are rooting for you.
2. Mentorship
Unlike a therapist or life coach, your community is on a level playing field. There is no ‘expert’ that guides you through your healing process. Through peer facilitation, each member is the mentor and the mentee. This can create a balance in learning and educating that allows for open conversation and no judgment. Each of you understands what it is like to be in the other's shoes in one way or another. Mentorship comes from everyone.
2. Common Emotions
Oftentimes the community we find is centered around a shared experience or shared emotion. With this comes an easy connection that allows you to feel validated in your emotions and experience. Emotions are the string that ties us all together and a community that is helping you heal can more easily connect to you through these.
3. Deep Listening
A community is only as strong as the ears that listen to it. When you are part of a group that is focused on healing, each person knows what it feels like to be listened to. It is likely they also know the feeling of being ignored. Due to these experiences community members cultivate listening skills and know the importance of really hearing their peers.
There is so much power in a community when it comes to healthy healing. Your feelings of isolation can be rid of as you find your people. Allow yourself to be open to listening and learning from others while establishing your own feelings of belonging.
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