Journey: 1. to travel over or through 2. a traveling from one place to another 3. a distance, course or area traveled
It is interesting that there is only a two letter difference between the above two words. Embarking on a self-healing or any type of transformational journey takes a person from one place within themselves to another. A journey to your true self requires travel through many layers that were created over much time. A journal is a priceless tool to have while on your inner travels. It is a friend, a compass, a reference, and a map to finding the treasure which is your truth. Your authentic, I Am, self.
Journaling has been a part of my life for as far back as I can remember. I have hazy early memories of the small diaries I would receive at Christmas time that would come with a lock and those itty -bitty keys to open them. I loved those diaries. I loved the fact that they had a lock on them. I mean let's be honest anyone with determination and a bobby pin could open one of those diaries, but, that was not the point. The point was to my pre- teen and teenage self this was a part of my world that was all mine. The lock was symbolic. This was where I could be me, fully and completely. I could share with my diary all of my secret middle school boy crushes, how frustrated I was at my mom for not letting me stay the night at my best friends, or allow its comforting pages to collect my salt water tears from the pain of feeling so ugly, different, and utterly alone for so many years.
My diaries have changed throughout the years. In fact I believe when I stopped calling it a diary and began calling it a journal is when I graduated to the more "adult" version. I remember going through a phase when I had to be all grown up and therefore I needed a Barnes and Nobles- esque Moleskin type journal. Very boring. Very uninspiring. Sorta like what happens when you lose touch with your inner child. When you succumb to the belief that you have to be grown up all the time. When play time becomes a luxury and not a necessity. That phase lasted for a while. Painful.
I have saved almost all of my journals from right out of high school until today. Unfortunately some of those journals have been lost due to many different moves I have made to different parts of the United States. If I go into my shed today I still have a big box full of journals. I can open one at any time and be taken back to a certain period of my life. It is actually fascinating. Sometimes I cringe. Sometimes I laugh. Sometimes I wonder who the person was writing at that time because she doesn't sound like me. Sometimes I can read where I haven't changed in some areas. Other times I read about the areas of my life I have changed. Sometimes I get to remember something I otherwise forgot or chose to purposefully forget:) Sometimes I smile because I can read where I came from and stand here now knowing I survived.
I am so glad I kept my journals. They are my life. I always imagined one day I would have grandchildren and when I passed away I would leave them a box. The box would contain a letter from me to them and all my journals and memorabilia I have kept throughout my life. I would want them to remember who I was when I was younger. Not just the old woman they had come to know but who that old woman once was and eventually grew to be. I don't know if I will ever have that opportunity for I do not have children at this time in my life. However it is a strong image and I still feel it will be carried out. I just don't know whose children it will be who gets the box?:)
Journaling is therapeutic. It is powerful. It is trans formative. It is not for everyone although everyone could benefit.
I often hear from people that they would like to journal but just don't think they can. At first when I started hearing those responses it confused me. How could someone not journal? It is so easy to do. I have heard many different excuses over time as to why people can't or just will not journal. Of all the excuses I have heard from different people about why they can not sit down and simply write the following two seem to be the most popular:
1. I don't have time
2. I don't know what I would write
These to me are just that -excuses. If someone really wants to do something that is suggested as a tool to get all the "inner muck" out of their head and onto the paper in front of them for some relief and to gain some awareness then they will find a way to do it. Writing in a journal takes nothing more than opening a notebook and putting pen or pencil to paper and just start writing what is on your mind. That is all.
Now there are many other ways to journal, but if you want the simple and straight forward way to start then just open up the notebook and start writing.
My favorite time to journal is when I first wake up. I have a routine in the morning of what I do to prepare myself mentally and physically for the day. Journaling is included in this morning routine. It is a great way for me to let out all the subconscious mind funk that came up from the night before and lay it out on paper in front of me. This makes me feel like I have made room in my head and I'm not taking this stuff with me throughout the day. If it is a morning I am not feeling particuarly chipper I can get my thoughts and feeling out on paper and see what may be affecting my serenity staring back at me. When I see this I can then work on solutions to bring back balance. Sometimes I get creative ideas first thing in the morning and I include these in my journal time. Anything can come out. Just write.
I always think of what Julia Cameron of The Artists Way suggests when she talks about her morning pages exercise. She suggests that even if you can't think of anything to write for three pages then just write, "I don't know what to write" over and over until something else comes forward to write about. I have used that tip especially when I am going through a morning pages phase.
Morning pages is a practice of getting up and writing three pages front and back of whatever comes out of your head first thing in the morning. Front and back. Three pages. I actually wrote a report about morning pages in college and spoke about the benefits of morning pages in my public speaking class. Can you tell I am an advocate of journaling yet?
If there is a certain area of my life I am working on I always keep a journal about it. Always. This is how I can reference back to awareness's that I have made and work on what I need to do. I can look over progress I have made or where I may be stuck. I can gain deeper insight into my inner world by just bringing my feelings onto paper. It is so relieving.
In addition to daily writing I have kept journals for:
1. Body cleanses
2. 40-90-120 Day Yoga sadhanas
3. Artwork
4. Affirmation work
5. Creative Recovery
6. Food Sensitivities
7. Grief Work
8. Inner Child Work
and more.
In past Recovery Rising series I have facilitated I suggested students bring journals to class. This was so they would have something on hand to write down their thoughts, ideas, insights, rants, or whatever else arose. I also suggested that they continue a journal practice outside of class also. This was merely a suggestion.
This time around I am not suggesting it I am making it an integral part of the program because I know it is an supportive, effective, powerful tool for someone on a self-healing path. I am starting a new series this coming weekend and one of the requirements for the students will be to bring in a journal that they will use for their six-week journey. I am giving them ample time to go out and let their heart guide them to the appropriate notebook, journal, etc.
I am including photos down below of various journal suggestions. During my heavy inner child therapy phase I kept going to the colorful, fun, spiral notebooks. When I just needed a notebook to write affirmations in or track my food sensitivities I would get the really cheap $1.00- $1.99 notebooks. Natalie Goldberg the author of Writing Down The Bones suggests having those cheapo spiral notebooks on hand as you never know when inspiration will strike or you run out of room in your regular journal. When I feel like being more artistic in my journaling I will get an sketch journal. The kind with just the blank white sketch pages with the black cover. I have been known to decorate the front of those with construction paper and make my own decorative cover.
The Recovery Rising students are going to be given questions as prompts to assist them in their journal experience and asked to maintain a daily journal practice throughout the six- weeks.
For anyone who has thought about starting a journaling practice I would say that there is a reason you thought about it, so have you started it? Cool. If not....well.... then why not? What is your excuse? Come on. What is the first excuse that comes to your mind? Really?
If it was either of the two excuses listed above then I suggest you read this blog again or put pen to paper and start writing out "I don't know what to write" over and over until you push through and other words begin to emerge. Try it. What do you have to lose? What do you have to gain?
Get out there. Find a fun notebook or fancy journal that inspires you! Let your heart guide you.
Get to know yourself:) Your inner world is waiting to come into the light.
Journal!
Blessings,
Kristianna
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