Cultivating a Healing Practice: The Art of Noticing
Ask most people if they have a practice for meditation, reflection, or movement, and you’ll likely hear a yes.
Or, at the very least, they’re aware that mindfulness and taking time for self-care can be beneficial.
Walks in nature, a weekly gathering with friends, or some breathwork are widely known as soothing practices for the nervous system.
But ask if they have a self-healing practice, and the response will often be silence.
Many aren’t sure what self-healing really is.
A self-healing practice goes beyond the familiar habits of journaling or meditating.
While both can be helpful, they don’t always dig deep enough to bring lasting change.
For years, I journaled, only to realize I was pouring out the same frustrations, replaying the same limiting beliefs.
Meditation helped me find calm on the mat, but that peace often dissolved the moment I encountered real-life stress.
A self-healing practice, I discovered, invites us to go deeper—starting with noticing our patterns, reactions, and inner narratives.
Why Create a Self-Healing Practice
A self-healing practice invites us to become aware of the things within us that need attention and healing, the patterns that keep us stuck.
When we approach life with this intentional awareness, we see beyond the daily frustrations and gain insight into the roots of our reactions.
It’s about moving past the automatic behaviors we barely notice—the irritation at a minor inconvenience, the self-critical thoughts that play on repeat, or the way we tighten up in response to certain people or situations.
Step One: The Power of Noticing
Noticing is the foundation of self-healing.
It sounds simple, but it’s transformative.
I love the word noticing because it’s an invitation to gently observe what is happening within you, without judgment or analysis.
It’s not about “fixing” anything but taking the time to become aware of what needs healing in the first place.
Think of it as gathering information, almost like taking notes on the inner landscape of your life.
In your practice, start by noticing these three areas each day:
Physical Sensations: Pay attention to what happens in your body. Do you feel a tension in your chest after a difficult conversation? A knot in your stomach before a big meeting? These physical cues are windows into your inner world. Write down what you felt and what might have triggered it.
Overreactions: Notice moments when your response doesn’t match the situation, when you feel a flare of emotion that seems out of proportion. These instances often point to something deeper within, a wound or a belief waiting to be healed. Record the situation and any thoughts or emotions that arose.
Recurring Thoughts or Words: Listen closely to your inner dialogue. Do you often hear yourself say things like, “I’m not good enough” or “I always mess things up”? Notice the words and thoughts that echo in your mind, and try to connect them to what’s happening around you.
These notes on your inner experiences are the first step in loosening the “knots” that keep you feeling stuck.
It’s not the same as traditional journaling, which often leads us to rehash old wounds.
Noticing is more like being a gentle observer of your own life, noting patterns as they arise and giving yourself the space to process them without rushing to fix anything.
Noticing in Your Daily Life
A self-healing practice requires commitment, but it’s not about adding something extra to your to-do list.
Instead, it’s about weaving this noticing practice into the flow of daily life.
Most of us go through our days on autopilot, reacting to situations as they come without taking a moment to understand what’s driving us.
We blow up at someone or feel a pang of resentment and then brush it off, telling ourselves to “let it go.”
But often, these emotions don’t truly leave us; they tighten the knots within us, stored as energy and patterns that keep us repeating the same cycles.
Each evening, take a few minutes to jot down what you noticed during the day.
You may begin to see patterns emerging, like certain words you say to yourself when stressed or physical sensations that arise in similar situations.
These observations are not meant to be solved or analyzed; they’re simply to help you see the ways you respond to life.
Why Energy Awareness Matters
A self-healing practice allows you to become aware of how your energy is influenced by your thoughts, beliefs, and reactions.
When we respond to life from a place of unhealed wounds or old stories, we add weight to our energy field.
It’s like carrying a heavy backpack filled with everything we haven’t healed.
Noticing is the first step to lightening this load. By observing without judgment, you make space for your own wisdom to emerge.
30 Day CHallenge: commit to noticing
For the next thirty days, commit to this practice.
Each day, write down what you noticed about your physical sensations, overreactions, and recurring thoughts or words.
Don’t worry about making sense of it or figuring out what to “do” with the information.
Just notice.
At the end of the month, look back at your notes, and you’ll begin to see patterns that can guide the next steps in your self-healing journey.
Self-healing doesn’t have to be complicated.
It starts with the willingness to pause, observe, and be curious about your own experiences.
Over time, this simple practice will build a deeper connection to yourself, helping you move beyond old wounds and limiting beliefs.
You’ll start to experience the freedom that comes with true self-awareness—a freedom that allows you to live from a place of authenticity and peace.
Remember, this is only the beginning.
The journey unfolds one day at a time, with each note you make leading you a little closer to the heart of who you truly are.
With Love,
