What is your name and location?
Adina, Goddess Adina on all social media. I’m honestly a nomad, but I currently rest my head in Nashville, TN.
How do you heal yourself? What is your favorite form of self-therapy?
I heal myself simply by choosing healing, daily. I have made a conscious decision to recognize my need for healing, my power to heal self, and to know that healing is a never-ending journey. So the practical “how” presents itself from moment to moment depending on what I need (i.e. binge watching Netflix, yoga, work, vacations, sex, meditation, a hug…). The greatest thing I’ve gained from healing myself, however, is my ability to trust me again. I’m able to trust my decisions, inclinations, and visions, which is something I’ve NEVER had. Every thought/action I had/did went through the validation filter of the outside world. It’s truly a miracle to have a thought, choose an action, and follow through with it WITHOUT the opinions or input of others.
My favorite form of self-therapy is being honest about my ego! It’s not always the most enjoyable, but it allows me to uncover more of my brilliance each day. For ex: if I’m frustrated or annoyed with someone or something, I always look inward to discover the root of the frustration. This almost always leads back to my ego… I’m hungry, my feelings got hurt, I’m over-identifying with something, etc. And honestly, once I’ve discovered the root I usually giggle and come up with the simple solution (i.e. eat, sleep, drink water, or tell my emotions to chill!)
When/what was the catalyst that made you start?
Love. I’ve ALWAYS been a relationship type of girl. I started engaging in serious long-term relationships in middle school, and I’ve been going strong ever since. About 6 years ago I was coming to the tail end of an almost 8-year relationship (on & off), and I was starting to see it’s toxicity. But I was addicted to his love, to our love. So instead of accepting the toxicity of the relationship and leaving, I started trying to fix it by fixing myself as it was my habit to take blame. In doing so I had to ask myself tough questions about the reality of what I was allowing in my life. Over time I started to see that it was NOT all my fault, that I had spaces in me that were hurt badly, and that only I could do something to change it. It’s been a tumultuous journey through faith and trust, but every day I still land on healing.
What does your process look like? (Please share what you feel comfortable sharing)
I’m answering this particular question because I want everyone to know that there is NO formula to healing. There are practices, processes, and ideologies that can help; however, ultimately YOUR process of healing has to be unique to you. If you try to heal exactly the way I do, you will not heal. It’ll be like the J. Cole song “you came a long way, but you went the wrong way.” So my process is to listen to heart and act accordingly from moment to moment. There have been times where this has led me to making the wrong decision, but I use EVERY space as one of learning. Those wrong decisions allowed me to alter my thought processes so I could begin to place more trust in my choices and intuitions. And most importantly, I ALLOW MYSELF TO CHANGE!!!
Why is what you do so important? Why is this form of self-helping important to you?
It’s important to me because what I do saved me. The commencement of my healing journey was ROUGH, and it wasn’t long before I had come to a place of settling. I accepted life in this broken space UNTIL I started to feel the pull of my purpose in this life. Realizing that my desire to help people, ingrained in me from birth, would only manifest to the fullest potential I saw if I began to start choosing me, helping me. So I pushed myself to enter my dark spaces, get familiar with my “ugliness”, and accept my brilliance.
This particular “form” (though it lacks almost all form) of self-helping is important to me because it comes with self-reliance and resilience. It reminds us of our own power to choose, to heal. Freedom is the ability to create opportunity for ourselves, and I’ve found that freedom no matter if it comes with rough days eating beans and rice or glorious days popping $1500 champagne bottles… is worth every second of this existence. You become unshakable when you fall in open, honest, courageous love with you (the ONLY constant in your life).
What is your inspiration to continue doing what you are doing? What is the fuel that keeps you going?
I’ve tasted freedom, and it’s something you cannot “un-know”. Giving up or doing something else would be to chain myself again, and I couldn’t choose imprisonment even if I wanted to. Trust me, I’ve thought about it. And ultimately, there’s no plan B for me. This is my only plan.
What are your visions &/or goals?
To be honest, more than I even have the words to express currently. However, big picture vision: be a mirror reflecting freedom, healing, power, and love to the whole world.
Tell us a fun fact about your form of healing, what it is that you do, or something people may not know?
A fun fact about my healing process: it ALWAYS involves my inner child. You guys, my secret power is my ability to allow myself to be a child AND a parent. I parent myself with love, gratitude, grace, compassion, and understanding. Just as a child will never be the exact mold the parent’s may desire, I will never be the EXACT mold I create for myself in my head. I’ve learned to be a space for myself to grow, and place a child-like faith paired with a lack of definitive expectations in my own capacity to be great. .
In one sentence, what is your message to the world?
Breathe & be empowered; you are the saving grace you’ve been looking for.
Adina is another WONDERFUL addition to the We Heal Too Team! Let us give her some love!