Embracing the Emotional Self to Heal the Physical Body

By Cicely Green, M.A., Contributor

When runners sustain injuries, our first stop is often Google, followed by advice from fellow runners, and then (hopefully) medical practitioners. But when all those methods still don’t produce the results we hope for (or produce them as quickly as we’d hope), we can be left feeling defeated and hopeless. We wonder, “Why did this have to happen?” and “When will I be able to return to the sport I love?” It is then, we often learn, that our need for healing can go beyond just the physical injury to something more.

Last fall, both of my hamstrings were strained with swelling behind the knee--a recurring injury induced by the cold weather. While I was dealing with that, my first ever back strain soon followed.

During that same time, I was up against many challenges in my life. Financially, professionally, and romantically, things weren’t going right. Overwhelmed with negative thoughts, my depression relapsed. My coping has always been to suppress and distract myself from my feelings, and I knew this wasn’t healthy. So, I poured myself into recovery.

I went to physical therapy, massage therapy, acupuncture, and even reiki healing. Each helped a bit in it’s own way, but nothing seemed to work completely. The pain and strain still lingered. My reiki healer gave me insight into how our physical symptoms can present how we’re feeling emotionally.

The idea that inner emotional turmoil can actually manifest in how we’re feeling physically soon became clear when, after seeing these healers, I attended a three-day self-development course. The course was designed to help attendees become emotionally vulnerable. Because of the transformative nature of the course, the leader mentioned that any aches and pains we were experiencing may begin to subside during or after completion.

This seemed hard to believe, but throughout these three days, I slowly felt the discomfort I was experiencing in the back of my knees shift over to my hamstrings. As I put in work on my emotions and mental health, for the first time in two months, I felt the strain behind my knee begin to subside. By the end of the weekend, I felt confident to run again and continue my aerial practice.

Once I was able to face and feel my emotions wholly during the course, I was able to feel my hamstrings wholly and let go of the emotional and physical pain that was holding me back.

Taking care of your physical body should always include adequate recovery, rest, and nutrition. But it’s important not to skip out on self-care, therapy or any method that can help provide a safe space to let your emotions loose. It’s a vital component of any training and self-care plan and will help you heal in ways you never knew you needed.

Follow Cicely’s running journey on Instagram.

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