I Tried Energy Healing To Rid My Life Of Toxicity
I realized I had issues, issues about a year ago when I was on my therapist's couch and she asked me if I was thinking about harming myself. I've used charm, wit, and charisma to mask my inner turmoil since middle school, so without skipping a beat, I said, "Even if I was thinking about harming myself, I couldn't because I have to be at work on Monday at 9 a.m." I've been seeing her for the past 10 years, and she's helped me navigate through toxic environments---some I was born into and some I've created myself.
With the help of therapy, I have been able to graduate from college, become financially independent, and thrive in the professional world.(All of these experiences required me to shut myself down emotionally. It's like for the past 10 years I've been living my life on low-battery mode, and when I get burned out, I recharge to about 10% and keep going.
My therapist knows me well enough to know that at the moment, I needed her to laugh with me because if I started crying, I would probably suffocate. That Monday, she placed me on a medical leave of absence from work for six months due to depression, anxiety, and exhaustion. She saved my life.
Around the same time, a friend of mine referred me to an energy healer. I figured, hey, at this point, as long as I am not doing some devil shit, I have nothing to lose. Plus, a guy that was supposed to be my dick appointment/antidepressant ghosted me. (Yes, I know my priorities were all messed up, but where do you think I get this material?)
At the very least, the healer would be able to read the cards and tell me if he was coming back. I was on the brink of a nervous breakdown and didn't have the energy to go hunting for penis.
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I put my deposit down, called in, and gave her my full name and birthday. I heard cards shuffling and for 45 minutes she read me for filth, mentioning people, places, and things that only I would know. I was shooketh, yet comforted. During my first reading, I walked away with two important messages: I am a very powerful woman, and my grandma is pissed because I'm not still enough for her to reach me spiritually. Wow.
My grandmother raised me to have a high vibration and a deep respect for the spirit world, and she nurtured my creativity and empathic abilities. She basically was the Mary Poppins to my whole family. When sickle cell anemia took her at 60 years old, my life drastically changed for the worse. Her house was my safe haven from the hostile and high conflict environment I was born into, and where I could be my creative quirky self. She missed my first kiss, my first abusive relationship, my first heartbreak---even a devastating rape I endured.
I'd retreated so far within myself that if you handed me an invisible cloak, I would have kissed your feet like you just handed me $10 million. I hated myself, and I hated life without her here. Period.
So, here I am with this energy healer telling me my grandma is mad at me because I'm too anxious to receive insight and messages from her and to see the universe working in my favor.
No shit.
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By the time I got off that call, my wig was on a 90-degree tilt and I felt overwhelmed by all the messages I received. I then felt a sense of peace wash over me that no prescription or shot of alcohol could give me over the years.
The healer was able to remind me that I have ancestors on the other side guiding me. They aren't sitting up in heaven sipping wine and watching me as if I were on a surveillance camera. They are actually helping me navigate and trying their best to push me to my highest self, working very hard behind the scenes to assist.
I spent so much time aching in agony, feeling like I'll be alone and misunderstood for the rest of my life, only to find out that's simply untrue. There is another side---in this lifetime and the next---and by harming myself I would be robbing myself of the opportunity of experiencing the magic of it.
I wish I could tell you that as soon as I hung up the phone my credit score went up 50 points, my husband appeared out of thin air, and I became a millionaire with abs. Nope. Working with this energy healer made me have to face my shadow head on. Consciously, I have reached a level of depth but now I have to make my life reflect my healing instead of my surface-level comfort zone.
I had to call myself out for my shallow self-care regimen, my surface level version of self-love, the shallow relationships I participated in, the way I worked myself into a depression. I've had to re-evaluate my current position in my own life, have some very hard conversations, and watch towers fall. Without God, my support system, and my energy healer, it would seem like my world was falling apart, but I know better.
My world is being renovated. It is under construction.
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The most important thing seeking spiritual guidance from an energy healer helped me with was connecting back to myself and my life's path.
I am a performer who yields high results. It's a gift and a curse because when people are used to you yielding high results, they are often not concerned about your well-being. They often wonder where you get the energy and they just want to consume and utilize it. If you don't recognize your own power, value, and magic in this lifetime, someone else will else will suck you dry and accuse you of liking it. This is why self-care and self-love is so important. Meditation, prayer, nature walks, dream journaling are all the self-care practices that come second nature to me because it is now intentional.
Find your own flow! Right now mine is a tsunami which is often misunderstood because I have to pull back, retreat, and recharge but when I come, it's not to play, it's to flood. The investment that I made into seeking spiritual advice has allowed me to live in a vibration of gratitude that is healing and restorative. The most beautiful souls gravitate toward me because I walk in my power even when stumbling. It is God's gift, and I am just a vessel.
xoNecole is always looking for new voices and empowering stories to add to our platform. If you have an interesting story or personal essay that you'd love to share, we'd love to hear from you. Contact us at submissions@xonecole.com.
