Key Messages
Unlock Your Potential For Healing With Dr. Nicole Lepera’s Holistic Approach
Dr.
Nicole LePera faced some serious warning signs that her body was trying to tell her something was wrong – chronic gut issues, constant headaches and even fainting for no apparent reason.
She battled brain fog and felt overwhelmed with anxiety, regardless of antidepressants or paracetamol she took to try and treat the symptoms.
That’s when Dr.
LePera chose to pursue a different approach towards self-healing; encompassing physical, spiritual, as well as traditional methods of therapy in a holistic fashion.
So if you are looking for ways to heal yourself from burnout, trauma, or other forms of dissociation then it’s time you do the work: start taking control of your life and learn how to heal from such deep mental and physical wounds once and for all.
You will figure out how childhood experiences mold our behaviour today; why setting boundaries is key in forming relationships; finally unravelling the connection between our gut health and brain functioning.
Dr Nicole Lepera’S Spiritual Awakening: From Mainstream Psychology To A Holistic Approach
Dr Nicole LePera’s spiritual awakening was sparked from rock bottom.
She had gone on holidays with her girlfriend and all she could feel was emptiness, exhaustion, detachment and frustration.
No matter how much her life looked perfect, inside she felt awful.
She simply knew that something in her life just wasn’t working.
With this realisation, Dr LePera started implementing actions to truly heal herself – mentally, emotionally and physically.
This meant undertaking rigorous fitness sessions; making mindful nutrition choices; and embracing regular meditation and breathwork – habits which became embedded into her daily routine over time.
Today, she is known as a holistic psychologist with over three million followers tuning in to document and identify as SelfHealers through Instagram posts.
All thanks to the journey she embarked on after hitting rock bottom – one where she embraced that something in her life had to change in order for growth and happiness to be achieved.
The Power Of The Mind-Body Connection And Self-Healing For Mental Health
At the heart of the How to Do the Work book summary is the concept that, in order to really heal our minds, we need to understand the intimate connection between our bodies and our minds.
We often think of these two areas as being completely separate from each other, but research shows that this isn’t true.
If we want to get better, we have to focus not just on psychological healing but also on physical health.
This means working on things like sleep quality, nutrition, exercise and overall stress levels – all which can have a significant impact on mental health.
It’s important to note that healing doesn’t happen overnight – it’s a process which requires dedication and hard work over time.
But by focusing on both physical and mental health in tandem, we can see real improvements in how we feel mentally and emotionally.
Furthermore, holistic psychology emphasizes that people do have an element of control over their medical conditions, despite systemic oppression.
Real progress comes when people take ownership of their own well-being and begin taking steps towards self-healing within their unique circumstances.
Gain Self-Awareness Through Practicing Mindfulness And Thought Discipline
Most of us don’t take the time to pay attention to our thoughts.
We often just let them run rampant without evaluating them and only really become conscious of our thoughts five percent of the day.
This can lead us to living on autopilot, trapped in old habits and thought patterns, hindering us from fully living our lives.
That’s why it’s so important for us to become aware of our thoughts.
It’s a crucial step in helping individuals move past their childhood patterns and freeing themselves from feelings of helplessness by being able to change their thought processes if necessary.
Jessica found this out for herself when she started a yoga practice and began taking the time to observe her own thought patterns.
As she continued her practice, she grew more mindful of her reactions, emotions, and fears that had been previously preventing her from making decisions about a longterm relationship with her boyfriend.
Getting into the practice of being aware of your thoughts can begin as small as taking a minute every day out of your routine to be conscious of your environment – take notice of the trees, people you may pass by, feel the breeze on your skin or listen closely to what you can hear around you – then turn that awareness within by examining your own thought pattern.
It will feel strange at first, but mastering the skill will provide immense benefits once it becomes more natural over time!
We Need To Identify Childhood Trauma In Order To Heal
We all suffer from traumas of some kind, and the longer we go without identifying and recognizing those traumas, the harder they are to heal.
In her book, How to Do the Work, ” author Bari LePera shares how uncovering childhood trauma was critical to her healing journey.
Growing up in a seemingly normal Italian family full of tension and bickering, she wasn’t even aware that she was experiencing trauma.
She describes having a dissociated childhood where her parents denied her feelings and invaded her privacy – leaving LePera feeling unseen, unheard, and powerless.
This is why it’s so important to recognize our own childhood traumas – whether major or minor – in order for us to begin the healing process.
All children will pick up on their parents’ fears and anxieties – whether or not those fears or anxieties were obvious to them.
It’s additionally important for children’s parents to create boundaries that respect their children rather than invading their privacy or suffering from un-managed emotions such as anger outbursts or emotional detachment.
These experiences can be incredibly hard on a child as they lead to alienation from themselves and their authentic selves – making them doubt their beliefs and opinions which can have long-term effects into adulthood if left unchecked.
