Lessons in Healing

Healing is a journey that has no map or guidebook because each person’s path, and their pain, looks different.  How we feel things is determined by the experiences we have had, the environment we were raised in, and how we were raised.  The people who were the guides in our lives defined how we processed emotions and in what ways we allowed ourselves to move forward.

Many of us don’t question these things until we are given a reason, usually as a result of an experience.  Then we discover how we deal with people and situations.  As a society, we are not given the mindset or the tools to deal with traumatic experiences, yet we are often faced with these experiences.Healing a white flower blooms next a pile of colorful gemstones

The path to healing is comprised of two parts.  First, determining who you are and what feels right to you, without allthe outside voices telling you what to believe or what path to take.  The second part is finding the right tools, resources and teachers that fit you, based on knowing what is right for you.

No matter who you were in the past, you absolutely deserve to be free of your hurt and pain, and to heal.

Know this:

No one can define the right way for you to heal.

Whatever path you are on, there is no timeline for when you are healed.

No one can compare pain – we are all on our own journey. Someone looking in might think that what we consider great pain is a minor injustice, but we have the right to feel the way we do. No one can tell you what you are allowed to feel hurt about, or for how long the pain should last.

Living in the pain and focusing on the past, keeps you there.  Feel what you need to feel in order to heal, but when it is keeping you stuck where you are, it is time to look for other tools and resources to move forward. 

Powerful healing comes from a supportive community. This may include your loved ones, or it might be a community that fits you, such as my From Trauma to Triumph community gatherings.  Find a supportive community space that allows you to be who you are and to heal in a way that is right for you.

You hold the power to create your tomorrow.  Healing begins from within, one step at a time, one day at a time.   Breathe and believe that healing is possible for you, no matter where you are.  Know that there are people waiting to support you on your journey.

What is one thing you are doing that serves you in your healing journey?  I am here to support you on your path – reach out and let me know what support you need.

Many Blessings,
Santa

RUNNING THROUGH DARKNESS
MEMOIR OF A SPIRITUAL WARRIOR

BY SANTA MOLINA-MARSHALL ‧ RELEASE DATE: MAY 3, 2022

This debut memoir chronicles a woman’s spiritual exploration and growth as she overcame a disturbing childhood and helped others heal.

Brought to America from the Dominican Republic as a youngster, Molina-Marshall should have led a happy life. Her father was a diligent worker, and his large family wanted for nothing. But the author recounts that her dad had a drinking problem and was a serial philanderer. Molina-Marshall’s long-suffering mother left him for a woman. Then it was all downhill for the bright, 12-year-old girl, who was shuttled between foster care and relatives. According to the author, she was sexually abused by the husband of one of her siblings. This resulted in Molina-Marshall becoming alienated and moody. By 15, she simply tried to survive. In her favor were grit and a restless intelligence. She quit school, rented a room, and found a factory job. Time went by, and for a while she was happily married. Yet when her husband left her, her life truly began. She turned to religion for answers but decided that blaming God for her woes was a cop-out. 

In this absorbing and moving memoir, Molina-Marshall’s vivid storytelling is fearless. She frankly discusses the truths she discovered and the indignities she suffered. These admissions are disclosed with a touch of resignation and plenty of bite. However painful, everything she experienced was a lesson, and she bravely realized that she was part of the problem: “The fear of being hurt, rejected, or abused often led to me feeling lonely and misunderstood. No one knew the agonizing pain I felt being trapped in my thoughts and anger. I was becoming my biggest threat.” 

The author skillfully recounts her intricate spiritual journey. To deal with her psychic wounds, she searched for an inspirational system. Her open-mindedness led her to the interfaith concept—cherry-picking from various religions and spiritual movements, yoga, and Indigenous beliefs as a way of finding peace. Along with her female partner, she built a therapy practice, making use of every spiritual element that aided her and others. The road was bumpy, and she found that women of color in same-sex relationships were not welcomed everywhere. To do good works—and finally live on her own terms—she effectively overcame bigotry.

An engrossing, cathartic account of empathy and success through determination and confidence.

Pub Date: May 3, 2022   |    ISBN: 978-0-578-38315-6  |   Page Count: 264    | Publisher: From Trauma to Triumph  |   Review Posted Online: June 13, 2022