You are a living force that strives to heal and prosper in a living world. Awakening to this knowledge puts you on your eating disorder recovery path, no matter your age or the severity of your illness. Once you are aware, healing resources abound.
I watched the documentary "Sedona: The Spirit of Wonder" last night. I was attracted to the film because I visited Sedona five years ago and was fortunate to have a private jeep tour - just the driver and me. Anytime I felt attracted to a place, we would aim for the spot and stop there.
I stood in silence - human and jeep silence - so I could hear the sounds of the land and feel what was there for me to feel. I climbed rocks, found ancient carvings and drawings, and visited ruins of dwellings in the majestic red rocks.
I marveled at the golden flowers of riotous blooming cactus. Sedona found tiny openings in my heart and my imagination, infiltrated my soul and expanded me in ways I'm still learning about.
I hoped the film would reignite my personal experiences. It did and more. Personally, I found the narrative weak, slanted and uninspiring. But the power of the land comes through despite the narrative flaws.
Much of the film is a slow aerial tour through the fantastic rock formations that may touch your heart as they did mine. They may even inspire you to visit or start reading Tony Hillerman novels.
Looking at the vistas as they appeared before my eyes I realized I was both flying above the land and swimming under a deep and forgotten ocean. What I was seeing was the bottom of an ancient sea. I could imagine coyotes, bears and mountain lions amid the pines and deer trails. I could also imagine prehistoric sea creatures and perhaps coming mammals gliding through the hollows and narrows of the rock peaks.
Mind, heart, soul, and imagination expansions like this can dislodge your rigid eating disorder routines. Even a glimpse of a more expansive and awesome world can create a permanent opening to more appreciation of your own life and the scope and span of life on this planet. That opening can be a birthing place for your recovery.
The film ended with a Native American quote that transcended all the mundane modern narration preceding.
"If we look at the path, we do not see the sky.
"We are Earth people
"on a spiritual journey to the stars.
"Our quest, our earth walk,
"is to look within,
"to know who we are,
"to see that we are connected to all things.
"There is no separation, only in the mind."
...source unknown
So, in the spirit and mood of the teachings from Sedona, I wish that as you progress on your earth walk you experience a growing awareness of life. I wish for you an integration of mind, body and spirit that will break up the limitations of eating disorder perceptions. I wish for you the particular joys and freedom that can only be found in real recovery.
Please share your thoughts in the comment section below.
Written by Joanna Poppink, MFT. Joanna is a psychotherapist in private practice specializing in eating disorder recovery, stress, PTSD, and adult development.
She is licensed in CA, AZ, OR, FL, and UT. Author of the Book: Healing Your Hungry Heart: Recovering from Your Eating Disorder
Appointments are virtual.
For a free telephone consultation, e-mail her at
Add comment