March is the Month of Expectation.
Emily Dickinson
Greetings to all my precious people!
Just when you thought it was safe to put away your winter coat, the North wind blasted us with one more reminder that Nature is in charge of the environment. The month of March is mercurial, and perhaps that makes sense, since the name March is ultimately derived from the Latin word Martius, named after Mars, the Roman god of war. While we are in the midst of welcoming the Spring Equinox, Mercury has entered its “pre-retrograde” shadow and there is also a lunar eclipse on the horizon for March 25th. Change is constant, and the shifts in the season gently remind us that we, too, are part of the environment, contributing to the outside world as well as being affected by it.
One of the recurring themes reported by people in our healing sanctuary is that of feeling stuck, frustrated and disappointed by life and its many situations. The truth is that many of us are stuck in patterns and living life on autopilot. In fact, the neuroscience research says that up to 95% of our daily behavior is driven by our subconscious programming. We are all carrying around behaviors that don’t serve us, and may in fact be hurting us. Our past might create our patterns, but we can change those patterns for the better … with the right tools.
Licensed marriage and family therapist Vienna Pharaon’s recent book, The Origins of You, was written to offer practical guidance and encouragement for those who want to create change in a proactive way. Pharaon’s book unlocks a healing process to help us understand our Family of Origin – the family and framework we grew up within – and examine what worked (and didn’t) in that system. Unhealed pain (or “wounds”) in that Family of Origin will manifest in our adult behaviors in surprising ways, from work challenges to interpersonal struggles. But the good news: armed with the knowledge about our past, we can actually rewire our programming to meaningfully improve our relationships and our lives, right now and in the future.
We all fall into conditioned habits and patterns – products of our past – that lead to cycles of pain, stuckness, and self-destruction. But we also have the innate ability to awaken to and change the behaviors and habits that no longer serve us, allowing us to step into the highest versions of ourselves. It doesn’t matter whether you’ve been in therapy for decades, or whether therapy isn’t for you. It doesn’t matter if you had a great childhood, or a terrible one. You can create change and resolve things from the past that need your attention.
At the root of all healing work is awakening consciousness, a process of shining light into the darkness of the unknown. By objectively and compassionately observing the physical, mental, and emotional patterns that fill our days and create our current selves, we can more clearly see what we do not wish to carry into the future.
Misneach (mish-nock) is the Irish word that denotes courage, spirit, and hopefulness.
In the lexicon of the Irish spirit, “Misneach” stands tall, embodying the profound courage and determination that emerges in the face of uncertainty. It is the strength to push forward, the inner fire that fuels the will to persevere through challenges. Certainly, at this time of uncovering and discovering our true selves and our purpose, we need to embrace misneach as we work our way through obstacles.
As you work with a trusted navigator – be it a therapist, coach, or your wholistic integrative acupuncturist – and witness these default habits, from sleep to movement to eating, through emotional reactivity and core beliefs, you will never again have to ask: “but where do I start?” Because your guide along this journey will be supporting you one pattern at a time, and as each pattern/habit/behavior remakes itself, it influences all the other patterns that caused you discomfort and disharmony. Curious about how the process works? Schedule a call today and learn how we integrate the ancient medicine of acupuncture and herbs with integrative hypnotherapy to support your healing journey.
