Veteran Health – 4 Powerful Alternative Approaches to Healing
“Self-care is how you take your power back.” – Lalah Delia
As a veteran, I know the standard of post-service care is through a government-run health system that does not always seem to “see” the person. Instead, they are grouped according to experience, age, or needs. I was previously unaware of alternative or holistic approaches that allowed me to take control of my healing journey. If you resonate with this, please continue reading as I share some alternative approaches that may serve as adjunct or stand-alone “healthier you” services.
Meditation for Veteran Health
As a guided meditation creator, my approach to meditation for veteran health differs slightly from that of a civilian. This is because I have been to dark places that many veterans have and 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. Yeah, you can say that did not 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 through relaxing and retraining the mind. However, I have since learned that I could do the same thing 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 allow you to follow the voice on a mental journey, freeing you from overthinking and 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 gets to the deeper parts of your being, allowing you to recategorize memories and find growth in those experiences.
Another meditation approach is sitting outdoors. Nature has an inherent soothing vibration, and the sounds of nature always seem to calm the system. If you find things chaotic or your mind will not calm down, give yourself a nature break!
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, you can touch a tree, walk barefoot, or sit beside the water. All these elements support your energetic being and can be called upon to help you find comfort and release.
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.
Energy Healing for Veteran Health
This modality may seem a bit far-fetched, especially after living in the harsh realities of our world. However, veterans have experienced reality by facing the harsh and dark truths that humanity offers. So, how can energy healing help?
First, a good energy practitioner will tell you that we do not do the healing for you. Instead, we help you activate your energy centers, known as chakras so that you learn how 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 lay 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 assist you in getting out of your head and helping quiet the racing thoughts.
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 one single thought in your mind, “I accept the healing energy,” you will notice that thoughts are quiet, the flow begins to slow, and you can see the memories as events from the past instead of reliving them in the present.
Energy healing is a way to release those events or encounters that do not serve you. These are typically negative situations that have you operating in 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.
If you want to learn more or book a session, click here.
Sound or Vibrational Therapy for Veteran Health
Sound and vibrational therapies are great ways to help your body find balance. As stated before, everything in this world carries energy. With that energy, there is a vibration or frequency that is unique to it. These modalities harness these frequencies to restore harmony within you.
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 a great way to create a calm, centered state. You are on a journey as you listen to the different tones, and your body reacts to the vibrations sent to you. If that seems foreign to you, bear with me as I break it down to something more relatable: music.
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 bring awareness to 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, control over emotions, and a more positive outlook.
Vibroacoustic therapy uses low-frequency sound vibrations that penetrate deep into the body to provide healing and regulation. This is done through a VAT bed that you lie on. You are supported by the bed and swaddled in a blanket (should you choose) 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 in the moment, release worry or fear of the past or future, and give your body time to reach a harmonious state.
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 is great for veteran healing because it is a one-on-one practice that requires little on your side except 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, provide better sleep, and aid you in shifting your perspective of reality. I know the world is chaotic and messy, but that does not mean you must be in that same frequency. Use these modalities to help elevate you out of the muck and into the light.
Veteran Healing Through Journaling
The dreaded journaling. 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, see my growth in real-time, and give me a healthy outlet for thoughts and feelings.
The hardest part, I feel, is getting started, and if you feel that way, too, let me give you some pointers. Journaling is not so much about what you are writing but that you are writing. It is a way to get the thoughts out of your head and get a break!
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 because this journaling exercise brings about self-awareness. Self-awareness brings about self-understanding, which helps you learn about who you are through loving yourself.
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 begin to realize there are needs and requirements that your pet has that you were unprepared 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 reigns. You are taking back your power through self-love and 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 you detached.
Using journaling, you can reconnect with your core self. You know, the one you had to tuck away to serve your country. The innocent one who had grand hopes and dreams that seem to be a fleeting memory now. That is the person you are reconnecting with when you start acknowledging and loving yourself.
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 by creating a brighter and more fulfilling future. Learn to love who you are and the strength you have shown through life’s adversities. You are not alone in your journey; we are here to help.
Check out this article if you’d like to dig deeper into journaling for growth. You can also schedule time with our journaling expert here.
