Unleashing the Power of Feng Shui in Recovery and Healing
Life can be difficult for all of us at times for a variety of reasons; however, for those suffering with addiction, it can be overwhelming. Poor choices made can sometimes prove devastating—many times resulting in lives destroyed. Find out how Feng Shui can help through recovery, healing, and growth from Ivy Ellerby, Feng Shui professional with a background in clinical and experimental psychology.
Loved ones and family members often feel like helpless bystanders. Addictions are very serious and complex diseases requiring a multifaceted approach for proper healing. The journey to successful recovery is rigorous and requires a lifelong commitment, but there is hope. Feng shui, when combined with a comprehensive recovery strategy, is a proven method to help restore and create harmony and balanced energy within an individual and his/her surroundings.
No matter the addiction, it is important to recognize that it is not simply a condition brought on by a search for pleasure, or a result of a lack of morality or weak strength of character. In many cases, the underlying root cause of addiction is related to stress and anxiety from school, work or home; mental illness, such as depression or post-traumatic stress disorder; or early childhood trauma.
Typically, when a recovering addict completes an addiction rehabilitative program, he she returns back to the same environment. Many times, families work hard to make sure that the recovering individual’s surroundings remain unchanged to create a sense of familiarity and continuity following a rehabilitation stay. However, this kind of logic can be counterproductive. Often, the old environment helps to reinforce negative behavior. Therefore, being reintroduced again to the environment can retrigger old patterns and debilitating habits, possibly leading to a relapse into addiction. For the one recovering, this often creates a tremendous burden, leaving an individual having to work twice as hard to avoid relapse. By implementing feng shui techniques, the individual can be empowered to create and cultivate a new environment—one reflecting the new reality of freedom and successful transition, instead of a familiar environment that might lure him/her back down a road of regret.
Feng shui is most effective when applied immediately following the successful completion of a rehabilitative program. Often, when the one recovered exits the structured environment of rehab, he/she is extremely vulnerable and afraid of failure. Many times, the surge of intense, short-lived motivation is soon smothered by the unchanged existence of familiar stresses related to family, finances, careers and relationships. Feng shui has been a proven means of giving a sense of control back to one recovering from addiction, providing active support and positive modification of his/her environment to encourage success.
Our surroundings affect and influence all of us, and likewise, we are a reflection of our surroundings.
This article first appeared in Midlands Health Living / Natural Awakenings, June 2015.
Ivy Ellerby is a dynamic and talented certified Advanced Feng Shui Design ProfessionalTM with a background in clinical and experimental psychology. She specializes in health and wellness improvement by using proven feng shui methods to create a balance of energy flow throughout the home, office or other occupied dwelling. Ivy is also a nationally Accredited Home Stager®.
