Guest Post: How Self-Nurturing Changed My Life

I am home from vacation but absolutely exhausted! This guest post was supposed to go up on Friday but our resort did not have Wi-Fi so I couldn’t get it posted (what kind of resort these days doesn’t have Wi-Fi???) but it works out in the end as I can post it today! Hopefully I’ll be able to actually get some sleep tonight so I can start working on all these pictures from my trip to Disney! Cannot wait to share the pictures & stories with you!

For now I would like to introduce you to Shileen, who writes over at The Wonder Woman Challenge, who is going to share her story of how she found healing from her rosacea through learning to take care of her emotional and mental health as well as her physical health. Not saying in any way, shape, or form that chronic illness is ever “in our heads” but I think sometimes we seem to neglect other areas with our health when our physical needs can be so demanding! If you would like more information on her program, be sure to check out her blog!

I was so disgusted with my face. The large hard cyst-like bumps would take weeks sometimes months to heal and go away. Pus or no pus the bumps would always scar. I would console myself with the fact that at least my entire face was no longer flaming red. That was progress, wasn’t it?

It was rosacea, an incurable skin disorder that can be disfiguring (think W.C. Fields with the red bulbous nose) even blinding. I suffered with it for about 20 years but still would not believe the incurable part of this disorder nor was I willing to constantly take antibiotics or any other medicine long term.

I knew there had to be something, someway to cure this disorder. I prayed for guidance and direction with every flare up. And don’t you know, the flare ups would come at the worst times – any special event when I wanted to look my best. Frustrating to say the least! Feeling beautiful would fly right out the door when someone would ask me, “What’s wrong
with your face?” Just what every woman wants to be asked.

Rosacea was a gift to me. Oh I didn’t know that at the time, but it was my body’s way of telling me there was something wrong inside. My body was crying out for help. I knew that I needed help … I just had no idea what kind.

I searched the Internet and searched and searched. I would often cry out to the Lord asking him for help until finally one day He heard my cry. He brought into my life the most beautiful woman who became my Emotional Wellness Coach. Georgie taught me so many things about my spirit, about what I needed deep inside. She introduced me to releasing stuck emotions from my body and she introduced me to self-nurture. I had no idea at the time just how much that would change my life!

Turns out that my face was reacting to old stuck emotions from the problems of my past. Georgie calls it “issues in your tissues”. I certainly did have issues in my tissues. We went to work right away and I was amazed with the results. As the layers began to peel back healing also began to take place. The great part is that she taught me fun, gentle methods to release those issues. It wasn’t grueling psycho-therapy kind of stuff.

Right along side of that particular healing method, I learned about self-nurture, which was basically how to care for and love myself. Shouldn’t I have known how to do that? One would think so, but I didn’t as so many others don’t either.

“What women need is to learn how to nurture themselves. We need to shower as much loving kindness on ourselves as we habitually shower on loved ones, and even not-so-loved ones. We need to be loved for our fully formed selves, not for our dependent, appeasing selves. And the only way we can have fully formed selves is by granting ourselves the same
tenderness and fierce protectiveness we’d otherwise reserve for a beloved child.” ~~ Alice D. Domar, PhD “Self-Nurture”

For the first time in a very long time I started to come alive. What I didn’t tell you is that I was also very depressed. There were days that I didn’t get out of bed on top of having the disfiguring skin disorder. But, with the help of my Emotional Wellness Coach, I began to explore the world around me and my spirit began to soar. I often found that the simplest activities would give me the biggest punch.

The depression lifted and my face healed as I released the issues from my tissues AND practiced self-nurture. I am so grateful for my coach. We stay in touch to this day. As a matter of fact we had the awesome privilege of meeting each other in person for the first time last year. I thank my God every time I think of her.

Because of this supposed disfiguring incurable skin disorder, I am healed on many levels, my inner beauty shines forth more than ever before, and now I get to touch women’s lives all over the world by teaching the practice of self-nurture. Self-nurture impacts the whole person … body,mind, and spirit.

Today I have many, many tools in my self-nurture toolbox helping me to take care of myself so that I can give from a full cup.If you would like to learn more about the products I use or the programs I recommend, please be sure to visit my blog!

You too can become a woman of wonder through the practice of self-nurture. It just might be what you’ve been searching for!

About the author: Shileen Nixon, has been a student of holistic health for 17 years. She is an Emotional Wellness Coach who specializes in the practice of self-nurture. She is also the creator and founder of The Wonder Woman
Challenge, a 30-day challenge that will change your life through the practice of self-nurture. You can find more information at http://shileennixon.com or email her at wonderwman@shileennixon.com