Anam Nostos House Blog
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 " The hardest thing you may have to do for your recovery (healing) is to stay close to your own heart, know your own love and especially your own truth." - Andrea 'Find Your Voice Project: A Journey Towards Healing Healing. It takes many different forms for many people. You are the only one that can define healing for yourself. What does it look like for you on your journey? When was there a time in your life where you were being challenged by healing? Was it from physical health, mental health, spiritual health or just a personal healing that no one else can describe for you? Have you run away from healing afraid to do the hard work of looking within one's self? What can healing from your struggles bring you other than peace? Can you consider that healing can bring you gratitude? When it comes down to answering this question the reality is that you have to first embrace healing for what it is for you? These questions are only questions that you can answer on your own personal journey. Will you have the courage to take the step to stop, breathe and consider for a moment the answers to these questions that can bring your journey to life in ways you never expected? I dare you! Check out more 3 Minute Retreats!
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 Are we worthy? Think about that for a moment?
Am I worthy? It is likely something you battle within any given situation in a day often, but never actually voice. Whether we are chosen for a specific position at work or school, we can doubt our worthiness. If goodness falls into our lives, do you doubt it? It is human nature at its best. In many cases of healing, people often ask ‘Am I worthy?’ Their shame and wounds end up getting the better of them and they doubt such deserving healing. But in the end the truth is that we are all worthy, no matter what path we have walked in our life. Take that in. Yes, we all have faults. Yes, we all have weaknesses. Yes, we all struggle. But these common denominators do not define our worthiness. When we embrace our worthiness TODAY, we allow ourselves to keep going tomorrow. When we exclaim out loud, ‘I am worthy!’ We own our journey, negatives and positives. Thus, allowing for us to grow, learn, strive and become who we are meant to be. Check out more 3 Minute Retreats!  What gives you spark? What releases your beauty? What makes you come alive?  I feel like we hear this term quite often. Everyone is trying to distract us from the tragedy surrounding our world. But, I am asking, what is the harm instead to look at those tragedies and see the beauty? My simple, or not so simple, challenge today is to see the beauty in the endless tragedy we are seeing daily. See the beauty in that which is not always beautiful. See the beauty in the many political trials in the arena. See the beauty in the neighbor who isn't always being neighborly. See the beauty in the ugliness of the world's problems playing out. When you take time to see something that you would not otherwise take your time on, you will be surprised by the gifts received. You will receive moments of growth, rather than the negativity that is trying to infest our world. You will be a part of the change. Allow this to fill your day. Check out more 3 Minute Retreats here!  Sometimes your greatest power is your silence.
Is your voice important? Absolutely! But what can be even more powerful and as important is not engaging in someone who doesn’t respect your value. That is truly valuing YOU!  Choose to shine with all your scars!
They tell your story, no shame.  It felt time…it felt time to speak to the countless who are unintentionally being shamed, silenced, mocked, and pushed further into their hell during Covid 19. I am speaking to those with disordered eating and body image issues. I understand we are all trying to make the best of a really difficult situation. I do not judge anyone for that at all. I have laughed along with the memes out there on social media. And, I have been aware of the real truth where food and alcohol play a part in coping with a difficult situation. I am speaking to those to whom the struggle is real before the stay at home orders were in place. I stopped to reflect this week on ‘what if’ I was still in my anorexia during this time? ‘What if’ bulimia still had its horrific hold on me? Well, there are countless in this struggle as you read this. There are countless who are now locked in their homes alone battling, starving, exercising and if the virus does not kill them, their shame will. You see, no one can see them. They are not forced out into the world as they were when society was ‘open.’ If there is anything I remember for sure, while I struggled silently and publicly, I was crying for help. I was scared in my disease and did not know how to come out with the real truth. So, while I fought everyone for fourteen years in my eating disorder, I was simultaneously begging for help.
We are in trying times…is it wrong to go to the comfort food? Absolutely not. Is it wrong to joke about it a bit to bring self-awareness? No, it is a healthy form of release and true struggle in what we are all facing in a new normal of isolation and for many, depression. It is important to note for those struggling in depression, anxiety, and isolation that healthier foods can help battle this real fight. Any chance to go for a walk, step onto your porch to sit in the sun or breathe fresh air is going to make a small difference in one’s overall state of mind. I am simply asking that if you remember that person at the gym who you saw too often shrinking before you or a coworker who often was eating alone…now is the time to reach out if you can as we work from home and battle the real isolating struggles. We undoubtedly know someone for who this struggle is real. Let them know you see them. Let them know you can be there to listen. Let them know while they are alone physically, they do not have to be alone mentally. There are countless resources to help walk through this time. And, when all is said and done, go to my fall back…write a love letter to yourself. Remind yourself of who you are in every moment. Remind yourself of your personal mission statement for your journey. Give yourself a little guide map during a time, when the roads feel like they are going nowhere. If you or someone you know are looking for tools to walk through this journey, I humbly suggest Find Your Voice Project tools. People often do not realize it is so much more than my story, rather a hands-on daily workbook with art projects and journaling prompts to guide you on life’s overall journey. They are tools I use daily to this very day. While this time of isolation can feel like a loneliness one cannot imagine how we will get through, I trust we can with a little help from a friend. I see you. I hear you. I am here for you.  All. Of. This.
You are the most important person on your journey… your voice is the most important voice. You matter first and foremost. Never forget that. Never sacrifice that. It’s not meant to hurt other people; it’s not meant to get revenge on other people and it’s not meant to say that you will disrespect other people. But it is meant to own who you are, the voice you speak, the thoughts you think, the story that you know is true deep within your soul. Anyone and everyone have the power to make up a story about you. But at the end of the day, you know who you are and you know what that means. Live your life with integrity, truth, respect and you will go far.  "The Soul of the earth is waking… new life is coming. Awaken your spirit...trust your breath. Be still and know..." -Andrea I lived in the Arizona desert on a few occasions, I find it indescribably spiritual. Each person's experience is different from the next, for its beauty has endless definition. I was staying in monastery discerning a call to religious life over a decade ago when a powerful monsoon came pounding through. Just before I was out admiring a sunset that only God could paint to then running for cover over it's power. I remember thinking how the powerful rains poured were a cleansing of one's soul, washing away that which I struggled with in my discernment at the time. When it passed, I breathed in a fresh air deeper than I had in a very long time and a peacefulness fell over me. I realized I was still standing. Through it all, I was still standing. Reflect on a time in your life when the monsoon seemed greater than calm, how did you come out of it standing? What did you take away from the rains to guide you forward? Now, go soar! Check out more 3 Minute Retreats here!
Compassion can be so simple in many ways as a smile, a touch, a look into another's eyes.
I cannot tell you how many times I have had awoken to a bad day and thought nothing could make it better in any way, then another human being out of nowhere will comment to me so simple just what I needed to hear. We simply need to be Compassion to each other in all ways, in all moments, every day. BE COMPASSION. "Self Compassion is one the most powerful sources of strength, coping and resilience we have." -Kristen Neff Check out more 3 Minute Retreats here! |
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Follow USOur YouTube ChannelAuthorAndrea creates, builds, and offers her teachings and hands on life tools based on her journey healing her body image after a 14yr battle and life of trauma. Her vision always is to help others live a full life with the journey they are given. 
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