Why Healing Is Not My Purpose (But Why It Happens Anyway)
"I am not anxious about my trauma wounds
I am not worried about what hasn't healed within myself
I'm having fun
I'm enjoying food
I'm dancing
I'm playing
I'm kissing
I'm living
I was born to live
Not to heal
My living is the healing
Life is purpose in itself
My healing is not my purpose"
– Toni Jones
Happy Solstice!
Are you feeling it?
It’s been grey where I am today, but as the sun dipped low, something shifted. I lit a fire, and suddenly—there I was. Warm, expansive, alive. The Solstice has a way of stirring us, doesn’t it?
If you haven’t marked it yet, here’s your sign 🔮.
It doesn’t have to be elaborate—a candle, a deep breath, a barefoot moment outside will do just fine.
I recently had a session with a client who said, so emphatically,
"I'm done with healing!"
And I knew exactly what she was talking about.
So, for this month's 30-day dance challenge, I included Toni Jones' Healing is Not My Purpose.
For those of you who’ve been on the self-development path for a while, you’ll likely chuckle in recognition.
As we enter the summer (for those of us in the Northern Hemisphere), a more light-hearted way of being often opens up. Therapists and coaches typically have fewer clients—because, let’s face it, we’re all just a little bit happier.
This sense of well-being isn’t just about sunshine. It’s because this season invites us back into our bodies.
Feeling the air on our skin. Awakening. Moving. Being. As an embodiment coach I know whenever our bodies are more online, the more aligned we feel.
In my Aging Backwards class today, I received some beautiful reflections. For some, it had been years since they’d been to a class.
Here, they got to breathe—and, as a by-product, experience what we might call healing:
Processing grief.
Repairing the body.
Remembering how to feel good.
It wasn’t advertised as a grief ritual. Or a healing space.
But as we moved and breathed together (we danced and were quite playful too), we created the conditions to relax—and yes, heal.
So I’ll leave you with this:
What are the things you love that have healing as a by-product?
Is there anything this letter inspires you to do?
Let me know. I’d love to hear.
Sarah x