Understanding Your Healing Journey: Signs of Survival, Trust & Transformation
Healing isn't linear, and wherever you are on this journey is exactly where you need to be. These signs aren't meant to judge your progress, but to help you recognise where you are and honour what your nervous system is communicating.
The Three Phases of Healing
Our bodies are incredibly wise. When we've experienced trauma, stress, or overwhelming life circumstances, our nervous system adapts to keep us safe. Understanding these adaptations—and recognising the signs of each phase—can help us move through healing with more compassion and awareness.
Survival Mode is where our nervous system is in high alert, trying to protect us from perceived threats.
Learning to Trust is the bridge phase where we begin to reconnect with our body's innate wisdom.
Active Healing is where we experience the fruits of our work—greater capacity, resilience, and freedom.
You may move between these phases, and that's completely normal. Healing is not a straight line from survival to wholeness. It's a spiral, and sometimes we revisit earlier patterns—not because we've failed, but because deeper layers are ready to heal.
Recognising Survival Mode
When your nervous system is in survival mode, it's working overtime to protect you. These patterns aren't character flaws—they're adaptive responses that once helped you cope. Recognising them is the first step toward gentler healing.
You might notice:
Eating quickly, as if there's never quite enough time
Always rushing, even when there's nowhere urgent to be
Loss of perspective, where small things feel overwhelming
Ambition feels scary or unreachable, as if dreaming is dangerous
Creativity feels clouded, like there's a fog between you and your imagination
Overstimulation by noise or activity, where the world feels too loud
Organising during downtime, unable to simply rest without being productive
Talking rapidly or excessively, as if silence is uncomfortable
Mental planning while resting, your mind unable to settle even when your body is still
Difficulty making even simple decisions, overwhelmed by too many options
Lots to do but paralysed, not knowing where to begin
If you recognise yourself here: First, take a breath. You're not broken. Your nervous system is doing exactly what it was designed to do—protect you. The invitation now is to gently show your body that it's safe enough to begin relaxing that protection.
Learning to Trust Your Body
"You cannot heal a body you do not trust."
This is perhaps the most crucial bridge in the healing journey—learning to trust that your body is not your enemy, but your ally. Your body has been carrying the burden of keeping you safe, and now you're learning to listen to its wisdom.
Trusting your body begins when:
You start to feel more at peace in your own skin, even for brief moments
You acknowledge discomfort without immediately trying to fix or escape it
You honour the emotions you feel, recognising them as information rather than problems
You can hear when you're hungry, reconnecting with your body's natural signals
You listen to the sensations you feel, becoming curious rather than afraid of what your body is telling you
You can hear when you need rest, and begin to honour that need without guilt
You notice defensive postures, observing how your body responds to stress without judgment
You're able to be present with yourself, even when it's uncomfortable
You realise symptoms are messages, your body's way of communicating what it needs
You can feel what a protective response feels like, recognizing when your nervous system is activating
You understand that your body is working for you, not against you, even when things feel difficult
If you're in this phase: You're building something sacred—a relationship with yourself based on listening, respect, and compassion. This is the foundation all lasting healing is built upon.
Experiencing Active Healing
As you continue to show your body that it's safe, that you're listening, and that you're committed to your wellbeing, something shifts. The signs of healing become more apparent, more frequent. You begin to notice that life feels different—not perfect, but more spacious, more manageable, more yours.
You might notice:
Self-compassion becomes more natural, your inner voice growing kinder
Setting boundaries feels easier, and you're more willing to honour your own limits
You start advocating for your own needs without guilt or excessive explanation
Waking up and getting out of bed feels lighter, less heavy with dread
Having energy to connect with people, and actually wanting to engage
Your tolerance for discomfort increases, able to stay present through difficult emotions
Becoming more organised naturally, creating order without it feeling forced
Choosing healthier coping tools more often, noticing when old patterns arise and having alternatives ready
Being triggered doesn't derail your entire week, you're able to feel it, process it, and move through it
You're learning how your body responds, developing a personal map of your nervous system
You're able to experience a wider spectrum of feelings, not just the extremes of numb or overwhelmed
You can focus on things beyond your symptoms, reclaiming mental space for creativity, joy, and connection
You have energy and motivation to move your body, experiencing movement as nourishing rather than punishing
If you're experiencing these signs: Celebrate each one. These are profound victories. You're not just surviving—you're learning to thrive. And even on days when old patterns resurface, you now have the tools and awareness to navigate them differently.
Moving Through the Phases
Understanding where you are isn't about rushing to the next phase. It's about meeting yourself with compassion exactly where you are.
From Survival to Trust: The bridge is built through small moments of safety—a full breath, a moment of stillness, a gentle acknowledgment of what you're feeling. You don't have to trust your body completely all at once. Start with tiny experiments: "Can I notice my breath? Can I feel my feet on the ground? Can I sit with this uncomfortable feeling for just ten seconds?"
From Trust to Active Healing: As trust deepens, healing naturally unfolds. You don't have to force it or "do" healing perfectly. Your body already knows how to heal—it's been waiting for you to create the conditions of safety and trust where healing can emerge organically.
Remember:
Progress isn't linear—you may revisit survival mode even as you're healing
All phases can coexist—you might feel signs of healing in one area while still surviving in another
There's no timeline—your healing happens at exactly the pace it needs to
Regression isn't failure—sometimes we need to revisit earlier patterns to heal at a deeper level
Witnessing where you are is already healing awareness itself is transformative
Your Invitation
As you read through these signs, notice what resonates. Perhaps you see yourself clearly in one phase, or perhaps you recognise elements of all three. Both are normal and valid.
Your nervous system is always communicating with you. These signs are simply translations of that communication. The more you learn to listen—without judgment, with curiosity and compassion—the more your body can relax its vigilance and step into healing.
Wherever you are on this journey, you are not alone. Your body is not broken. And healing is possible.
May you meet yourself with gentleness today, honouring exactly where you are while trusting in where you're going.
How This Applies to Your Reiki Divine Therapy Journey
Treatments are designed to support you in moving through these phases with intention, community, and expert guidance. Whether you're recognising survival patterns and ready to build trust, or you're experiencing active healing and want to deepen your capacity—there's space for you here.
Creating environments of safety where your nervous system can begin to relax. Offering tools and practices to help you listen to your body's wisdom. And holding space for the messy, non-linear, beautiful process of transformation.
That’s why I’m currently creating The Path to Self-Healing Retreat Series
When Your Body, Mind & Soul Keep the Score - It's Time to Rewrite the Story
Where I’m creating retreats so you can experience the range of therapy with ongoing support. What makes this completely unique… you won't find this powerful combination anywhere else. The synergy of certified Spinal Flow Technique© with authentic Reiki Divine Therapy experience, combined with a specially designed workbook to take you through healing exercises and techniques that you'll master on the day, but keep with you forever. Guided Mediations, Soul food nourishment, homemade with love and tailored to your tastes, supported by personalised consultation and feedback. Every element is crafted to help your body, mind spirit and soul system finally feel safe to release what it's been holding, feel safe and deeply relaxed in welcoming surroundings where your nervous system can finally exhale. More details coming soon on these so please do look out.
You don't need to have it all figured out before you arrive. You just need to be willing to show up for yourself, exactly as you are, and trust that your body knows the way home.