10 Free Self Healing Techniques I Use
My definition of self healing is to clear up the “residue of the past” so I can act from the present moment, instead of my collected fears & traumas. Residues of my past show up in thoughts like…
My previous partner never took out the garbage and now I’m annoyed every time I have to remind my new partner.
My last offer didn’t sell out so that must mean that nobody likes what I do.
I can’t work for a boss, they’re all jerks.
What’s the difference between applying a past lesson to the present AND carrying around all your emotional baggage like an airline? I’m still working on this one myself. What I’ve learned so far is that every situation and every moment is different from my past. If I assume everything will always work the same way as it did last time, I leave no possibility of change. If I assume my partner will never remember to take out the trash, they’re going to have to fight really hard against my assumption to change that.
By clearing up my fears, traumas, and dramas, I’m better able to approach each situation as a new opportunity. By releasing my anger from past situations, I stopped bringing that anger to my current reality.
Self-healing and healers are totally worth paying for. I wrote this list because I used to make my budget an excuse for not doing anything. Here’s 10 totally free ways to self heal.
1 - CRAFT YOUR MORNING ROUTINE
Setting a new morning routine and keeping it can be HARD. I broke my morning resistance by practicing for 40 days straight. I find that anything I can do for 40 days straight becomes a habit and isn’t nearly as hard to do.
You already have a morning routine that might look a little bit like this…
Alarm goes off, you get pissed and snooze it
More snoozes, more pissy
Finally pick up your phone and immediately get into work emails or social media
Realize you don’t need to do your work email in bed, and finally get up
Shower but forget to put on sunscreen
Run out the door (or to the laptop screen) while forgetting to hydrate
Although mornings like that support you getting to work, they don’t support YOU. Here’s a morning routine that takes about the same amount of time…
Wake up and take 5 deep breaths
Stretch for a few minutes
Make chai tea and water with lemon
Sit quietly in a sacred space and focus on yourself through journaling, yoga, meditation, or reading OR take a quiet walk in nature
Shower and remember to put on natural sunscreen
Go to your first appointment with your water
If you have more time, these are some of the activities I add to my morning routine…
Play an instrument / singing / chanting
Read a book that expands your thinking
Yoga
Meditation
Walking / running / dancing
2 - GO TO NATURE
Walking barefoot the grass, sitting under a tree, and swimming in nature have all been shown to decrease stress. Try turning off your phone for an afternoon and reading in the park.
Here’s all the hacks I’m implemented in my own life to get more nature into my modern life…
Create or find an outdoor space for exercise/yoga that you can use regularly
Take business calls while walking outside or invite contacts for a hike (instead of a drink)
Choose a home with a small amount of indoor living space so you’ll be encouraged to go outside. Our RV is about 300 square feet of indoor space and then I setup a 200 square foot shaded area outside.
Pick social activities that are outside like festivals or camp outs
Learn an outdoor hobby like how to forage or landscape photography
Start gardening outside
Add an outdoor sport or hobby to your week
Offer to dog walk for friends
Ask your friends with houseplants to get you started with some baby house plants/cuttings
Put nature on your biggest screen. I love watching the bucolic lifestyles of farmers in Azerbaijan. Search for “Azerbaijan cooking” for some beautiful YouTube channels.
3 - PRACTICE MEDITATION
We’ve all TRIED to meditate but it can be hard. Coming into a relaxed focus is not something we’re used to practicing. Here’s some different ways to practice meditation for free.
Just sit down, breathe, and be OK with whatever comes up. Set a timer for a few minutes and increase the time as you get more comfortable.
Try guided meditation with the free version of the CHANI App. Chani is a lesbian, trauma-aware, astrologer who offers a free guided meditation every week through her App.
Find a meditation center near you. Most meditation centers offer a free introduction or public teaching regularly. If you’re in the Bay Area, check out the Sunday Dharma Talks at Green Gulch Farm by Muir beach.
Find a Vipassana course. Vipassana courses are challenging 10-day silent meditation courses, where you meditate up to 14 hours a day. The courses are offered by donation so technically you could go for free. I donated $50 for my Vipassana course (and later donated more money when I was able). The challenge is finding an open spot in a place that you can access inexpensively.
4 - FIND A TEACHER ON YOUTUBE
YouTube has an incredible wealth of healers and teachers for you to try. Try subscribing to a few different folks and see how they support your healing. You can try out Yin Yoga with me on YouTube. Here’s a few teachers that I follow.