Feature image by Shutterstock
Originally published on January 8, 2020
New Jersey native creating a life that she loves while living in gratitude. She loves using beauty, and fashion to create a balanced lifestyle while prioritizing wellness. A devoted fur mom, and a full-time lover of laughter. She is out for revenge against the darkness by being light, taking her own advice, traveling the world, and letting you know that you are so lit! Connect with her via IG @iamzaniah and please visit Zaniahsworld.com
ItGirl 100 Honors Black Women Who Create Culture & Put On For Their Cities
As they say, create the change you want to see in this world, besties. That’s why xoNecole linked up with Hyundai for the inaugural ItGirl 100 List, a celebration of 100 Genzennial women who aren’t afraid to pull up their own seats to the table. Across regions and industries, these women embody the essence of discovering self-value through purpose, honey! They're fierce, they’re ultra-creative, and we know they make their cities proud.
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III. An ItGirl empowers others to become the best versions of themselves.
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So, here’s the deal: if you’re over the age of 35, perimenopause can last anywhere from a few months to an entire freakin’ decade. And so, if you’re wondering why I’m talking about menopause more often these days…now you know.
Okay and just what does perimenopause and especially menopause have to do with your skin? Chile, where do I even start? SMDH. Probably the easiest way to explain it is that when your estrogen and progesterone levels drop (which is what automatically happens during that time of life), it can directly impact how your skin both looks and feels. Your skin may feel drier, thinner, or appear less “full” (meaning plump) — and all of that can make it look older than you want it to.
Honestly, that’s why a lot of skincare products are marketed as being “anti-aging”; it’s their gentle way of saying skin that is perimenopausal or menopausal. In fact, I actually read that during the first five years of menopause, it’s pretty common to lose as much as 30 percent of the collagen that’s in your system (check out “We Lose Collagen As We Age. 10 Ways To Naturally Boost It.”). And since collagen plays such a significant role in your skin retaining moisture, having elasticity, and avoiding the fine lines and wrinkles that most of us would prefer to put off for as long as we possibly can, it’s important to do what can be done, even now, to keep a youthful and radiant glow.
So, let’s get into it. Because there is indeed such a thing as menopause skincare (the anti-aging industry brings in literally billions of dollars every year because of it), I want to share 12 things that you can proactively do to care for your own skin: whether you’re in perimenopause, menopause, post-menopause or just…curious.
1. Eat More Phytoestrogens
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Okay, so since you lose quite a bit of estrogen during menopause, if you don’t want your skin to look like you did, you should consider consuming some phytoestrogens. Those are foods like dried fruits, garlic, plums, pears, apples, onions, and collards that come from plant-based estrogen. Since phytoestrogens are able to do everything from bring more hydration into your skin to boost your collagen levels, if you want to “push pause” on the aging process of your skin from the inside out, eating phytoestrogens is certainly one way to do it.
2. Also, Consume More Collagen-Enriched Foods
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We already touched on what collagen is able to do, which is why it’s a good idea to eat foods that are rich in this particular structural protein as well. Chicken, broccoli, bone broth, berries, cashews, egg whites, and citrus fruit can get you right in this department. Know what else can? Green tea.
3. Enjoy Some Dark Chocolate
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Women who are postmenopausal should consume dark chocolate on a consistent basis because it helps with their heart health. Something else that research reveals is dark chocolate is great when it comes to boosting cognitive function (which can also decline during menopause when it comes to your memory). Your skin could use dark chocolate because it increases blood circulation to it. Also, dark chocolate can protect your skin from damaging UV rays. And since dark chocolate helps to reduce stress, that is just one more reason to snack on it — and perhaps why you should consider applying a dark chocolate face mask a couple of times a month, too (you can check out some more info via StyleCraze on all of that here).
By the way, it should go on record that the key is not to pick up a Hershey’s bar on your way home. You need to eat the kind of dark chocolate that contains no less than 65-70 percent cocoa. Yep, the less sweet and more chalk-like it tastes, the better (just sayin’).
4. Put Aloe Vera Juice in Your Drinks
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The antibacterial, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory properties in (pure) aloe vera juice can do wonders for your system. Not only is it full of antioxidants and vitamin C, but aloe vera juice can also help to improve digestion, regulate your blood sugar levels, improve your oral health, soothe heartburn, and keep your vision healthy and strong. As far as your skin goes, aloe vera juice will definitely help it to maintain a proper level of moisture. As a bonus, it can also help to increase collagen production and improve elasticity in your skin.
Oh, if the thought of drinking aloe vera juice straight makes you slightly want to throw up in your mouth, take it from me that if you put a tablespoon in your juice or smoothie, you will hardly even notice that it’s there.
