Do you remember what it felt like to be a child before the world got to you? There was a time in your life when you were totally present, moving with the rhythms of your natural essence, allowing your being to be exactly as it was. When did that stop? Somewhere along the way, we start to become separate from our bodies. Maybe for you, this shift happened slowly, or maybe something unbearable came your way that forced you to grow up too fast. Did you feel unsafe in your body? Were you convinced your body was not good enough? Most importantly, what coping mechanisms did you learn along the way to shield you from this pain - and how do they show up in your life still today? We all live with various coping mechanisms that we have learned in response to trauma, hardship and pain, and they played a crucial role in our development. When we were younger these learned behaviors kept us safe, they protected our nervous system, they tucked away our worries and fears so we could deal with them at a later time. That time is now. If you are experiencing the same patterns over and over again, if you check out, if you dissociate - it is likely happening because you are being triggered by something that reminds you of the real pain from your past. The difference now is that you finally have the tools to heal and process. The universe may be hitting you on the head with the same problems over and over again, and that means it is time to find the underlying causes and to truly let them go. We often think healing takes a grand gesture - a trip to a mountaintop or an intense yoga retreat on the beach. But the first moment of healing happens when you realize you’ve left yourself, and you bring yourself back. That first moment of awareness is all it takes. Over time, you leave yourself less and less. In today’s episode, Rachel shares her own recent and personal experience of physically letting go. It’s hard, it hurts - but when you heal now you heal what was then. At the end of today’s episode, Rachel shares some valuable journaling prompts so you can dive into an actionable practice on your healing journey. Tune in to return home to what you’ve always been at your core. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices