Holistic Healing for Veterans: 4 Powerful Ways to Heal After Service
“Self-care is how you take your power back.” – Lalah Delia
As a veteran, I know that post-service care is often provided through a government-run health system that does not always seem to truly “see” the person. Instead, care can feel grouped by experience, age, or general needs rather than individual lived experience.
Holistic healing for veterans is an alternative approach that can support taking greater control of the healing journey. At one time, I was not aware of these options either, but now they have become part of my daily practice.
If this resonates with you, I invite you to continue reading as I share alternative methods that may serve as either adjunct or stand-alone practices in supporting a healthier, more balanced life through holistic approaches to healing and recovery.
Meditation for Veteran Health
As a guided meditation creator, my approach to meditation for veterans’ health differs slightly and is rooted in holistic healing for veterans who are seeking alternative ways to regulate trauma responses. This is because I have been to dark places that many veterans have been to, and I know where boundaries are essential. This was something I did not feel professionals understood when seeking treatment.
My experience started when I was first told I had PTSD and was sent to a therapist to use EMDR. This particular practitioner thought it would be a good idea to have me close my eyes, then approach me from behind, and then touch me without my knowledge or consent. Yes, you can say that didn’t work out well at all.
EMDR is an excellent tool for learning to control your mental well-being. It can be considered a guided approach to meditation that involves relaxation and retraining the mind. However, I have since learned I could do the same through independent meditative practices. So, what do I mean by meditative practices?
First, I do not suggest isolating yourself in a quiet room. That situation can be jarring because you are alone with your thoughts, and they don’t stop coming. I recommend short guided meditations that let you follow the voice on a mental journey, helping you release overthinking and your heightened awareness.
When searching for a good guided meditation, look for soothing voices that don’t prickle your ears. Find a tone that is acceptable to you and seems to penetrate deep into your subconscious. This form of guided meditation delves into the deeper aspects of your being, enabling you to reevaluate memories and discover growth in those experiences.
The Natural Approach for Holistic Healing for Veterans
Another meditation approach is sitting outdoors. Nature has an inherent soothing vibration, and its sounds always seem to calm the system. Take a nature break if you find things chaotic or your mind won’t calm down!
Walk outside for 5, 10, or 15 minutes to start. Take note of the changes you feel physically, mentally, and emotionally. To release your struggles, worries, or tension, consider touching a tree, walking barefoot, or sitting beside the water. All these elements support your energetic being and can be called upon to help you find comfort and release. This is one of the easiest forms of holistic healing for veterans.
During these nature breaks, speak into existence: “I release the burdens of memory” or “I release the hold that my experiences have over me.” Your voice speaks into power what you need, and your angels hear you. They are always with you, just waiting for you to invite them to take action in your life.
Holistic Healing for Veterans: Energy Healing
This modality is a key part of holistic healing for veterans, especially those seeking alternatives to traditional talk therapy. This modality may seem a bit far-fetched, especially after living in the harsh realities of our world. However, veterans have experienced reality firsthand by confronting the harsh, dark truths humanity offers. So, how can energy healing help?
First, a good energy practitioner will tell you that we do not heal you. Instead, we help you activate your energy centers, known as chakras, so you can learn to heal yourself. This is a commitment you make to yourself when using this approach. You have already made a significant commitment; now is the time to commit to your healing.
A session with me gets you into a calm, meditative state. I have a massage table that you can lie on, or if sitting is more comfortable, a chair is just as good. In that position, I will always offer you headphones or play music. That is to help you get out of your head and quiet the racing thoughts. This is truly phenomenal holistic healing for veterans.
Your entire focus for an energy session is to trust and accept the healing being performed. Can that be difficult? Yes, but it can also be rewarding. With a single thought in your mind, “I accept the healing energy,” you will notice that thoughts become quiet, the flow begins to slow, and you can view memories as events from the past instead of reliving them in the present.
Energy healing is a way to release events or encounters that no longer serve you. These are typically negative situations that trigger your sympathetic nervous system. You know, fight-or-flight, looking for all the exits in a room, or scanning a parking lot because your brain says someone can sneak up on you at that time. I have been there!
In the service, we are told that we can do anything… within the limits of our governing regulations. In reality, you can do anything that you set your mind to. That includes healing your mind, body, and soul. The hardest part is making the leap and committing. Holistic healing for veterans is waiting for you to take action.
Sound and Vibrational Therapy used for Holistic Healing for Veterans
Sound and vibrational therapies are great ways to help your body find balance. As stated before, everything in this world carries energy. That energy has a unique vibration or frequency. These modalities provide holistic healing for veterans by harnessing these frequencies to restore harmony within you.
Sound and vibrational therapies are often used within holistic healing for veterans to help regulate the nervous system and restore emotional balance.
