I moved. Blah. No one likes moving. Even if the new spot is your beautiful, rural forever home, (aka an awesome move!) it's still a lot. A lot of coordinating, a lot of phone calls, a lot of experimentation, and a lot of schlepping.

As I was moving I kept drawing parallels to the complicated, topsy-turvy journey of health that I witness in my patients.

Here are 12 things moving taught me about the healing process:

• 1. It starts with a decision. Time to move! Or if you're like most of my patients, being sick and tired of being sick and tired. You get to that point where you'll, "Try anything."

• 2. Next you gotta rally help. Your moving crew whether that be your friends, or a hired company, you can't do it all by yourself. That's when you start looking online or talking to people. "Do you know who could help me with...," "Do you know a good naturopathic doctor?"

• 3. Now it's moving day, you've done all your prep, all your things are packed, and the truck arrives. This is when you're all booked and you get to my office, and sometimes it feels like a huge effort just to make it that far. It's all just beginning.

• 4. You load up the truck, playing real-life Tetris, and you're ready to drive to your new location. You've had a full hour to tell me your story, packing in as many details as possible, and we've put an initial plan together.

• 5. You arrive at the new house, and you unpack it all, piling it in the most convenient spots as to not block the flow of further truck emptying. You read through the notes we've talked about, you assemble all the components of the program. Maybe you just stare at the notes going, "Gulp! Where do I start?"

• 6. While it's valuable to consider the big picture sometimes you have to go one room at a time. And as such, while it is valuable to remember the body is an ENTIRE organism, sometimes you have to work on one system at a time. Digestion is always a good place to start (and often the kitchen is the first place we establish after a move.)

• 7. So you start with the big stuff. You move the furniture into place. I see this as the foundational and universally beneficial components of a well body and mind. This is breathing fresh air, drinking clean water, making better food choices (even if there is still lots of exploration to do.)

• 8. Then you move onto the little stuff. The books go onto book shelves, the dishes go in the cupboards, and the knick knack from aunt Judy get displayed beautifully for her inevitable visit and inspection. This reminded me of the use of supplements - which should be just that - a supplement to a healthy program, filling in the gaps as needed, but not as a crutch or an alternative to eating your veggies.

• 9. At this stage if you haven't already, you might start a junk or donation pile. The stuff that just isn't fitting in the new space. This made me think of how we become more conscious as we start to heal. What are the ongoing stresses that are preventing me from getting back into healing mode? Where can I make changes in my life so it's less stressful? What or who is toxic? What don't I need anymore? What just doesn't fit?

• 10. As you settle in you realize there is a lot that the previous owner was tolerating. Ug, a sticky door. Ug a finicky oven knob. Ug a broken blind string. She was probably unaware of these daily little annoyances, but you're so attuned to them. And triggered by them. You think back to all the stuff at the old place that you overlooked or tolerated over the years. The window that didn't close with out the help of a hammer. The dent in the dry wall from when the chair hit it when you originally moved in. The paint you spilled in the corner. These constant niggly things can wear us down over time. The bullying at work, the dehydration, the excess salt or sugar, or over consuming processed foods. All these habits add up to a body that can heal or not.

• 11. Then you go back to the old house to Cinderella (aka clean) and realize how gross it was. This is like when you decide, "What the heck! I have been doing so well, I'm going to treat myself and cheat on this food plan," and you feel like a whole new level of garbage, You realize how much progress you actually made being on the program, and how good you can potentially feel!

• 12. Lastly, the previous owner kindly left (or perhaps she couldn't be bothered to pack and bring) things behind, for example dish soap. You use it thinking, "Hey, it is free!" You get a rash because your skin is sensitive. What works for someone else might not work for you and your health journey. Every one is unique, everyone has different needs, and everyone is on a different path. Use your own soap.

So there you have it! Both of these things are quite the process and have their good and tricky times. I'd love to know your thoughts about this and if you can relate to anything I mentioned (either about moving or about your healing journey) so leave a comment below. And put your details below to make sure you're the first to know when new articles come out. You'll also get some free goodies that I only share with the folks on my list.

Here's to your thriving, healthy, delightful life,