Sun rises make me so happy, especially when I find myself being basked in the first morning light in the countryside. This is the way life is supposed to be. Every time I come to the country house, I feel my soul finally letting her guard down, feeling free to be herself, which is pretty much a two year old toddler. My little daughter is a reflection of my child inside me, really. No wonder she and I get along so well!

Although, today, I had to beg my toddler to go out with me. She was content staying home at seven in the morning with my parents. I gave up pushing her, thinking that God was granting me some free time for me to be with Him alone. I took a walk alongside our brand new fence, on the quiet country road and ended my brief walk back at my backyard staring at the glorious morning sun in silent thanksgiving.

If I could be my heroin Pioneer Woman for one moment, that moment would have been this morning. I felt so grateful and blissful for only one reason. That my soul was at ease and at her blissful contentment on the very street she lives on and she was not at her church! I realized that I was finally aligning myself to the healing vibration of the church- or my past cabin retreats, spiritual retreats, or monastery stays- in my daily life. I got teary thinking how generous God was to bestow me with such great gift. It’s like Hawaii was in my own backyard!

Something that is so crucial for people on the path of recovery is to remain in the place of healing as much as one can realistically afford. Our mind is a tricky thing. What that means is that you can so easily trick your own mind! The more you give your mind a restful state, the more it is inclined to stay rested. Your physical body becomes what you eat. Your mind becomes what you feed as well. For me, it worked to feed my mind and supplement it with peaceful ocean for a few years, relaxing, spiritual readings every morning and evening, weekly Eucharistic Adoration visits, Sunday mass, and most of all, daily Bible readings. Staying in prayerful state with the rosary prayers worked wonders. Having my mom reading Bible verses during my trembling moments worked just as well, too. Take notes of anything that puts your mind at ease and do them frequently in order to keep your mind in that state. If certain human beings bring you to a peaceful place of refuge, for God’s sake, stay as much as you can with that person, because God sent you that person for your good benefits!

For me, lately, my supplements have been diffusing frankincense oil which primes my mind to Eucharistic Adoration, taking walks in my back yard or on country roads when I am in the country house, listening to relaxing Yiruma station on Pandora, spending idle moments throughout the week on the grounds of my local parish, and my quiet morning prayer. I follow Cold Antler Farm blog and Alison O’Neil at Shepherdess on Twitter, and these daily feedings have been very healing as well. Whatever it is that works for you, my fellow sufferers, explore it, identify it, and then, implement it in your daily life, and do your best to keep your mind in that state of healing place. Our mind is ever involving, reinventing itself, so do not be surprised if the therapeutic methods keep reinventing themselves. Life is constantly changing, and so are our minds. Just as the sunrise is never the same, our minds are constantly waking up the subtle change each morning and you must always make adjustments. Follow your mind, emotions give you cues to the right directions. Most of all, believe, in you, but more, in God, the supreme being who works all things for good for those who love him (Romans 8:28).