The late yoga master B.K.S. Iyengar said, “Change leads to disappointment if it is not sustained. Transformation is sustained change, and it is achieved through practice.”
This quote got me thinking.
“I began to think about my daily and weekly practices. The ones that help me feel grounded, clear, and ready to face each day. I thought about the tools that re-energize me when I feel drained. It became clear that what keeps me in balance is to have consistent practices that support my whole being: physically, psychologically, and spiritually. I think of this as holistic transformation; an engagement in daily practices that organize body and mind towards wellbeing. Ultimately all of our transformational practices are about coming closer to our true nature.”
-Dr. Arielle Schwartz
Transformation requires a willingness to shift our relationship to pain. Often we avoid pain because we do not have sufficient resources to handle the losses or difficult events of our lives. In order to avoid pain we must invest our time and energy towards managing feelings. Letting go of control feels too frightening. As a result we can feel powerless and stuck.
We must acknowledge that we are stuck in order to change. Unsatisfied with stagnation we begin to feel irritated, frustrated, and angry. Now the energy is moving. Anger emerges and helps us say “no more!,” “I deserve better than this!” or “I take my power back!”
With renewed vigor we seek resources and support. We know that there is a way through this pain. We turn towards our fear and eventually to the pain itself. This is when we say, “I’m ready!” We recognize that the only way out is through. Feeling our pain allows us to reclaim the power of our disowned emotions and harness the energy necessary to create change.
Tools of transformation are the daily and weekly practices that support growth physically, psychologically, and spiritually. I think of these as resilience strategies. When we stack enough resources and positive behaviors together we feel stronger and more capable of handling life stress. Some practices are aimed towards getting out of the comfort zone whereas others are focused more on nurturing self-care. All create positive, lasting change. Here are my top five personal transformational practices:
Ultimately all of our transformational practices are about coming closer to our true nature. We become increasingly able to bring ourselves to the world as we are, vulnerable, raw, and real. We invite others to do the same. Your actions line up with your words cultivating a feeling of integrity within yourself and trustworthiness among others. The world is calling for your authentic presence. Are you ready?
Dr. Arielle Schwartz is a licensed clinical psychologist, wife, and mother in Boulder, CO. She offers trainings for therapists, maintains a private practice, and has passions for the outdoors, yoga, and writing. She is the developer of Resilience-Informed Therapy which applies research on trauma recovery to form a strength-based, trauma treatment model that includes Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), somatic (body-centered) psychology and time-tested relational psychotherapy. Like Dr. Arielle Schwartz on Facebook or sign up for email updates to stay up to date with all my posts.
Arielle Schwartz, PhD, is a psychologist, internationally sought-out teacher, yoga instructor, and leading voice in the healing of PTSD and complex trauma. She is the author of five books, including The Complex PTSD Workbook, EMDR Therapy and Somatic Psychology, and The Post Traumatic Growth Guidebook.
Dr. Schwartz is an accomplished teacher who guides therapists in the application of EMDR, somatic psychology, parts work therapy, and mindfulness-based interventions for the treatment of trauma and complex PTSD. She guides you through a personal journey of healing in her Sounds True audio program, Trauma Recovery.
She has a depth of understanding, passion, kindness, compassion, joy, and a succinct way of speaking about very complex topics. She is the founder of the Center for Resilience Informed Therapy in Boulder, Colorado where she maintains a private practice providing psychotherapy, supervision, and consultation. Dr. Schwartz believes that that the journey of trauma recovery is an awakening of the spiritual heart.
