What does recovery mean to you…from the inside?
From the outside, recovery often gets portrayed as a solo trek, a battle we must wage in isolation, but in truth, recovery is a collective experience, as we discover our shared humanity. It’s a journey we don’t have to walk alone.
In recovery, we learn we are not defined by our worst moments.
Recovery gives us permission to be imperfect. We don’t have to punish ourselves when we stumble on the path; after all, relapse is part of the process and with self-compassion, we can get back up again and again until we find our way. We deserve support, not judgment.
In recovery, the masks we hide behind fall away as we learn that it’s ok to meet the world with radical authenticity allowing the relationships we choose to be defined by trust, not fear.
With time, we make peace with our past as the pain that once haunted us transforms into wisdom and we gain the clarity to break certain cycles that may have been holding us back.
Recovery can instill great strength within us to endure things we once thought were impossible: overcoming cravings, facing fears, breaking free of the familiar; but above all, recovery teaches us that we are enough. Simply showing up each day with the courage to keep going makes us Heroes and Sheroes because we don’t need to be perfect to live boldly.
Recovery is a choice to reclaim our lives. It’s the realization that we’ve always possessed the capacity for joy, connection, and meaning and simply need to look within to find the key. Recovery gives us permission to unleash our full selves upon the world albeit flawed, fierce, and free.
You don’t have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step.
— Martin Luther King
When I ask myself, ‘What does recovery mean to you?’ I pause and think of all the ways that my Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT), or tapping practice has evolved my answer to be: “Hope, Strength, Community, Purpose, Compassion and Acceptance.”
Research shows that EFT improves multiple physiological markers of health as it lessens addictive cravings, traumatic symptoms, and depression by releasing emotions and energy blockages. The practice restores inner balance and empowers people in recovery to self-soothe, face triggers, and regain control of their lives.
Best of all, EFT provides a self-help tool to overcome challenges and build the future we deserve.
If you’re ready like I was to take that first step of releasing stressful patterns from the past and start experiencing emotional freedom in the present, let’s connect about how EFT can start helping you today.
Contact Karen St. Clair to learn EFT in private sessions, in workshop settings, or as a presenter at your next corporate function at karenstclairEFT.com.