LePera had to go through this painful but meaningful process of confronting her past head-on in order to finally feel better again.
And we all have similar things in our history too – learning how recognizing the trauma that exists within us is a great step towards true health and wellbeing for ourselves too!
We Must Learn To Disarm Our Survival Systems
In the face of a perceived threat, our bodies are programmed to inadvertently switch into survival mode.
This is the fight, flight, or freeze response and it kicks in with no conscious discretion from us.
It’s designed to keep us safe and secure but is unnecessary when these threats don’t actually exist.
When we experience trauma and stress, our brains appear to misread things as threats even when there isn’t one present and this triggers a primal fear that takes over our body making it difficult for us to think rationally or be in control of our own emotions.
This is why it’s so important that we learn how to disarm our survival systems when the danger isn’t real.
We can start by becoming consciously aware of the way our bodies respond to perceived threats so that we can intervene in those moments and take back control.
Secondly, calming techniques like focusing on deep breaths or other forms of physical exercise can be used to reduce stress levels and calm down the body.
Lastly, by eating whole, nutritious foods and ensuring that we’re getting enough quality sleep, our gut health is supported which will have a positive effect on mental wellbeing too.
By being cognizant of these tactics and understanding how they can help when faced with fear-inducing triggers we’re aiding ourselves in taking back control from our unconscious instincts as needed!
How Reparenting Can Help Us Overcome Negative Core Beliefs
Our beliefs about ourselves are formed in childhood, and they can become so powerful that they define how we view our own worth and life.
When we have negative core beliefs, the way we see the world becomes distorted through a phenomenon called confirmation bias – where we search for evidence to support our assumptions.
These beliefs can affect every corner of our lives, making us feel disempowered and inadequate.
But there is hope!
Through reparenting ourselves, we can start to reprogram these old core beliefs.
By enacting loving discipline on ourselves – keeping promises, prioritizing self care and emotional regulation – we create an environment where our inner child starts to trust us again.
We become the wise and loving parent that acknowledges their fears and survival mechanisms so that new ways of thinking can take hold.
Reparenting truly changes everything!
The Importance Of Creating Loving Boundaries To Improve Relationships
It’s true that strong and loving boundaries will improve relationships – but many of us don’t realize how important they are.
Especially if we come from families that lack boundaries, it can be hard to understand why cultivating them is so essential.
Take Susan as an example: she had no personal boundaries and was constantly inundated with requests from friends and family members expecting attention at any hour without ever asking about her own wellbeing.
In order to enjoy better relationships, Susan had to begin creating her own boundaries.
The first step is physical boundaries: Respect for our autonomy, the way we want to be touched or taken care of, the food we eat and the self-care practices that make us feel good about ourselves.
Resource boundaries are also important: Learning to protect our time and money from those who take them for granted without even realizing it is key.
And finally, mental and emotional boundaries allow us to establish space for our own feelings and beliefs without having other people’s agendas interfere in ours.
Of course, setting such healthy limits can be a challenge – especially when others are not too happy with the changes!
That’s why it is important (and often daunting) to prepare beforehand, regulate our emotions and be very clear when stating a boundary in the moment.
It might require some effort initially but establishing good boundaries will ultimately strengthen your relationship quickly.
Self-Healing: Taking The Risk To Connect With Your Supportive Community
Healing yourself allows you to become more connected to others and build a strong, supportive community around you.
SelfHealing is the key to this connection – when we’re in emotional pain, our survival systems keep us on high alert and may cause us to misread signals from other people or achieve a false sense of security in unhealthy relationships that mirror our own trauma.
By going through the process of SelfHealing, you’ll gain the capacity to tolerate difficult emotions in both yourself and those around you.
Instead of trying to run away from how you’re feeling, you’ll be able to process your feelings and develop more meaningful connections with others.
With SelfHealing, these powerful emotions can lead to positive changes; when we’re feeling calm and loving, it helps those around us feel the same way too.
Dr.
LePera is a prime example of this – she was able to reestablish healthy relationships with members of her birth family after taking the time for SelfHealing, grow closer with her partner and friends, and create a global community of millions who are dedicated to healing themselves too!
Wrap Up
The final message of the book can be summed up as such: we all have the power to heal ourselves.
This includes our physical, psychological and spiritual health.
To reach a state of better well-being, it’s important that we take personal responsibility for our own health.
This means exercising regularly, eating well and sleeping enough – these are essential things for our body to grow stronger and for us to be able to clear our heads and gain insight into our true selves.
It is also incredibly important that we work through childhood experiences of trauma in order to break old patterns that are no longer serving us.
When it comes to actionable advice, remember to take it one step at a time.
Don’t overwhelm yourself by trying to make huge sweeping changes all at once!
Start small by making a commitment – like drinking one glass of water each morning or taking a short walk daily – and stick with it until it becomes second nature.
Gradual progress is how we create lasting transformation.