Astrology: Pam Gregory, Heather Ensworth
Yoga & Meditation: Kimilla, Dr. Joe Dispenza, Bernie Clark
Positive Psychology: Abraham Hicks Wisdom
Practical Spirituality: Christina Lopes
5 - TRY JOURNALING AND FREE WRITING
Writing can help you work things out without someone else to talk to. It’s recommended you set a timer for 5-25 minutes and write for the entire period. The goal with journaling isn’t to be clear or correct. The goal is to get as much as you can out of your mind and onto paper so you can work with those thoughts and emotions instead of just repeating them. You’re going to write down things that don’t make sense and things that aren’t true. That’s all part of the journaling process.
Here’s a few writing prompts to get you started with journaling…
Journal about your dreams and any themes that came up.
List what you are grateful for.
Write a letter to a person that you have trauma or drama with (but don’t send it).
Make a list of people who support you and/or are important to you.
My journal of 23 Questions to Ask Yourself, which you can download for free here.
6 - FIND FREE TRIALS
Yoga studios, fitness apps, and gyms often have free trials that you use to try out their programs. Some fitness studios will have a monthly “by donation” class that you can attend for free. If you live in a city, you can try a 30-day free trial with ClassPass, which will give you access to local yoga and fitness classes. Look for online classes that will give you a free trial to watch their recordings.
I’m offering a free Yin Yoga class via zoom coming up.
7 - LIBRARY BOOKS
Go to the best-funded library in your area and see what they have. You’ll definitely find all sorts of books on self-healing. If you don’t love to read, look for audio book options.
Here are books that I used on my self healing journey…
The Myth of Normal: Trauma, Illness, and Healing… by Gabor Maté
Paul, Rest, Be by Octavia Raheem
The Third Millennium by Ken Carey
The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz
The Untethered Soul & The Surrender Experiment by Michael A. Singer
Judgement Detox by Gabrielle Bernstein
Me and White Supremacy by Layla Saad
Books specifically for women and humans who are working on cultivating their internal attention…
Unbound: A Women’s Guide to Power by Kasia Urbaniak
The Spark Factor by Molly Maloof
Warrior Goddess Training by Heather Ash Amara
Pussy by Regena Thomashauer
Spiraling Upwards by Wendy Wallbridge
8 - VOLUNTEER AT A HEALING WORKSHOP
If there’s a healing workshop that you’d like to attend, ask about volunteer or work/trade tickets. Volunteering doesn’t mean you’ll miss the main event. Ask if you can come early for setup or stay late for strike. Every training needs a team of people to operate so ask if you can help run errands, greet people, or clean in exchange for attending. I have a friend who hasn’t paid for a workshop in over a decade because she volunteers to take event photos.
9 - TRADE FOR SERVICES
If there’s a teacher or healer that you’d like to work with but can’t afford, try asking for a trade. Honestly we’ve gotten so good at marketing to each other that it can feel like you need to buy a bunch of courses and coaching. I recommend focusing on one program at a time. Typically newer teachers are more open to trades as they build up their business.
After being on both sides of the trade equation, here’s my hints for asking for an effective trade.
Do some of the teacher’s work to make sure it’s actually what you want. (This could be watching their YouTube content, reading their book, listening to a podcast interview, or attending a free class.) Spend 4 hours on this teacher’s content and then check in with yourself. Are you still excited about working with this teacher? Does spending 4 hours a week on this seem worthwhile?
Become a member of their community with whatever free methods this teacher offers. This could be joining their mailing list, following them on Instagram, and/or participating in a Facebook group. If possible, become a positive and contributing member by leaving thoughtful comments and participating in challenges. Look for opportunities to volunteer with them.
Know how you heal best. If you can learn from recordings that is usually the cheapest way to work with a teacher and therefore the easiest to trade. If you are looking for 1 on 1 sessions, you will need a higher-quality skill to trade. Ideally you have skills that the teacher needs and you can offer them with ease.
Ask fearlessly. Send the teacher a nice note with what services you’d like from them and what services you can offer them. Include links that show your work or attach your resume.
10 - DRINK MORE WATER
Water is a powerful ally to cleansing on every level. Keep a glass of water nearby throughout your day and night. Remember that if you’re thirsty, then you’re already dehydrated. Remember that beverages that dehydrate need to be matched with more water (coffee, black teas, alcohol). My body sometimes tells me I’m hungry when I’m actually just dehydrated. Keeping hydrated helped me reduce snacking.
