Want to feel energized? Begin with this simple practice.
One of the best practices to help us let go of what isn’t working, is what I call Uncensored Journaling. When we engage in uncensored journaling, we tap into feelings and beliefs that often times don’t surface on their own.
This type of journaling came into my life thirteen years ago after reading Julia Cameron’s The Artist’s Way; it led me to tap into my deeper Self, getting in touch with what remained below my radar, and it literally helped me change my life.
Uncensored Journaling helps us explore the parts of ourselves that hold on to deeply ingrained, self-defeating thinking patterns; and it also generates awareness of how we have created those holding patterns in our life:repeat patterns. Having a written record of the events in our life allows us to go back and see patterns in our behaviors, helping us understand how and why they hold special meaning for us. Our entries are rich with our own stories, be played out right on our pages.
Journals are a place for us to clarify goals, visualize the future, and focus our energies; a means of freeing our intuition and imagination; a workbook for exploring our dreams, our past, and our present life. So read on to discover:
6 reasons to practice Uncensored Journaling
Uncensored Journaling:
1. Gets stuff out of your head and onto the paper. Just thinking about something is not enough. Uncensored Journaling is about not thinking, not judging, or pausing while writing. It allows the voice within to surface free of censorship and captures it in a visual form. It also frees up your energy when you clear out that mental clutter and put it on paper.
2. Brings information into our awareness. When we let the thoughts flow, and accept whatever comes through our pen, powerful messages arise. Often unconsciously, we ignore our desires or dreams for fear that they won’t be fulfilled or accepted by others. Then, before we know it, we lose awareness of what we truly want. Here, through writing, we reawaken our connection to our dreams so that we may then nurture our inner most desires and bring them to reality.
3. Releases the power of unhealthy habits by bringing them into the present. When we write uncensored we see the unhealthy thoughts, behaviors, and beliefs that show up in our lives. Recognizing these unhealthy behaviors is an important step toward releasing them so we may make other choices. You can’t change what you don’t know exists.
4. Creates a narrative of our patterns over time and enables us to see the power we have given away. For example, when we express our dismay over something, it helps us to clarify our feelings so that we may make a new choice. However; when we do this continually, our behavior becomes one of complaining, which is powerless. Can you feel the difference?
5. Empowers The Self by it teaching us to take action to understand and improve ourselves. Journaling helps us to help ourselves. We get to really know ourselves, and we learn to solve our own problems. We gain strength from within!
6. Leads us back to our heart. Listening within is all about becoming still enough to feel the beat of our hearts and hear the voice of our heart so that we live inspired.
So how do you practice Uncensored Journaling?
Choose a time when you will be undisturbed. Morning is ideal before the stress of the day hijacks you. Your rational thinking mind has to be silenced, and you must be free of all distractions, so find somewhere alone. Invite the wise woman within to join you and ask her to reveal what she wants you to know in the moment. It can be helpful to close your eyes for a few minutes and focus on your heart center before beginning.
Trust whatever comes to you. Do not censor what arises and do not stop writing for 15 minutes. If nothing comes to you, then write, “nothing is coming to me,” over, and over, until something emerges-and it will. I promise you!
It can be a bit challenging in the beginning because for many of us, we are creating a new relationship with our Self. By making this a practice, it will become enjoyable, and before long, you will find you have created a very powerful habit that reignites your connection to your greatest source of wisdom-your Self. Shoot for everyday, but commit to at least 3 times a week, and enter your meeting with the wise woman within in your agenda. Develop a commitment to this process, and be sure to notice your shifts in energy following this practice.