Sound therapy uses instruments or music that carry specific frequencies to penetrate the body through the ears. You may have seen videos with singing bowls, gongs, tuning forks, or even flutes, to name a few. These great examples help you understand the process and manage expectations for sound healing.
Sound therapy is an effective holistic healing for veterans, helping them achieve a calm, centered state. You are on a journey as you listen to different tones, and your body reacts to the vibrations they send. If that seems foreign to you, bear with me as I break it down to something more relatable: music. Music is a very relaxing form of holistic healing for veterans.
Have you ever been in a mood and decided to listen to music? Have you ever noticed that the type of music, tempo, or lyrics reflects your current mood? That is because you are energetic, finding frequencies that resonate with your current state.
On the other hand, have you ever been in a sad mood and listened to music that opposed your emotions? Picture one of your go-to uplifting tracts. Take a moment to notice how you feel when you hear that specific song or sound. Can you see the difference in how that song elevates you versus the matching mood music?
This is how sound therapy works. It helps your body shift from low-frequency (negative) to high-frequency (positive), giving you clarity of mind, emotional control, and a more positive outlook. It is a beautiful avenue to holistic healing for veterans.
Vibroacoustic therapy utilizes low-frequency sound vibrations that penetrate deeply into the body to promote healing and regulation. This is done through a VAT bed that you lie on. If you choose, you are supported by the bed and swaddled in a blanket to provide comfort and safety. Then, the music is played, and vibrations are produced via transducers that can be felt throughout the body.
I like to call this form of therapy a touchless massage because it feels like your body has been worked. You release stuck thoughts or energies, cultivate the ability to be present at the moment, release worry or fear of the past or future, and give your body time to reach a harmonious state. Of all the modalities, this one is my favorite on the list of holistic healing for veterans.
As someone who used to get a massage at least once a month, I found it fascinating that I could have a similar level of relaxation through vibrations. This modality for holistic healing for veterans is a one-on-one practice that requires little effort on your part, except for showing up. Oh, and there is no physical touch involved.
All of these modalities support a healthier you. They can calm the mind, bring clarity of thought, promote better sleep, and help you shift your perspective on reality. I know the world is chaotic and messy, but that doesn’t mean you have to be in that same frequency. Use these modalities of holistic healing for veterans to help elevate you out of the muck and into the light. Holistic healing for veterans is available in all of these modalities, especially for you.
Holistic Healing for Veterans Through Journaling
Journaling is another powerful tool used in holistic healing for veterans, helping individuals reconnect with their identity and process emotions.
I had the most challenging time getting into this practice because journaling was not a private experience growing up. Now, I probably have three journals I rotate through. Journaling helps me release my emotions, track my growth in real time, and provide a healthy outlet for my thoughts and feelings.
The hardest part, I feel, is getting started. Let me give you some pointers if you feel that way. Journaling is not about what you write, but that you write. It’s a way to get your thoughts out of your head and take a break! Journaling is a terrific modality of holistic healing for veterans.
I started by writing a question at the top of the page: “What am I feeling right now?” This does multiple things for you. First, you begin to recognize your emotional state in real-time. You no longer have to question your mood or state of mind; this journaling exercise fosters self-awareness. Self-awareness fosters self-understanding, enabling you to gain insight into yourself as you embrace self-love.
Let’s look at this from a real-world scenario. Have you ever owned a pet or wanted to own a pet? Initially, you are excited because this new darling animal will go everywhere and do everything with you. Then you realize your pet has needs and requirements you weren’t prepared for.
Young pets demand food, attention, exercise, enrichment, bathroom breaks, and safety. You knew some of those things, but now you are in panic mode because you forgot to think through everything. That is precisely how we go about life. We see a partial picture that is typically given to us by some form of authority, and we follow their directives. We may have gut feelings or instincts telling us there is another way, but we still follow what we are told.
Journaling helps you break away from the cycle of control by giving you the reins. You are reclaiming your power through self-love and self-acceptance. You are building your foundation in a world that seems so different after what you have gone through —a world you got lost in at some point, not physically, but in the chaos and action that detached you. This is powerful, holistic healing for veterans.
Through journaling, you can reconnect with your core self—the one you had to tuck away to serve your country, the innocent one with grand hopes and dreams that now seem like a fleeting memory. That is the person you reconnect with when you start to acknowledge and love yourself.
These modalities together form a supportive approach to holistic healing for veterans, offering tools for emotional regulation, clarity, and long-term recovery. Now is the only time you are guaranteed because the future is not assured. Today, you can take control of your life and bring about change. Decide to change for the better and create a brighter, more fulfilling future. Learn to love who you are and the strength you have shown in the face of life’s adversities. You are not alone in your journey; we are here to help.
Learn more aboutAlisha Bee’s sessions.
Check out this article if you’d like to dig deeper into journaling for growth.