5. Up Your Water Intake
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Our bodies are made up of mostly water; so, of course, we need it. How much? For regular maintenance purposes, many health experts say that we, as women, can benefit from nine cups a day. If you want to shed a few pounds, 1-2 liters are recommended. And when it comes to dealing with menopause, in general, and avoiding dry skin that comes from it, at least do the bare minimum (although adding a couple of glasses of water to that would be ideal). The bottom line here is hydrate, hydrate, HYDRATE. If you want to get a leg up on menopausal skin, that’s gonna be how you do it best.
6. Take a Probiotic
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You’re gonna be hard-pressed to read something on gut health and not see a probiotic mentioned (check out “80% Of Your Immunity Is In Your Gut. Take Care Of It Like This.”). That’s because there is plenty of data out here to support that taking a probiotic can do wonders for keeping your intestinal health in great condition. Your skin will thrive off of a probiotic because, not only is it proven to decrease the amount of water that your skin loses, but it also helps to improve the quality of your skin too.
7. “Seal Your Skin” with Marula Oil
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If you want your skin to look as young as it possibly can, it’s always a good idea to look for products that contain a lot of antioxidants, essential fatty acids, and amino acids; one of those is marula oil (which is an oil that comes from marula fruit). In fact, one of the reasons why it gets a shout-out here is a lot of skincare experts recommend that you use it to “seal in moisture.” And since that is a great way to keep water in your skin (for longer) after taking a shower or bath, if you’re looking for the perfect oil to keep your skin feeling super soft and hydrated, hours after washing up, marula oil is one to keep in mind (plum oil is pretty bomb too, by the way).
8. Hyaluronic Acid Is Your Friend
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Over the past several months, something that I’ve been becoming more and more of a fan of is hyaluronic acid (check out “Why Your Skin, Hair, And Nails Need Hyaluronic Acid Like...Yesterday”). As far as menopause goes, it can actually help to naturally treat vaginal atrophy in postmenopausal women. Also, when it comes to your skin, since it actually has the ability to make it more flexible — well, that can make fine lines and wrinkles less of a visible issue.
9. Do Chemical Peels
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Last fall, I wrote an article for the platform entitled, “I've Been Doing At-Home Chemical Peels. Here Are The Pros And Cons.” I did it because, ever since I started doing chemical peels, I’ve started to see a nice shift in both the appearance as well as the texture of my skin. Anyway, since fine lines and acne are two things that oftentimes come with menopausal skin (more on pimples in a bit), and that is just what chemical peels help to treat, applying them on a consistent basis could be a wise move. You can get a potent chemical peel from a skin professional, or you can do what I do and go the lighter route at home. I’ve had no regrets (other than not fully following the directions and getting a mild chemical burn on my face once in the beginning) since doing so.
10. Try CeraVe (No Joke)
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I can’t remember the last time that I watched television, and a doggone CeraVe commercial didn't come on at some point. Personally, I’ve never used any of the products before — I might consider it now, though. Apparently, “the ceramides in CeraVe” are exactly what our skin is longing for during perimenopause and menopause. Long story short, ceramides are the fats that are in our skin cells; they actually make up around 30-40 percent of the outer layers of our skin. And since you not only lose quite a bit of ceramides during menopause, their structure tends to change too — next time you’re at the store, picking up a CeraVe moisturizer certainly couldn’t hurt.
11. Do Research on “Menopausal Acne”
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It’s like it never ends. Lawd. Okay, so why in the world, would we as grown-ass women, end up with acne? The bottom line here is just like hormonal fluctuations can trigger breakouts in teenagers, pretty much the same thing can happen to us during perimenopause and menopause. From what I’ve read and researched, as far as how to treat it, you can do similar things that you did as an adolescent (if acne was an issue), including applying benzoyl peroxide and topical retinoids. Although, if you’ve never been to a dermatologist before, this may be the time to do it. They may be able to customize a skincare regimen that can make getting through this season of acne a lot easier for you.
12. Don’t Forget About Sunscreen
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Even though we’re more melanated than any other demographic (and I love that for us!), it is ridiculous to think that skin cancer cares about that. Know what else some of us need to let go of? The belief is that we only need protection from the sun during the summer months. Listen, so long as the sun is shining, rays are beaming, and they can ultimately damage our skin (even in the wintertime). And since menopause makes skin thinner, which ultimately means that it’s more vulnerable, you definitely need to make sunscreen a part of your daily skincare routine, now more than ever. You can check out a list of some of the best sunscreens for our complexion(s) here.
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Menopause skin prep. Chile, you ain’t gotta tell me — I’m right there with you, somewhere in perimenopause. Hopefully, this intel will make shifting into the transition easier to bear…so that “Black not cracking” can remain intact. Even during the seasons of (perimenopause) and menopause.
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