Your Healer Within

Journaling

In this section we discuss the process that is the cornerstone of all of our programs at Your Healer Within, ”Journaling.” Not the kind of “Dear Diary” journaling that you may have been accustomed to in your adolescence, or the “journal” that is just a record of daily events in your life, but a specific type of writing called “Intentional Journaling.”

“Intentional journaling” is a discipline that allows us to dig deeper into the reasons why we do and believe the things we do, why we feel what we feel and the hidden processes that go on “behind the scenes” in our subconscious minds.  It is, as the name suggests, journaling with a specific intention in mind- such as developing a deeper understanding of a troublesome behavior or attitude -and involves a bit more mental preparation than less intensive journaling techniques. It is not difficult or particularly time consuming; however, it does require a certain level of commitment to the process if you wish to obtain the kind of results that can truly make a difference in your life. For that reason, we offer you some specific guidelines on how to make intentional journaling work for you.

First, however , lets talk for just a  moment about why journaling is such a wonderful tool for those looking to develop insight into and an understanding of what drives their behavior.

As you may already know, most of our behavior is driven by our subconscious minds-the part of our mind that is “hidden” behind the layers of defenses through which we filter our inner “reality.”  The subconscious contains our memories, all of our conditioned thoughts, our “hot buttons,” our opinions and prejudices, our habits and beliefs-in other words the essence of who we are-our emotional selves. It adds dimension and texture to the factual reality of our lives by attaching memory to our experiences. When we see a dog, for example, our rational brain tells us it is a dog, but our subconscious attaches the emotional meaning,such as  "soft and fuzzy-nice dog" if our memories are pleasant and "dogs bite-bad dog" if they are less so.

Our conscious mind, on the other hand, deals with the here and now; it is about awareness, perception, intelligence and our personal reality. Unless directed to do so, the conscious mind does not concern itself with the “hidden agendas” of our subconscious. Although it has the power to overrule the subconscious at any time, it needs for us to instruct it to pay attention to what the subconscious is doing before it will notice that anything needs to change.

One of the very best ways to gather information about the subconscious workings of our mind is through intentional journaling.

The principles we use for intentional journaling reflect what we know about the subconscious mind. For example, we think much more quickly than we can write-therefore we encourage you to write in your journal as quickly as you can in order to capture those racing thoughts. Pay no attention to grammar, punctuation, spelling or-if you're using a written journal-handwriting. (As long as you can still read what you wrote. One reason I switched to my computer was that my handwriting had deteriorated so badly that  even I could not read what I had written .) It is also important that you do not try to “censor” or make sense of your thoughts as you are writing them down..

After you finish each journaling session, return to your journal some time later and review what you have written. This is the time when you will often gain startling insights into yourself; afterwards you may wish to “polish” your writing and save it for the future.  But doing so in the first “draft”  defeats the primary purpose of your writing, which is to access the subconscious and gain insight into confusing, troubling, painful or otherwise difficult areas of your life without interference from your self-protective, heavily defended conscious “self.”

The subconscious is creative and spontaneous; it is quite literally a reflection of our “inner child”. Therefore,when trying to delve into that part of yourself it is very often useful-and fun-to use color, drawing, rhyme, poetry-even music to draw the most information from the experience. Using these types of tools can help to create an emotional “safe haven” wherein your subconscious will feel comfortable and at ease, thus allowing painful or even traumatic memories to surface. Witnessing these memories in your journal often allows you to view them in a completely different light than when they first occurred. What was once quite threatening-even terrifying-often appears very different when viewed through the filter of time, experience and the wisdom you have gained through the years. Without the intrusion of conditioned fear, we can see our past with greater clarity and unravel the intricate web of  experience that molded our view of ourselves and the world around us.

Finally, it is,essential to remember that journaling is a process.  You can learn much about the people, events, experiences and beliefs that have shaped your life and the person you have become through the consistent practice of journaling with intention.  This knowledge can help you to experience enormous positive effect sin every aspect of your life. But it will take time, effort and commitment to obtain these benefits; nothing will be gained-except perhaps some enjoyment-from a few haphazard attempts at writing about your life. So remember, this is not your memoirs; it is a therapeutic process that can-and will-change your life if you make the time and the commitment to do it well.

Learn more about the process of journaling and access the most comprehensive collection of journaling resources anywhere on the web. Become a part of the web's best site on personal growth...Higher Awareness.com. Learn more about them here or go directly to their website by clicking on the url shown below.

http://www.higherawareness.com