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This is the kitchen where we talk about food, life, and recovery—a spiritual path to healing and peace.

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You are invited to keep coming back to A Cup of Kindness to share your experience, strength and hope; fears, doubts and insecurities; and to pick up information, inspiration … and have a little fun!

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In January 2007, at the age of 51, I joined a 12-step program and began my recovery from food addiction, losing 75 pounds in the process. Read more…

In January 2011, at the age of 55, I began my recovery from a multi-trauma accident, 36 fractures, damaged lungs, and post traumatic stress. Read more…

I am deeply grateful for all the kindnesses, large and small, offered to me in recovery. Here I am... alive… still making progress … still not perfect … finding a new way forward in a growing community of women and men who share a lot in common around food and life.

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Healing is a verb

 

Day 15 of continuing recovery

I love this picture from Heather Lende’s blog. It’s her grandchild Caroline and young dog Pearl in Haines, Alaska. It gives me such a sense of peace. I feel the expansive gorgeousness of this place and the love among the people and animals I’ve gotten to know through Heather’s blog and books. I feel healing happening inside me as I ponder the picture.

 

 

C & O Canal

 

Yesterday Gregory, Miranda-the-Labradoodle and I took a walk along the C&O Canal. The leaves were falling. Miranda was running ahead. The sky darkened. Rain fell. The smell of the leaves, the earth, the rain, the cool air… I felt healing happening.

I’ve been wondering about Recovery as healing. What is healing?

I turned on the radio early yesterday morning to On Being and I heard immunologist Esther Sternberg say, “If illness and health are nouns, then healing is a verb… So healing, when I say it’s a verb, the body is constantly repairing itself. That’s what life is. You know, a rock just sits there and it eventually gets into sand or mud or something as the elements affect it. But a living being is constantly repairing itself against all of these different insults at a very, you know, molecular level, at a cellular level, at an emotional level… ”

This makes sense to me. As a friend reminded me this weekend, I have an addiction to flour, sugar and quantities that is continuous, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. It does not take a day off on weekends, holidays, vacation, or when my husband is out of town. It gets triggered by life, which keeps on happening.

In order to maintain health, by their nature, my systems are continually repairing — physically, emotionally and spiritually. According to Dr. Sternberg, I can boost my immune system and aid in the repairing by breathing deeply, meditating, getting enough sleep, swimming three times a week, walking 30 minutes a day,  cultivating social support and love… and finding places of peace.

Call it repairing, healing, or continual recovery, I find it in the 12 Steps and the tools of our program. Thank you, G-d.

Love & Light,

Valerie

4 Comments to Healing is a verb

  1. Myra TAte's Gravatar Myra TAte
    October 1, 2012 at 4:00 pm | Permalink

    yes, healing is something we do – just like “to God” is something we do. xoxoxm

    • October 2, 2012 at 12:43 pm | Permalink

      thank you Myra, my words, I just call it “goddessing” or “godding”
      and it is a verb
      I have yet to talk to anybody who has seen “the Nounn2 ,or felt “it”, other then just felt ones own divinity.
      Love from nicola

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