My Dark Night of the Soul

About 6 years ago I found myself smack dab in the middle of a dark night of the soul. I had 3 young children, I was working myself to the bone, and my body began to revolt. Four rounds of strep throat in 6 months led to joint pain, diarrhea, migraine headaches, exhaustion, and brain fog. I could hardly get out of bed.
How could this happen to me, a health- conscious yogi? Shame reared its ugly head. I felt like a huge fraud. I was selling a healthy lifestyle in my business and I was a hot mess.
The term ‘Dark night of the soul’ was first coined by 16th century mystic and poet St. John of the Cross. Dark nights of the soul are trials that help you burn through the things holding you back, propel you into a new phase of life, and make you more of who you are.
My dark night took a full year to get through. My healing was multifaceted and addressed my body (diet changes, restorative yoga, more sleep), my energy (regular breath practices, daily meditation), my mind (yoga nidra and therapy helping me address my long-held patterns of perfectionism), and my unconscious mind (dream work).
My health slowly improved and my light turned back on. The approach I took to foster my own healing, and which I now successfully use with all of my clients, is based on an integrative approach of Positive Psychology, Mindfulness, Yoga, and Meditation.
Archives